What Are You Doing?!
'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.'
Matthew 6:7-13
'Now Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he finished, one of his disciples said to him, "Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples." And he said to them, "When you pray, say: "Father, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread, and forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation."'
Luke 11:1-4
Many learn the Lord's Prayer in Sunday School, Vacation Bible School, AWANS, etc. It is just a collection of words that we say. We repeat. These words of our Lord become a mantra. They have no life. We don't pay attention to the words that the Lord said and that we repeat. The first few words of this model prayer we submit our will to the Father's. As followers of Jesus, this should have been acknowledged initially, but we often submit ourselves for salvation and then proceed to give God a "to-do list".
Who is submitted to who? Are we submitting to God is God submitting to us? That question is foolish. The way that we approach the Lord often seems as if He is required to fulfill our self-focused requests. Are we truly pursuing the Lord's Kingdom or our own? Do we even bother asking the Lord to speak so that we may know how to pray for the Kingdom?
Prayer is not to be a religious exercise that we check off our list. Why must we pray? We must engage in the battle with our will. We naturally desire to have our wants; our ways. In following the Lord as a Christian, we have declared him as Lord of our lives before him and others. We can no longer follow our will. We have a Lord. Given that we are submitted to the Lord, we must battle against our natural desire to have and do things our way. This battle is fought in prayer.
So, what are you doing? Are you daily (weekly, before meals, occasionally, etc.) giving the Lord a list of "to-do's"? Are you battling your will or seeking your will in prayer? Prayer is not a religious exercise. Prayer is a spiritual battlefield for your will and the Kingdom of Heaven. Prayer is not a personal shopping trip or organ recital. Are you engaged in the battle?
Matthew 6:7-13
'Now Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he finished, one of his disciples said to him, "Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples." And he said to them, "When you pray, say: "Father, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread, and forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation."'
Luke 11:1-4
Many learn the Lord's Prayer in Sunday School, Vacation Bible School, AWANS, etc. It is just a collection of words that we say. We repeat. These words of our Lord become a mantra. They have no life. We don't pay attention to the words that the Lord said and that we repeat. The first few words of this model prayer we submit our will to the Father's. As followers of Jesus, this should have been acknowledged initially, but we often submit ourselves for salvation and then proceed to give God a "to-do list".
Who is submitted to who? Are we submitting to God is God submitting to us? That question is foolish. The way that we approach the Lord often seems as if He is required to fulfill our self-focused requests. Are we truly pursuing the Lord's Kingdom or our own? Do we even bother asking the Lord to speak so that we may know how to pray for the Kingdom?
Prayer is not to be a religious exercise that we check off our list. Why must we pray? We must engage in the battle with our will. We naturally desire to have our wants; our ways. In following the Lord as a Christian, we have declared him as Lord of our lives before him and others. We can no longer follow our will. We have a Lord. Given that we are submitted to the Lord, we must battle against our natural desire to have and do things our way. This battle is fought in prayer.
So, what are you doing? Are you daily (weekly, before meals, occasionally, etc.) giving the Lord a list of "to-do's"? Are you battling your will or seeking your will in prayer? Prayer is not a religious exercise. Prayer is a spiritual battlefield for your will and the Kingdom of Heaven. Prayer is not a personal shopping trip or organ recital. Are you engaged in the battle?
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