Prayer the Lord's Way

In the last few weeks, the U.S. has witnessed a once in a lifetime eclipse and a once in a lifetime flood. In between these events, school has started for our youth ones and the campus will be full of college students soon.

This kind of emotional rollercoaster can lead many Christians to feel bewildered, lost, and helpless. How can we fight back a flood, or be there every day to keep an eye on our children.

The answer is always more time with Jesus, through prayer and quiet time in scripture.

God’s word rocks my mind and melts my heart more each day, and I’m convinced daily that my voracious reading habit needs to be pointing to time in the Word more than any other book.

In the passage below, from Matthew, as with the entire Sermon on the Mount, Jesus is continuing to preach that our hearts must be changed. We can’t let the wicked idea that rules and appearance cleanse us of our depraved birth. Only Christ can free us from the cycle of self rule and self agendas. This is made so clear in the model of how we are supposed to pray.

Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

Line by line, we are drawn into the correct way of thinking & feeling. God invokes awe at every thought. We long for his perfect kingdom to reign over the fractured world we live. He is the provider of everything we need; every gift, every talent, every skill.. he is the originator of it all.

Our daily missing the mark is covered infinitely with Grace, which humbles us to show the same Grace to others. The Spirit living in the children of God is the only defense against war of temptation.

Such powerful truth to center on for a few moments each week, and a reminder that we must draw near to God each day.

This prayer has been recited by billions for thousands of years, but what remains the most clear truth after Sunday in worship, when we carve out time for God to speak above the noise, we are changed.