Dear Explorer,
Read Matthew 6:9-13
And
Read Luke 11:1-4
Some people call this “The Lord's Prayer”. A better title would be the “Model Prayer”.
Read again the first 2 phrases of Luke 11:1. Do we know what Jesus was praying about?
No. The second phrase I want you to see is when He finished (ceased). It's just a little phrase, but vitally important. You see, some followers say that since Paul told us to pray continually in 1 Thessalonians 5:17, they don't need a daily quiet time to pray. They claim that they are praying all the time. Good for them! But that's not the way Jesus operated!
Do you think Jesus prayed continually?
Yes, I do. But I also believe that He set aside time each day to spend quietly alone with God, talking and listening to God. This phrase that tell of an end to that time implies that there was also a beginning and a middle!
If Jesus set aside time to listen and talk with God every day, don't you think you would need that time, too?
So, this is a model that Jesus suggested we could use for our prayer time.
1st worship (hallowed means holy)
2nd pray for His Kingdom work to be accomplished (pray for pastors, missionaries, church leaders and fellow followers)
3rd ask for our needs
4th ask Him to forgive our sins as we forgive others
5th ask God for mercy because we are weak and need help overcoming temptation.
You'll encounter many models for prayer. I don't think the “form” is as important as the heart.
A girl friend of mine who is a mighty prayer warrior was in one of my small groups. We were discussing models for prayer and she stated, “Dale, when you pray, you are like a fizzy soda!” Everyone laughed and agreed. You see, when something is on my heart – I just go to God and talk to Him about it. I don't use any formality or model. I just dump it all out at His feet. Why? Because He's my Father, and He's my best friend. He knows me well! Once I dump out all the things that are bothering me, I begin to relax and worship and praise Him. But when something is troubling me, or I have a question – I just get to the point. That's what she was calling the fizz. Then I get down to the sweet stuff – the worship and praise.
If you spend a little bit of time every day talking with and listening to God, it will be easy to run to Him all day long with everything that comes up. You'll be up-to-date and current with your conversation!
In His service, dale
Next study