Prayer

Yesterday, in my devotions, I was reading from Matthew 6. When I came to "The Lord's Prayer" instead of just reading the words, I began praying them and letting the meaning of each request resonate with me. Rather than saying a rote prayer, I actually took time and prayed through each stanza of the prayer.

Let me walk you through the prayer, so you can follow me:

"Our Father in Heaven, hallowed be your name..."
- Begin with a time of praise, focusing on the nature of God.

"Your kingdom come..."
- The kingdom of God is established in the hearts of those who have repented and turned to him. Use this time to pray for those you love who do not know Christ as Lord and Savior.

"Your will be done..."
- This is the time to present your requests, petitions and intercessions.

"Give us today our daily bread..."
- We all need money and provision to survive. This is the time to pray for God's provision and to thank him for what he has already given. Notice that we don't pray for daily abundance, but daily bread. Use this opportunity to confess your total dependence on God's provision; financially, physically, & emotionally.

"Forgive us our debts, as we have forgiven our debtors..."
- We have all sinned and owe God more than we can ever repay. Thankfully, if we ask for forgiveness, He releases us from what we owe him. Since he freely forgives us for the wrongs we have done to him, we should also release those who have done wrong to us.

"Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil..."
- It is not enough to simply be forgiven, we need to reject future sinful actions. This is the place when we ask God to help us choose the right path.

"For yours is the kingdom, power and glory forever..."
- Although this stanza was not in the original, it can be found in a prayer in 1 Chronicles 29:11. It is a fitting way to end a time of prayer, recognizing God's superiority and authority over everything you have just prayed.

Now, try praying today. You might be suprised at all that God is able to do in and through you!!