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Well this past week has been a mix of peace and a continued search for balance between me and Rob. Mostly peaceful in terms of my neighbor, Sheila, but uncertain where the balance lies with Rob. There's been more interaction than I would have preferred by this point, but how to discern between boundaries and compassion can be a real challenge. Continued prayers appreciated for that, for my parents, and for Mike. Pray also for God's direction concerning Mike's and my connection.
I'm sure all of us who are parents have momentarily lost track of our kids once or twice... usually in a store. They either hide in the clothing racks or go down a different aisle in the grocery store... mostly likely for cereal, right?? I have a personal story from my childhood when I was around 5 or 6 yrs old. I was tired of snapping green beans with my mother, so when she went out to the garden to pick more, I hid on her. All I did was go upstairs between some bookshelves, but she didn't look hard enough before the police were called to help search. Meanwhile, she came upstairs to look again, found me, and "marched me" up to the Police Station* to apologize. LOL When Jesus was twelve, Mary and Joseph lost track of him for a bit on their way home from Jerusalem. When they found him, he was in the Temple and responded that he was in his Father's House, doing His will.
Let's see how that leads us into our series on prayer --
As the title indicates, "Pray Like This" is designed to be instructional and help us to mature in our prayer life. And this isn't just for "veterans" who need a fresh perspective or change of routine. This can be equally helpful to the beginner who is newly Saved and starting their journey of faith. In this series, we are specifically taking time in exploring The Lord's Prayer. I know that many of you are at least marginally familiar with this passage whether you grew up in Church as I did, or even just attended sporadically. Honestly, even a non-believer attending a Funeral has probably heard it at some point. But as with any familiar Scripture we should not allow our prior experience get in the way of learning something new from it and gaining more of the fullness it truly offers.
Matthew 6:9-13
New International Version
9 “This, then, is how you should pray: “‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, 10 your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us today our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation,[a] but deliver us from the evil one.[b]*
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As I said above, I grew up in Church, so I've literally never NOT known this passage. Actually, I grew up in a variety of Churches*, but it wasn't until I was well into adulthood that the point was brought out in a sermon about the fact that it is not meant as a "stand-alone" prayer to be recited by rote*. What it is truly meant to be is a template for prayer. (recognition, praise, forgiveness, petition, thanks) In this series, we will be looking at the deeper meanings behind each phrase and thereby growing in our depth of prayer as we express our own hearts to God in our turns.
Just the mention of the word "prayer" can be uncomfortable for some of us. We may feel guilty for not praying more often, we may feel inadequate like others are somehow "more talented" at prayer; or we may even wonder if our prayers are effective. Do they really do any good?? Are they just "hitting the ceiling"??* For others, the word "prayer" is exciting because it's bringing them to a new level or giving them a new perspective on something. We are not here to judge or bring guilt or shame to anyone. We are tossing out the "trash thinking" and welcoming all comers, because there's none of us who doesn't have room for growth when it comes to prayer.
Just another bit of encouragement before we dig into the passage. There are 3 major issues we may face when it comes to our prayer life. We need to give ourselves permission to feel these as they come and allow these truths to reframe our thinking --
Boredom -- For many, this idea may be the first thing that comes to mind concerning prayer. It's like, "Oh, we're going to pray now?? Boring!! " We want something more exciting, more flashy. Give us praise and shouting instead, right?? We think of prayer as calm and quiet. Here' a new idea -- It's not boring, it's peaceful. (or restful) What did Jesus say in Matt. 11:28-30?? "Come unto me and rest...", right?? The Christian life isn't meant to be all loud and flashy, it's meant to bring the awareness of God into every single moment*. Some of those moments may be more active or interactive in fellowship with others, but some may also be alone and quiet*. We need to embrace both in order to gain the full measure of joy and peace God intends for us.
Distractions -- Honestly, this is a HUGE one for me. My brain is ADD to the "nth" degree, so staying "in the moment" when there's not enough to hold me there is a major accomplishment on my part. I get praying about something, and my brain will take off thinking about the person or situation and try to solve it then and there... After a fashion, I'll remember that I'm supposed to be praying and I'll be like, "Sorry, Lord, you know me..." lol And the fact is, He does know me, and loves me as I am, ADD and all. We just need to see these distractions as opportunities to refocus on Him and on His love for us. Better?? Yes?? You're welcome. :)
Uncertainty -- Are our prayers really doing anything?? Am I worthy?? Does God even hear me, or am I talking to the ceiling?? The answers to these are, yes, yes, and absolutely not. Again, I've been there. Not so much the second one, but the others for sure. Sometimes if we don't see results in what we feel is a "reasonable time", we get discouraged and feel like prayer is pointless. Sometimes we may feel entirely "disconnected" from God, like we're just talking to ourselves because He's stopped listening to us in our backslidden* condition. What's important to remember here is that prayer isn't about results; it's about allowing God to shape us and form us to His image. I mean, just think about it, God sees the end from the beginning. He already knows what we need before we do*. We don't so much pray to Him as we pray for ourselves, effectually speaking.
So, our passage in Matthew 6 begins with the 4 words, "Our Father in Heaven" -- what a powerful and revolutionary phrase that is!! Let's look at it closer --
Not only did Jesus answer the Disciples with this passage when they asked Him how to pray, but if we jump over to Romans 8:14-17, we see Paul re-enforcing this idea when he talks about those who are led by the Spirit being adopted as children and crying out, "Abba Father". The term "Abba" here isn't referring to the 70's/80's disco group. lol It's talking about the intimate connection and relationship of father and son. In modern vernacular, we would literally be saying, "daddy" here. "My goodness!!" You might say, "isn't that awfully familiar and disrespectful!?" Not at all!! That's honestly the level of fellowship He desires of us. Just think about Jesus' prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane when He prayed that this cup would pass. Or the Parable of the Prodigal Son and how the father embraces the estranged son...
There are 3 main ways in which this phrase may change our perspectives --
Reframing our relationship towards God -- In Jesus, God is a good father who meets us where we are at and takes us somewhere new. The scene of Jesus' baptism* shows that the Father was, "well pleased" with Jesus even before beginning HIs public ministry. This public acknowledgement of the Father toward the Son not only anchored Jesus in the love of His Father as an encouragement to begin the ministry; but also anchored His followers in God's love for them. Thus the words, "Our Father" . This was not just Jesus' Father, but all of theirs!! We are not simply "former enemies" of God* or "invitees" to the peaceful assurance of Salvation*. We are His adopted children!! This should bring us to a position and attitude of humble submission.
Reshaping our relationship with ourselves -- It changes our postures toward righteousness and growth. The words, "Our Father", for us, are based in the Lord Jesus Christ and His love and sacrifice for us. This is opposed to the fear and anxiety of human thoughts and efforts. The love of God embraces us in a "cocoon" of transformation*. It brings discipline of both thoughts and behaviors as opposed to the "non-effort" of human habits. It brings us into the freedom and light of the Gospel as opposed to the shame, darkness, and legalism of religion. It brings us into the Family of God as opposed to the forlorn emptiness and loneliness of The World.
Reshaping our relationship in Community -- Once again, the phrase is, "Our Father..." not just Jesus' Father, or any single believer's Father. God is Father to ALL of us. As referenced above, some of us may not feel comfortable praying "in public" because we don't feel competent as compared to others. But it's only in the company of others that we actually learn to pray better. We are Family in Christ and we need to not only remember that, but embrace it as an opportunity and environment for growth. Yes, there may be challenging relationships to deal with, but that's true no matter where you go. Whether it's biological family, co-workers, friends, or Church, there's always going to be someone who's, shall we say, "not your favorite person??". Fact is, family in Christ is not based on human traits of color/ethnicity, wealth, power, etc. It is based on nothing but the hearts of believers toward God. No hierarchy, no favoritism, just kids loved equally. The point lies in having someone you can rely on in times of need. I know it's been mentioned in previous posts, but our Western Culture of "rugged individualism and independence" simply doesn't work when it comes to Christianity. I've personally known people who felt that their faith was a private issue, not to be openly discussed with anyone. For a long time, they didn't even attend Church. Later, they never liked to miss it, but talking about it or sharing it was simply unheard of for them. That was fine for the Pastor or Missionaries maybe, but not for "private citizens" as it were. The problem with this extreme is that it corrupts the fullness of the Gospel as God intended it. Others may go to the opposite extreme of co-dependence. These people NEED to be part of a Church in order to feel the validity of their faith and salvation. Possibly even to validate them as a person worthy of love. The problem with this extreme in terms of Christianity is that it can easily lead to judgement and gossip. "Look at that person, they must not be as good a Christian as I am if they're not here every week..." No.... the balance lies in a term called "Interdependence". We need to relate with each other in love*. We need to remember that we are the "body of Christ" as Paul so effectively illustrates in 1 Corinthians 12. None of us are insignificant or can claim that anyone else is unnecessary. We all need all of us in order to function at prime performance, just like we need all of our body parts in order to have optimal health. Granted, we can survive without tonsils, gal bladders, and appendices; but our bodies won't do every single thing they're supposed to without them. Ultimately, those in our Church Family and the Family of God worldwide means that we are not alone in our faith. We have others to encourage us when we need it and others to whom we can offer encouragement when they need it. We learn and grow from reliance on each other to a greater degree than we ever could by trying to survive on our own. There's an expression that speaks of "safety in numbers". That's what the Church provides*. It gives us power against the uncertainty and instability of The World. (and who couldn't use that these days??)
So how do we respond to these ideas??
Reconcile to Jesus. Either rededicate or initiate a relationship with Him.
Embrace love and fellowship of your Church Family. Whether you choose membership or just showing up to a group and/or worship service; any connection is better than none.
Have some kind of practice of prayer. Start with a Psalm if you need to in order to give voice to your thoughts. Our challenge for this week is to start our prayers with the phrase "Our Father" every day. Feel free to make it yours as well!!
-- God Bless!!
Footnotes --
"marched me" to the Police Station -- it was a small town, so the walk was less than 10 mins. :D
"... deliver us from the evil one." Most of us are used to the ending of, "For thine is the power and the glory and the honor forever, Amen", but this was a later addition.
Variety of Churches -- see my Personal Intro post for more details.
Not a prayer to be repeated by rote... That being said, it can be helpful as a starting point, just as with the Psalms.
Awareness in every moment -- This concept always puts me in mind of Tevya from "Fiddler on the Roof". He talks to God every minute he's not talking to another person. I've tried it before, and it's challenging if you're not used to it!!
Alone and quiet... or alone and shouting/crying... whatever we are feeling in the moment, it won't phase God. As I said above, we don't so much pray to God as for ourselves. Sincere prayer will bring peace once we're done being angry or upset. We can know that we can trust God for the best outcome, whatever that looks like.
"Backslidden condition" -- now if that's not a "blast from the past" for us Church veterans of the 70's and 80's, Idk what is!! lol But seriously, I've been there more than once. I was even telling Mike earlier this afternoon that there was about a year and a half several years back when I was in Church every week, but basically just "going through the motions" because I wasn't living right. As always, I'm transparent on here, no secrets as relating to my spiritual life.
God knows what we need -- literally one verse before our passage starts, Jesus tells the crowd that God knows our needs before we do!! Also, I like to think about the tree Zacchaeus needed to climb in order to see Jesus. Talk about providing ahead!!
The scene of Jesus' baptism is clear indication of the Trinity for those who doubt the truth of it. I would also direct your attention to The Shack and it's sequel book The Shack Revisited. It shifted my own perspective a bit.
"Enemies of God" -- Romans 5:10 and Colossians 1:21 among others.
"Invitees" -- "whosoever believes" -- John 3:16 Romans 8: 8-10 among others.
"Cocoon of transformation" 1 Cor. 5:17 "All things are passed away, behold all things become new." :)
Relate with each other in love -- and with the World. Where I live, there is a private Clinic across the side street and once in a while, a protester will be out there "preaching the Gospel" with a megaphone. I just sit up here in my apartment and think what a disgrace that man is to good Christians who know better than to judge others. (especially in public like that) I pray each time that he gains wisdom and compassion to stop. (besides which, it's distracting to the neighborhood)
The Church provides safety in numbers -- 1) "Lone Wolfing" in the woods or on the lake can be peaceful and restorative, but we should all have a body of believers we can turn to for mutual support as well. If a large Church group isn't for you, at least find a Bible Study or Fellowship Group to get in on. 2) Don't change Churches too lightly. If you are having issues or concerns, talk to an Elder or the Pastor. Take time to pray about it, don't just leave based on emotions or immediate conditions. (I left a Church once based mostly on emotion, but there were other aspects as well)
Music -- never any rights to it...
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