Perspective: “Our Father, In Heaven.”
Lord’s Prayer Devotional, Part 1 The Lord’s Prayer is Jesus’ response (In Luke’s Gospel anyway) to the request: “Lord, teach us to pray.” As a Christian and a minister who has been praying for as long as I can remember, I still find myself asking the same thing. There are many guides, and many books, […]
Praise: “Hallowed Be Your Name.”
Lord’s Prayer Devotional, Part 2 Meditate: What does it mean to “Hallow” something? VERB: hallowed (past tense) · hallowed (past participle)1. Honor as holy. “the Ganges is hallowed as a sacred, cleansing river”2. Greatly revered or respected. Merriam Webster Dictionary Question: What kinds of places/people/things do we tend to hallow in our current culture? This prayer longs for […]
Longing: “Your Kingdom Come.”
Lord’s Prayer Devotional, Part 3 Think: Contrary to modern assumptions, Jesus never refers to His Kingdom as a place we go after we die. So what are we praying for when we pray “Your Kingdom Come?” As opposed to “To your Kingdom may I go someday!” Recall: Read Exodus 19:4-6 again. What kind of Kingdom does […]
Incursion: “Your Will Be Done…”
Lord’s Prayer Devotional, Part 4 Read: Psalm 115:2-3,16; 135:6 and Genesis 1:28-31 Where is the Lord’s will done? Ponder: What keeps his will from being done everywhere at all times? Consider: The word “will” means—desire, pleasure. Most, if not all, parenting battles center around will. The question is whose “will” will prevail? Praying “Your will […]
Petition: “Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread.”
Lord’s Prayer Devotional, Part 5 Consider: Your Father knows that you have desires and needs, and He invites us to bring our requests to Him. Thank Him for that! Think: Why do our requests come after perspective, praise, longing for the Kingdom, and prioritizing His will? Ask: What is the priority, role and impact of […]
Confession: “Forgive Our Debts, as We Forgive Our Debtors.”
Lord’s Prayer Devotional, Part 6 Consider: The Greek word translated “forgive” can most directly be translated “release.” Release us from our debts, as we release those indebted to us. Unforgiveness is a major roadblock to Jesus’ Kingdom of release coming to fruition in me and through me. As we pray, we must ask our Father […]
Surrender: “Lead Us Not into Temptation, but Deliver Us from Evil.
Lord’s Prayer Devotional, Part 7 Ponder: What does this mean? It can feel a little confusing to pray “Lead us not into temptation.” Why would God lead us into temptation in the first place? Does this mean we can pray that God will make our lives easy? Read: Exodus 13:17-14:31 Consider the story of the […]