The Lord’s Prayer as a Pattern for Prayer
“This, then, is how you should pray:
‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be
done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our
debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.’ (Matthew 6:9-13)
The
verses above, often called The Lord’s Prayer, is one of the most famous prayers
of all time. It has been recited by millions of people in all kinds of
Christian churches all around the world over the past two thousand years.
But is that really what Jesus
intended? Did he really want his disciples to pray in a formulaic, ritualistic
way without any hint of intimacy or deep relationship with God? Or could it be
that Jesus wasn’t giving us a prayer to memorize and recite by rote but was instead
giving us an example that could be personalized and expanded upon by his
disciples?
Like many of us, I learned The
Lord’s Prayer as a child. For years I faithfully recited the words every Sunday
in church. And yet it wasn’t until after I wandered away from the Lord for a
few years and then came back to Him as an adult that I really began to let the
meaning of the words sink into my soul. Will you do that with me today? Can you
set aside the familiarity of the prayer and let the words sink deep into your
soul today? If you do it will refresh your spirit and jumpstart your prayer
life.
Let’s begin by using the prayer as a
pattern for us to follow. Start with the words, “Our Father.” Don’t just recite
the words and speed along to the rest of the prayer. Pause and be led by the
Spirit as you dwell and what those words mean. God Almighty – the Creator of
the universe, the Sustainer of all that there is, the Great I Am – He is your
father and you are His child. He is there for you, ready to provide for you,
care for you, counsel you, and encourage you. He is proud of you and loves you
with and undying love. He loves it when you come and talk to Him and tell Him
about your day, your struggles and triumphs, your worries and your requests.
After spending some time with your
Father in this way, move on in your prayer and give Him the glory and
thanksgiving that is due Him. “Hallowed be your name” is a good place to start,
but go deeper by asking that He would be glorified in your life. Ask Him to
glorify Himself in the eyes of your loved ones and the people you meet along
life’s path. Give Him thanks for everything He has done for you in the past and
is doing for you currently.
Then move into the heart of the
prayer, asking that His kingdom would come and His will would be done in your
life and in the lives of those around you. Lift situations in your life before
Him and ask Him to reign in those situations. Lift loved ones and friends and
co-workers before the Lord and ask that His will would be done in their lives.
You will be amazed at how God will answer.
After praying for God’s reign to
come in this way, simply lift your own needs before the Lord. Remember He knows
your needs better than you do, so just be simple and to the point – ask Him to
provide your daily bread, money for the rent, gas for the car, and other
necessities. He loves you and cares for you and will be faithful to provide.
After covering your physical needs,
move on to your spiritual needs and go a little deeper. Confess your debts and
sins to the Lord, knowing that anything you owe anyone or to the Lord is
forgiven because Jesus died on the cross for that very reason. And then forgive
anyone who has sinned against you or harmed you or owes you anything at all.
Forgive from the heart, and let it all go, knowing that the Lord is the
Ultimate Judge and he will take care of it.
And finally, as you prepare to
finish your prayer time and go on with your day, ask the Lord to guide your steps
and lead you not into temptation but into paths of righteousness. Ask Him to
keep the Evil One at bay and to give you wisdom in how to stand against
temptation and the snares of Satan.
That pretty much wraps up the Lord’s
example of how we should pray, except that some manuscripts and translations
add “For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever.” Spending
a little time at the end of your prayer to give God glory and to remind
yourself of his ability to come through is certainly a good thing, so go ahead
and use those words if they are meaningful to you.
The
main thing in all of this is relationship. Prayer is not a performance, not a
ritual, nor a magical incantation done to manipulate some “force” into moving
on your behalf. It is talking to God from your heart just as a child would talk
to his or her father.
Let’s
not waste another moment. Start talking to your Father, and use the Lord’s
Prayer as a pattern, just as I have described above.
Pray with me:
Our Father, …pray as you are led using the pattern of
the Lord’s Prayer…
Please use this blog for
personal devotional use and feel free to share it with friends and family.
However, all publishing rights are reserved. No reproduction or publication of
this blog is permitted without the permission of the author, Pastor Randy
Brockett of New Song
Foursquare Church
in Colorado Springs , Colorado
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