Sunday’s Gospel message is instantly recognizable as the Lord’s prayer, or one might say the disciple’s prayer as it was the disciples who asked Jesus “how to pray.” We must assume they already knew how to pray as they spent time in synagogues and temples. They also had been in the presence of Jesus for quite some time, witnessing first hand all the mighty works he had done, impressed by His wisdom, power and His love. So, if you think about it, they were basically, asking Him how they could pray, and get similar results themselves.
The Christian life is fueled by prayer. It is made stronger by our intimate relationship with God each day.
When it comes to prayer, many people assume they already know all there is to know, for they know the Lord’s prayer by heart, for them that is all they need to know. The Lord’s Prayer is an answer, a summary, a model as it were, of what our prayers might be like, and of the attitude our prayer should be said with.
For a start The Lord’s Prayer is also a formula on how to pray. In fact, you could probably write a book about the Lord’s prayer with each verse as a new chapter. It is a model, an example of how we as followers of Jesus, might pray to God.
God is the one we must spend time with, during times of thanksgiving, times of praise; times of help; times of seeking forgiveness, times of praying for others. When it comes to prayer, all of us need instruction and some understanding; but more than that, we need the time and the desire to pray. To be intimate with God. Intimacy with God is a must for any Christian and the devil is greatly against it. Why is he against it because it is very effective.
Prayer is therefore a matter of time and of desire. The desire to communicate with God, the desire to know Him; to listen to Him and find out his will for you. Do not keep God away; seek God out. Seek him and ask him questions. Seek Him out and share your experiences; for God answers prayer. He does hear us, and He does communicate with us.
I once read this sometime ago and I offer it to you to try:
Speak to God for 10 seconds and then listen for 5 seconds. Speak to him again for 10 seconds and listen for 5 seconds. Keep this up and you will be amazed. On the first 5 seconds of listening probably nothing will happen, the next five seconds you might get an odd thought or two; the next 5 seconds you will begin to drift and before you know it, you will not be speaking at all. You will just be in communion with God. See if this works for you. Before you try it however, remember to ask God to come into your life first.
God’s will is done perfectly in heaven, we are the ones to be doing His will here on earth.
