CCOB Devotional

October 2005
Teach us to Pray, (Part One)
Focusing on God
The disciples noticed something different about the way Jesus prayed.

Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your Kindgom come, Your will be done On earth as it is in Heaven.
- Luke 11:2
  • He had sweet communion with the Father.
  • He had power from on high.
  • He had joy, which sustained Him through all His days.
So they asked Him, "Lord teach us to pray" (Luke 11:1).

Indeed, some of the greatest lessons we learn about prayer can be found in His response to their question. This portion of Scripture, known as the Lord’s Prayer, has become familiar to us all. It's interesting to note however, that the disciples were not instructed to memorize or recite these words in a rote fashion. In fact, you will not find an instance in which they repeat these words again!

Instead, what Jesus gave them was something so much better than a one-sided, rehearsed prayer. He gave them a powerful foundation that serves as a model to be used whenever we come to God in prayer. He taught them to remember these simple truths:

God is our Father and He is in Heaven
These two thoughts alone are enough to revolutionize the way most of us approach the Lord in prayer. The primary purpose of prayer is to have communion with God. So as you begin praying, ask yourself:
  • Who am I talking to?
  • What am I focused on?
  • Am I focused on my heavenly Father?
  • Or am I focused more on myself, and my laundry list of needs and concerns?
As we spend time considering the Person and power of God and our relationship to Him, we will begin to experience the joyful communion that we were meant to have with Him. And as we linger in our Father's Presence, He will bring the resources of Heaven to bear on the issues of our lives.

His name is hallowed
Hallowed means set apart, holy, and reverent. His name represents His nature. Religious Jews won't even dare to speak the name of God. Yet He has revealed His name to His children. Focusing on the holiness of God purifies our hearts and fills us with a deep sense of worship, awe, and love for Him.

The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe -Proverbs 18:10

There is no other name under Heaven…by which we must be saved -Acts 4:12

His Kingdom Come
Another kingdom is at work in our world today keeping people in darkness and blinding them to God's grace and mercy. As we pray His desires will become our desires and our hearts will be filled with His singular purpose -- for all who are lost to be saved.

His Will Be Done
As we pray we must be willing to lay aside our will whenever it goes against God's will for our lives. We need to remember that God is the only one who can see the beginning from the end. And since His Word says, "All things work together for good to those who love God and are called according to His purposes" (Romans 8:28), then we must simply trust Him with the details, and allow His purposes to be unfolded in our lives.

In summary, this first verse of Jesus' model for prayer reveals that the most important aspect of our prayer life is the relationship and communion that we have with God. He is our Father in Heaven! If we miss that, we have missed out on an awesome opportunity to have fellowship with the God who made us and cares for us.

May we all be more mindful of just who our Father really is, and the greater purposes that He has for each of our lives. May we not miss out on the wonderful opportunity for communion that we can have with Him as we come to Him in prayer!

In Him,



 
  Prayer: Access To The Father - by Pastor Lloyd


What is Prayer? Why are we commanded to pray? Does prayer change God's mind or ours? Discover the answer to these and other vitally important questions concerning prayer in this 6 tape package by Pastor Lloyd.


    Click here to purchase this CD/Tape.

   

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