Prayer

Originally posted by Religious Crisis
So I should write down what I am going to pray about before I pray?

This is what Jesus told His disciples about praying in Matthew 6, verses 5 through 13…

“And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him. This, then, is how you should pray:

Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.”

If you’ve ever been to Sunday School or even to church for any length of time, you’ve probably at least heard of this passage known as “The Lord’s Prayer”. This version came from the NIV Bible, which most of the scripture I quote comes from. And while this is probably much easier for us to understand than other translations, there is still some language that might be a little tough to apply to our 21st century way of thinking. So let’s take a look at it, phrase by phrase.

“Our Father in heaven…” We should always begin by addressing God. This is not for His benefit, as He already knows if we’re praying or just thinking aloud. This is for our benefit. It helps us focus on Him while we’re praying. According to Dallas Willard’s “The Divine Conspiracy”, the earliest versions said, “Our Father in the heavens”. This is important because it brings Him so close to us. Traditionally, “the heavens” not only include heaven itself, but outer space and our own atmosphere as well. God is not just “upstairs”…he’s in the air we breathe!

“…hallowed be your name.” “Hallowed” means ‘honored’ or ‘glorified’. We are praying that God would be greatly glorified among all people.

“Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” Let’s be clear about something here. God’s kingdom has already come, and we are a part of it. What this is saying is found in the second part of the sentence. While God’s kingdom includes all of creation, I think we can all agree that there are many places on earth where His desires are not carried out. In effect, this is an expression of hope that some day soon, sin will disappear, and we will all live in harmony with God here on earth…just like the angels do in heaven.

“Give us today our daily bread.” This is our declaration of dependence on Him. We need God to provide for us. Whether we hunt and gather in the wilderness or use our ATM cards at the grocery store, God is still providing for us. We need to remember that.

“Forgive us our debt as we also have forgiven our debtors.” This is not just a plea for God’s forgiveness. We are asking God to apply the same forgiveness to us as we do to others. That changes things a bit, doesn’t it? It’s a reminder to us that we are forgiven, and we have to extend that same forgiveness to others so they can see His mercy through us.

“Lead us not into temptation…” This is pretty straightforward. We are asking God to not allow us to be tempted.

“…but deliver us from the evil one.” Again, this is pretty clear. The “evil one” is Satan. We are asking for God’s protection against attack from the devil and his demons.

Some later copies of scripture have the ending, “For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen” That’s our declaration to God that He is in charge, and that He should get all the glory.

The Lords’ Prayer is not the only way to pray – far from it, in fact. It’s just a guide. Prayer is basically conversation between you and God. And while you’re developing and growing your own relationship with Him, you should include certain things in your prayers. These things can be remembered by using the acrostic “A.C.T.S.”

“A” is for adoration. Tell the Father how you feel about Him.

“C” is for confession. Confess everything you’ve done wrong and ask for His forgiveness. If you’ve received Jesus as your Lord and Savior, your sins have already been forgiven, as we learned in Lesson 1b. However, our sin damages our relationship with God. Confessing our sin and getting it out in the open restores our relationship with Him, just like talking things over with a loved one we’ve hurt.

“T” is for thanksgiving. Look around you and thank God for every blessing in your life.

“S” is for submission. Tell God what’s on your mind. Ask Him to help you and people you care for. Trust Him to take care of things that trouble you in His time, and in His way.

Prayer isn’t a magical combination of the right words that somehow manipulate God into doing what we want. Like the Lord’s Prayer, A.C.T.S. is just a guide to help you pray to God in your own words, and in your own way. Prayer is a private conversation between you and your heavenly Father. It may seem like a one-sided conversation for a while, but in time you’ll learn to listen for His voice, and your prayers will become dialogues with God. And that, my friends, is a wonderful experience.

So prayer shouldn’t even be fancy or churchy. It doesn’t necessarily have to be nice, either. If you’re angry with God, tell Him. He knows exactly how you feel anyway, so it’s better for the relationship if you’re honest with Him.

Remember when you were a kid and made “cards” for your parents in grade school? They were made with construction paper and written with crayons. They weren’t Hallmark’s best, but they didn’t have to be. Mom and Dad still displayed them proudly on the fridge, right? The same thing is true with prayer. It doesn’t have to be fancy, it just has to be from your heart. And no matter how awkward it seems to you, rest assured God has heard it, and He’s stuck it proudly on His fridge.