Monday Jan. 20, Walking in Wisdom
During His ministry, Jesus would often slip away to spend time alone with God. From afar, His disciples would watch the Lord pray; witnessing firsthand the strength, comfort, and joy He received from those prayers. Wanting the same for themselves, they approached Jesus as He was, “praying in a certain place”. And after He had finished, one of the disciples came to Him asking, “Lord, teach us to pray”. (vs. 1) And so Jesus began by first instructing them what to say, giving what is known as the “Lord’s Prayer”. The perfect prayer model for Christians to follow.
Jesus begins with, “When you pray, say:”
“Our Father in Heaven”-In reverence, we are to acknowledge God for who He is and our relationship to Him.
“Hallowed Be Thy Name”-Hallowed means sacred. We are to give the holy name of the Father the esteem and respect it alone deserves.
“Thy Kingdom Come. Thy Will Be Done On Earth As It Is In Heaven”-We are to earnestly pray not only for the return of Jesus and the establishment of His kingdom on earth, but also for the will of God to be done everywhere.
“Give Us Each Day Our Daily Bread”-God cares about every aspect of our lives, both big and small. We are to pray that He will provide for our physical needs.
“And Forgive Us Our Trespasses, As We Forgive Those Who Trespass Against Us”-Daily we need forgiveness. We are to pray that God will both pardon the sins we commit against Him, and give us the strength to extend that same pardon to those who sin against us.
“And Lead Us Not Into Temptation, But Deliver Us From The Evil One”-Each day Satan plots ways in which to get us sinning against God. We are to pray for both protection from the Enemy and the strength to stand against his attacks.
Next, Jesus, through the parable of the friend in need, tells us to pray with persistence. Persistence got the man at the door what he wanted, and of persistent prayer Jesus says, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock and it will be opened to you.” (vs. 9)
Finally, we are instructed us to pray with childlike confidence. Jesus says that since we expect good things from our earthly fathers, we should pray with the expectation of even greater things from our Father in heaven. “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?” (vs. 13)
Prayer is a fundamental part of the Christian Faith. It helps us to grow in our personal relationship with God and enables us to receive that same strength, comfort, and joy as Jesus received. Philippians 4:6 tells us, “Don’t worry about anything, but pray about everything. With thankful hearts offer up your prayers and requests to God.” Have you come before God in prayer and are waiting for His answer? Don’t give up. Keep asking. Keep seeking. Keep knocking. For God may not answer our prayers right away, and He may not give us the answer we want, but God will indeed answer.
