Lord, teach us to pray (Part 2)

In my previous post, we started to look at Jesus’ answer to his disciples' request that He teach them to pray. In that post we noted that they didn’t ask him to teach them "how" to pray, but rather asked to be taught “to” pray. In response to their request, Jesus gave them a model prayer very similar to the prayer he prayed during the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 6:9-13) which we refer to as the Lord’s Prayer. 

 

In Teach us to pray (part 1), we looked at the meaning of Luke 11:2, “And He said to them, ‘When you pray, say: Father, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come.” We delved into the importance of relationship with God in prayer as our Father in heaven, and includes communion with and worship of God through Jesus. The last thing we looked at involved a view of God's will here on earth. Today’s post considers the rest of his answer found in verses 3-4 which looks at personal petitions in prayer.

"Give us each day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins, For we ourselves also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation" (Luke 11:3-4).

 

Petitioning God for personal needs

Jesus' prayer model started with the communion of relationship with our Father in heaven and submitting to his will, and today's verses move on to praying for personal needs. I’ve heard some people say it’s wrong to ask God for things we need, but this prayer Jesus offered says differently.

 “Give us each day our daily bread,” is a personal need. Daily bread is a personal need. It is a day-by-day thing trusting Him for what we need. It goes hand in hand with His sermon on the mount where Jesus told us not to be concerned about what to eat or drink but rather seek first His kingdom and His will. This stands in stark contrast to the teaching of some today who encourage praying for all the things we want in this life now. To name and claim what we want. Our first desire should be to be rich spiritually. This comes through relationship with God as we walk in Him.

“Forgive us our sins.” This is a personal spiritual need. If we want to be in fellowship with a holy God we must continually be cleansed from our sin. Here's the part that confusing some people. We are to ask for forgiveness in the same way in which we forgive everyone who sins against us.

Why is it worded this way? Think of it this way. Unforgiveness is sin. This prayer model emphasizes the importance of forgiving in both directions--for ourselves from God and for others from ourselves. It’s a hard lesson. Even Peter asked how often he had to forgive someone. Jesus' answer is found in Matthew 18:21-35. The bottom line is that we are to have a forgiving spirit because unforgiveness has no part with the spirit of Christ. So as we ask God for forgiveness, we must be willing to do the same for those around us. If you have difficulty with this, talk about it with your heavenly Father. Though Him all things are possible.

Confessing our sins to God brings cleansing and forgiveness but  sometimes we get discouraged because we continue to repeat the same sin over and over. Growing in Christ is a process. Remember that Jesus died for all your sins and when you pray to the Father in the name of Jesus you are covered in His righteousness. Our prayers are “accepted in the Beloved.” Remember, Christ is interceding for us (Heb. 7:25) and is working to change you through the power of the Holy Spirit. Keep seeking his will and remember that God knows your heart.

Lead us not into temptation

James tells us that God does not temp man with evil (James 1:13-15). "Lead us not into temptation" is a prayer asking to be delivered from the schemes of the evil one. It is asking that God lead us away from the things that do tempt us. And of course, our part is to not willfully places ourselves in such situations.

 

Call on the Father in prayer

When we consider our sinfulness and God’s holiness, we might feel that God doesn’t want to hear from us because of our failures or that He is tired of hearing us confess the same sins or making the same requests over and over again. Let me tell you, that this "feeling" is not from God. The good news is that when believers call on the Father in prayer, we do so in the precious name of Jesus and we are covered in His righteousness. The Father delights to answer anyone who calls on Him in the name of His Son. Our prayers are “accepted in the Beloved” and are heard just as clearly as the prayers spoken by the interceding Christ (Heb. 7:25).

Call upon the name of the Lord in faith

* * * *

Read The Inheritance by Donna Sundblad

The Inheritance, written by Donna Sundblad, is a Christian allegory written along the lines of traditional allegories such as the Pilgrim’s Progress or Hinds’ Feet On High Places.

However, there is little similarity between these rather staid tomes and the action-packed pages of Sundblad’s novel.

While it may sound trite and time-worn to say that “I couldn’t put it down,” the reality is that I had to make myself stop reading it long enough to do mundane tasks like eat, sleep and care for my family.

I could not wait to find out what kind of trouble Jejune would get into next and what would happen to him. ~ Christian Education Plus

When you read it, be sure to leave a review! Thanks for your support.

 

Lord, teach us to pray (Part 1)

 It happened that while Jesus was praying in a certain place, after He had finished, one of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray just as John also taught his disciples.” Luke11:1

Teach us to pray

The disciples saw Jesus praying and when he finished, they asked Him to teach them to pray. Note that they didn’t say, “teach us HOW to pray.” They knew how to pray. We see that in Jesus’ response. He says, “When you pray….” They also knew they ought to pray and by their request we can see that they understood that they fell short in the discipline of prayer. They asked that he teach them “to” pray.

Most of us can echo this request today, because we don’t spend enough time in prayer. It’s not that we don’t know how to talk to God. It’s that we don’t.

In response to their request, Jesus gave them a model prayer. It is very similar to the prayer he prayed during the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 6:9-13) which today we refer to as the Lord’s Prayer. But this model he gives in Luke 11 differs from that prayer.

And He said to them, “When you pray, say: ‘Father, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. (v. 2)

 

Prayer is about relationship

The first thing we learn from this model is the importance of relationship found in the word “Father.” Prayer is the privilege of God’s children—those who are born again. It is necessary for us to have a relationship with God before we can really pray. If you aren’t a child of God, your only approach to God is through Jesus Christ (see John 14:6). As a child of God, our relationship opens the door to God. Our Father in heaven always hears our needs and is willing to commune and fellowship with us. He is always available through our relationship. He is our Father. It is an intimate relationship with God and prayer draws us closer. We have a Father in heaven who loves us, will listen to us, and help us. This encourages us to pray.

Hallowed be thy name

“Hallowed by Your name.” His name. This isn’t referring to his title, God, but his name. We can’t pronounce His name. It has no vowels in the Hebrew. What’s interesting is that in the Hebrew, his name is a verb that means “the becoming one.” “I am.” It is a name by which God reveals his desired relationship with you. He is willing to become to you what your need is. If you look into the namesof God used in the Old Testament, this brings a deeper understanding to how God becomes what we need. For instance, Jehovah-Raah means The Lord My Shepherd and Jehovah Rapha means The Lord that Heals. Through Jesus Christ he has become God our Savior.

As we pray, we declare His name hallowed (holy). This is one of the reasons the Jewish scribes left the vowels out of the name of God, because they thought the name so holy that people were not worthy to even say it or read it to themselves. So they made it unpronounceable. We can say that is extreme, but in our culture we’ve gone the other direction. It isn’t unusual to hear people call God, “The big guy upstairs” or similar euphemisms. 

Thy kingdom come

“Your kingdom come.” In this phrase we come to the real purpose of prayer. Let me say, God didn’t intend prayer to be a negotiation to bring your kingdom to earth. But many treat it this way. They think prayer is how you get your heart’s desires. We see this in some of the formulas for prayer that promise results in getting what you want from God in this life now. This is not the purpose of prayer. God is not a genie that grants your wishes. Praying in this way reveals a person who thinks they are sovereign, rather than honoring God as sovereign. Prayer isn’t about accomplishing our will on earth. Prayer is about God’s will. It opens the door for God to do the work he desires in our hearts, which reminds me of Ps. 37:4, “Delight yourself in the LORD; And He will give you the desires of your heart.” If we delight ourselves in the Lord, our desires line up with his desires.

This brings me to praying in Jesus’ name. Jesus taught his disciples to pray in his name in John 14:13–14; 15:16; 16:23–24. Many people tack the phrase "in Jesus name" onto the end of a prayer without understanding what it means to pray in Jesus’ name. Praying in Jesus name isn’t a mantra that makes prayer "work." It goes back to our relationship with God. It is through Jesus that we have our access to God in prayer. By grace, the Holy Spirit unites us to Christ and grants us entrance into the fellowship that Jesus has with His heavenly Father. Praying “in His name” means praying according to His will. Yes, we can express our desires and our will in matters of prayer but when we pray in Jesus name we submit our will to His. We don’t have to say, “In Jesus name,” we only need to pray in Jesus name--his will.In this way, you yield yourself to God’s will in prayer.

Lord, teach us to pray (Part 2)

About The Inheritance

Written within the allegorical tradition of classics like Pilgrim's Progress, The Inheritance offers a literal but symbolic story for today's fantasy enthusiasts. This cleverly devised tale doesn't tell you what to think, but stimulates thought as to why you believe what you believe in your own quest for the Eternal City. The Inheritance is an ideal discussion starter for youth groups, homeschoolers, and families who enjoy meaningful discussions.

The Inheritance is available on Kindle, paperback on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Nook, Kobo (Christian fiction), and Googlebooks. When you read it, be sure to leave a review! Thanks for your support.

Photo credits: pixabay

Saving the earth or saving souls

 

Back in 1970, we celebrated the first Earth Day. I thought it a strange thing. What were we celebrating? Turns out that it united groups around the country who had been fighting pollution, oil spills, etc. Earth Day created a platform for people who cared about taking care of the earth. Some looked at it as saving the earth and for others it was about doing a better job of taking care of what God gave us. But it morphed into something more. We started to hear about the imminent cooling of the Earth and dire predictions of a coming time of extensive glaciation, due to the cooling effects of aerosols and orbital forcing. But science didn’t back that up those claims, so the message changed to global warming. When science didn't back up these predictions either, this earth-religion changed its name to climate change. Now it’s about saving the earth and keeping people safe.

The climate-change earth religion isn’t something new. If we look back in history, we see a wide range of peoples and beliefs who fall into this group. This includes paganism (polytheistic, nature-based religion); animism, (worldview that believes all living things possess a spirit including: people, animals, and plants); and Wicca which embraces the concept of an earth mother goddess.

 

Ancient Earth worship deities

In Greek mythology, Gaia (also spelled Gaea) is the representation of the Earth. Her title is goddess of the earth, mother of all life. Similarly, Tellus, also called Terra Mater, is ancient Rome’s version of the earth goddess who is often pictured reclining with a cornucopia. But ancient Greece and Rome weren’t the only ones who worshiped the Earth rather than the Creator God. Pachamama is another Earth goddess. This one, according to Inca legend, is an ever-present and independent deity. She was believed to be the creative power that sustained life or took it away with the ability to control fertility and even cause earthquakes. Prithvi Mata known as “the Vast One” is the Sanskrit name for the Earth as well as the name of a Hindu goddess (as well as in some branches of Buddhism). The Hopi believed in Kokyangwuti, Spider Grandmother, who along with their Sun god Tawa created the Earth and its creatures.

Christian stewardship

Christian stewardship refers to the Christian's responsibility in taking care of and using the gifts God has bestowed on us. This includes  the Earth which God created as well as the things on the earth. We are charged to be good stewards or managers. But we must be careful to hold fast to the truth of God’s Word and not be swayed by worldly wisdom or carnal thinking. 2 Peter 2:7 says that "the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly." All our works, the good deeds we've done will be tested by fire, and only things eternal will survive the test.

Set your minds on what is above, not on what is on the earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with the Messiah in God (Col. 3:2-3).

Believers need not fear climate change. We need not worry about saving the Earth. Instead, we should be seeking to save souls, and to live for Christ. If we do that, we will care for the earth and care about things eternal. Ask yourself, which are you putting most effort into: Saving the earth or saving souls.

 

About The Inheritance

Written within the allegorical tradition of classics like Pilgrim's Progress, The Inheritance offers a literal but symbolic story for today's fantasy enthusiasts. This cleverly devised tale doesn't tell you what to think, but stimulates thought as to why you believe what you believe in your own quest for the Eternal City. The Inheritance is an ideal discussion starter for youth groups, homeschoolers, and families who enjoy meaningful discussions.

The Inheritance is available on Kindle, paperback on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Nook, Kobo (Christian fiction), and Googlebooks. When you read it, be sure to leave a review! Thanks for your support.

Photo credits: pixabay,