Pray like this: Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy.
May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us today the food we need, and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven
those who sin against us. And don't let us yield to temptation, but rescue us
from the evil one. Matthew
6:9-13 [Some manuscripts add: For yours is the kingdom and the power and the
glory forever. Amen.]
Just before Jesus spoke these words He introduced the topic of
Prayer in His Sermon on the Mount saying…
When you pray, don't be like the
hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues
where everyone can see them. I tell you the truth, that is all the reward they
will ever get. But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind
you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything,
will reward you. When you pray, don't babble on and on as people of other
religions do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their
words again and again. Don't be like them, for your Father knows exactly what
you need even before you ask him! Matthew 6:5-8
He was speaking to a huge crowd…a multitude that had followed Him…that
had heard of or experienced His healing as He had been going about Galilee
teaching in the synagogues, proclaiming the gospel and healing (Matthew 54:23).
One thing I noticed in these passages is that Jesus didn’t say “if” you pray…but
“when you pray” indicating that He
expects us to pray—to talk to Him and to the Father. That is the way we develop
a relationship—communicate.
 |
| Garden of Gethsemane |
As recorded in the book of Luke, the disciples asked Jesus to
teach them to pray.
Once Jesus was in a certain place praying.
As he finished, one of his disciples came to him and said, "Lord, teach us
to pray, just as John taught his disciples." Luke 11:1
At that point the prayer similar to the one from Matthew is repeated.
Jesus said, "This is how you should
pray: "Father, may your name be kept holy. May your Kingdom come soon.
Give us each day the food we need, and forgive us our sins, as we forgive those
who sin against us. And don't let us yield to temptation." Luke 11:2-4
Is the Lord’s Prayer the model that you use to pray? Or was it
once a guideline for your prayers? Have you ever memorized it?
Prayer ~ Heavenly Father—You are an awesome God. May everyone see
You as Holy. I am eagerly waiting for Your Kingdom to come soon—although I know
that You are here with me already and always in the form of the Holy Spirit. Thank
You for the food—both to nourish and strengthen my physical and spiritual body.
Forgive my sin…as I forgive those who offend me. May I not go down the path of
temptation—but follow Your ways in all that I think, say and do.
Daily Bible Reading: Job 10-13
Happy Epiphany to all who seek Jesus
Christ just as the Wise Men did.
© 2019 Text and Photos by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights
reserved.
All scripture quoted from the New Living Translation
(NLT) unless otherwise noted.
www.blueletterbible.org/dailyreading
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