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Thoughts for a Woman's Heart |
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encouragement in things that matter |
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A Pattern for Prayer
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Judging by the distorted attempts of some to pray, I would not have been surprised when the disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray, if He had given them a vocabulary lesson, exercises in speech and diction, principles for public speaking, or a concentrated course in theology. Although we may concern ourselves with some of these things, none of them are necessary for prayer. What Jesus did teach was very personal, short, simple, and straightforward. The words Jesus used in teaching His disciples, and us, we call, "The Lord’s Prayer." The words though were not intended for idle repetition, nor were they meant as a show of piety. They were words that presented to us a pattern for prayer. As a pattern, it is both a model and a guide that may be imitated in its content and form, while still giving the praying believer flexibility and adaptability. Generally, Jesus was saying to His disciples, "This is how to approach prayer, and these are the areas to approach God about." As Jesus taught them, He first acknowledged the place of God in the believer’s life. This prayer lesson is for God’s children – for those who by faith in the atoning work of Jesus Christ have been made part of God’s family. They have the privilege of calling God, "Father," and relating to Him as such. When we pray, we need to affirm again that personal, loving, caring, and giving relationship that we have with God. But our loving Father-God has also established an eternal throne in heaven where His glory and majesty are fully known. He is King of Kings and Lord of Lords, and as we pray, we need to catch a glimpse of His eternal pre-eminence and power. We need too to acknowledge the holiness of His name – a name that defines His being and upholds His righteous character that governs all He does. I believe in all of this we are saying, "thank you" to God for who He is. And then Jesus models that we need to say, "I will" – I am willing to submit and enter into the fulfilling of God’s plans and purposes in whatever ways He chooses for me. Sometimes we hesitate to say, "I need," but Jesus instructs us to petition our Father for our physical and material needs, our emotional or relational needs, or anything that nourishes our daily lives. Prayer is the open door too to say, "I’m sorry," for those offenses that have created walls between us and others, or between us and God, and as we say "I’m sorry" to God, we are reminded to accept when another says to us, "I’m sorry." Mindful of the spiritual battles that engage the believer, Jesus guides His disciples to pray for spiritual purity and strength, and here we find the believer desirous of her walkable path with God – staying close and not wandering away from her Father’s provision and protection. A lot to pray for? Perhaps. But the words Jesus gave to us reflect the whole of the believer’s life – a life intended to be lived within the presence, the purposes, and the promises of our God. |
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— Bev |
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