April 24 – May 29
“Prayer Is______”
How would you fill in the blank?
Too often we view prayer only as a means to get things from God and miss our chance to receive the greatest gift, a growing intimacy with the Father. Prayer is first and foremost a means of being with our true treasure, our Heavenly Father. Christ died so we could be restored into a right relationship with God. When we view prayer like this, we discover we don’t need answers or things as much as we need God.
When Jesus taught his disciples to pray through the Lord’s prayer, He gave a framework for the aspects of prayer that are often overlooked. Too many people view this prayer as something to memorize and simply recite, as if the mere words themselves have some kind of magical power. They don’t.
Over the next 6-weeks we will be looking at different elements of prayer Jesus taught us through the Lord’s Prayer. Each one of them shows us a new facet or aspect of what prayer is.
Matthew 6:5-15
“And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
“And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. Pray then like this:
“Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.