Good morning! Prayer is an important part of the Christian life. It is an opportunity for us to speak directly to our Heavenly Father. He invites us to communicate with Him and share our heart, thoughts and needs. With that said, I plan to take some time pondering over verses 9-13 “the Lord’s Prayer”. Will you take time to pray today? Enjoy today’s verses.
“7 “When you pray, don’t babble on and on as the Gentiles do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again. 8 Don’t be like them, for your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him! 9 Pray like this:
Our Father in heaven,
may your name be kept holy.
10 May your Kingdom come soon.
May your will be done on earth,
as it is in heaven.
11 Give us today the food we need,
12 and forgive us our sins,
as we have forgiven those who sin against us.
13 And don’t let us yield to temptation,
but rescue us from the evil one.” – Matthew 6:7-13 NLT
Many of us have cited or read the Lord’s prayer. However, many of us may have memorized the King James Version (KJV) of the prayer, which reads,
“Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. 10 Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. 11 Give us this day our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. 13 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.”
These verses our significant for our prayer life. Jesus was gracious when he rebuked the Pharisees’ prayers, because He didn’t leave us guessing about prayer. He gave guidance to us, beginning with the direction to speak/address Our Heavenly Father (“Our Father in Heaven” v.9a) in our prayers, because He is the only One who is capable of answering our prayers and knows all our needs. Therefore, brothers and sisters before you tweet or post, before you run to a friend to share all your problems, turn to the Lord who knows all things including our heart and motives. Ask Him to guide and direct you as He works all things out on your behalf. Then ask your trusted Christian friend(s) to stand with you in prayer.
Our Father in heaven, Lord we thank you for being who you are. Thank you for your mighty works. Thank you for loving us and teaching us about prayer. Lord, you are gracious and trustworthy. Thank you for hearing our prayers. Lord, forgive us when we fail to recognize or remember how great you are. Lord, forgive us when we turn away from you or do not submit to your leading. Father God, help us to understand your desire for our lives. Lord, help us to surrender our will to yours. Lord, help us to forgive others as you have forgiven us. Continue to work in our hearts and change us to be more like you. Lord, we continue to pray for the needs of those in poverty, those who are barely above the poverty level and those who are in desperate need of you. Lord, equip us and teach us how to help one another. Lord, we ask all these things in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Keep seeking! Keep trusting! Keep praying!
Do you have a specific prayer request? If so, we would love to pray for you and/or your family.
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Bible Reference:http://www.biblegateway.com
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Mary E. White Ministries 