Praying Like Jesus

You should pray like this: "Our Father in heaven, may your name always be kept holy. May your kingdom come and what you want be done, here on earth as it is in heaven. Give us the food we need for each day. Forgive us for our sins, just as we have forgiven those who sinned against us. And do not cause us to be tempted, but save us from the Evil One."

Matthew 6:9-13

          These verses are some of the most-often-repeated words in the Bible. Various Bible translations differ on a word here or there, but the heart of the Lord's Prayer remains the same. Right before Jesus shared how to pray, he emphasized how not to pray. One of the things he said not to do was repeat the same words over and over again without thinking about what is being said. That's exactly what many people do with the Lord's Prayer.

          Use the Lord's Prayer the way Jesus intended. Let it help you better understand, and put into practice, three vital elements of prayer: praise, petition, and confession. Jesus's prayer began with thanks for who God is, a Father deserving honor. Then Jesus requested help by sharing personal needs, both physical and spiritual. He asked for the basic provision of food, as well as for the protection and the strength necessary to do what God wanted. He also prayed for the needs of others, asking that their lives would align more with God's desires.

          Jesus had nothing to confess, but he knew those listening did, so he modeled how to ask for forgiveness. Confessing where you've failed keeps communication with God honest and open and helps you become more merciful to those who fail you. As Jesus demonstrated, prayer is simply inviting God to play an active role in your life.

          The Lord's Prayer is Jesus's most concrete lesson on prayer. Pray as Jesus did. Share your deepest concerns with God, and invite God to make your heart and your will more like his.

   

          Prayer is an act of love that demonstrates to our Lord, Creator, Heavenly Father that we are HIS PEOPLE. God made us and he wants a personal intimate relationship with his creation. Pray today to God; he is always ready to hear your prayers. ~ MME Team

Matthew 6:8

Jesus said, "Your Father knows the things you need before you ask him."

The more you recognize your dependence on God, the more thankful you become, and the deeper your love grows. 

Jesus gave his disciples the Lord's Prayer as an example of how to pray. Right before he spoke those famous words, Jesus shared a few reasons why one should pray. To do this, he provided two examples - negative ones. Jesus said the Pharisees prayed in public because they wanted to be seen as holy by other people. He also said idol worshipers prayed, repeating themselves over and over, because they believed that the more frequently they asked for something, the better chance they had of having their request granted. After those negative examples, Jesus spoke the reassurance that God already knows what you need.

At first, his words may seem to provide a reason why not to pray, instead of why to pray. If God knows what you need before you ask, why bother asking in the first place? Jesus's point is, the purpose of prayer isn't to be noticed by other people - or even by God. God already notices you. He knows everything about you and your life. Prayer is not a way to draw God's attention to your needs. It is a way to draw your attention to how much you need God. 

Your greatest continual need is to better know and love God. Communicating with him about details of your life keeps you aware of how involved he already is. It also helps you see how many of your needs he fills every day. The more you recognize your dependence on God, the more thankful you become, and the deeper your love grows.

The Lord's Prayer teaches you to pray for your daily bread. Jesus's words form Matthew don't contradict that lesson. They're a reminder that God needs to be involved in your life, not merely informed about it.

Pray now and thank him; submit to his will in your life and hold the hand of your Father, the Creator, who made you and loves you unconditionally. 

Amen,

~MME Team