For some when the subject of prayer comes up, they begin to get nervous. Some people do not feel that they know how to pray. They feel overwhelmed. Many are afraid to pray. Still others have forgotten about prayer due to the insecurities they feel about it and their abilities. When we fail to pray, we undermine the very foundation of our peace and the very strength of our life. Tonight Bro. Hughes comes with a mission to shed a light on prayer that we have not seen before.
Other than the 23 Psalm, our text is one of the most recognized scriptures in the bible. Most people can quote the Lord's Prayer word for word. For many people, reciting these words from memory is the only praying they do. In truth, the Lord's prayer is a model of how we are to pray. The disciples were with Jesus through many miracles and wondrous events. They did not ask Him to teach them how to do these miracles. They did however, ask Him to teach them to pray. Because they knew that by knowing how to pray they could have the power to do the miraculous. In the Lord's prayer, he gave them a model to use in their own prayer. We know it as the Lord's Prayer, but in truth, it is the apostle's prayer. What He teaches is that the power of prayer is not in the words that are spoken, but in the pattern of thinking that happens when we are praying. When our thoughts begin to flow in the pattern of this prayer, it becomes powerful, transforming and renewing. Bro. Hughes notes that there are seven points to this prayer. Some theologians believe that there are six points. Seven is God's number and six is the number of man. Bro. Hughes notes that prayer is actually connecting God's world with man's world. So when we look at this prayer we should note the order of the prayer. Secondly, the prayer deals with the three essential needs of man.
* Give us this day our daily bread
* Bread is a present need
* Prayer brings our present needs to God
* Forgive us our trespasses
* This is a past need, we need forgiveness for things that happen in the past.
* Man people struggle because they hide their past rather than bring their past to God to deal with.
* Lead us not into temptation
* This is a future need
* We leave the unknown in God's hands.
Prayer is a ladder, and the key to prayer is knowing where to start. In the open in line, Jesus sets the stage: Our father which art in heaven. You begin in the heavens and work down. We don't start on the earth and drag it up. We must fill our mind with God first before we begin to pray. Four times in the opening of the prayer, Jesus directs us to God before he moves on. By focusing on God first, we reaffirm that He is in control and can handle anything that we may bring to Him. When we pray like Jesus taught the disciples, we gain perspective. When we start high, we can see the whole picture and understand that God sees the entire situation and has it under control. Prayer connects us to His name and His kingdom. We realize that if there is a kingdom, there is a plan to run that kingdom. This is more than just about us. There is a divine purpose and plan at work. When we pray, we begin to realize that we are part of a kingdom that has no end. The world will fade away, but God's kingdom and His plan will go on forever.
Thy will be done. This is a prayer of submission. We understand that God is sufficient and that by submitting to His will, we are giving ourselves over to the One that has the plan and complete picture of situation.
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