{"id":3788,"date":"2012-11-10T06:00:16","date_gmt":"2012-11-10T12:00:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/?p=3788"},"modified":"2013-01-24T23:06:32","modified_gmt":"2013-01-25T04:06:32","slug":"lord-teach-us-to-pray-part-7","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/wordpress\/2012\/11\/10\/lord-teach-us-to-pray-part-7\/","title":{"rendered":"Lord, Teach Us to Pray – Part 7"},"content":{"rendered":"

Today we continue a series entitled Lord, teach us to pray!<\/em><\/b>\u00a0 Do you ever cry out with that same desire as Jesus\u2019 disciples did \u2014 “Teach {me<\/b>} to pray”? <\/span><\/p>\n

Each Saturday over the next couple of months, we will intentionally pursue asking the Lord to do just that\u2014teach us <\/b>to pray.\u00a0 I believe that, as we continue to look at learning how to pray through the Scriptures, we will develop into daughters who PRAY\u2014who delight, yearn, love to pray to their Father.\u00a0 This is my heart\u2019s desire.<\/p>\n

Jesus was asked this important question by His disciples. One of the places that it is recorded is in Luke 11, verse 1: “Then He was praying in a certain place; and when He stopped, one of His disciples said to Him, Lord, teach us to pray….”<\/p>\n

Listen to the words that He spoke to them when they asked:<\/p>\n

“Pray, therefore, like this:<\/p>\n

Our Father<\/p>\n

Who is in heaven,<\/p>\n

hallowed (kept holy) be Your name.<\/p>\n

Your kingdom come,<\/p>\n

Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.<\/p>\n

Give us this day our daily bread.<\/p>\n

And forgive us our debts,<\/p>\n

as we also have forgiven (left, remitted, and let go of the debts,<\/p>\n

and have given up resentment against) our debtors.<\/p>\n

And lead (bring) us not into temptation,<\/p>\n

but deliver us from the evil one.<\/p>\n

For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.<\/p>\n

Amen.<\/p>\n

Matthew 6:9-13<\/p>\n

The first week, in this series, we focused on the very first, and most important aspect, of Jesus\u2019 instruction\u2014addressing God Almighty as “Our Father<\/b>….” We found that He wants to be our Father…our Abba <\/i>Father!<\/p>\n

The second week, we looked at the very next aspect of prayer that Jesus deemed of\u00a0 importance\u2014”Who is in heaven<\/b>.”\u00a0 This attribute tells of the utmost importance of God Who is in heaven<\/b>.\u00a0 And we also were reminded of an awesome promise from God, that we will dwell for all eternity with Jesus and our Father, Who is in heaven<\/b>.<\/p>\n

Then we came to the third aspect, as we followed Jesus\u2019 instruction,\u2014 “hallowed (kept holy) be Your name<\/b>.”\u00a0 And we looked at five examples in the Scriptures where Almighty God is described as holy<\/b>: we saw the Psalmist proclaim that \u2018You are holy<\/b>\u2019…that the prophet Habakkuk called Him \u2018my Holy<\/b> One\u2019…that Isaiah saw in a vision God seated on His throne with the seraphim proclaiming \u2018holy, holy, holy\u2019…that Jesus our Lord prayed\u00a0 \u2018Holy <\/b>Father\u2019…that one of the seven angels praise Almighty God saying \u2018You Who are and were \u2018O Holy <\/b>One.\u2019\u00a0 What a privilege that our Father…Who is in heaven…would allow us to come before Him and call Him \u2018holy<\/b>!\u2019<\/p>\n

After that we looked at the next aspect of prayer that Jesus deemed important\u2014\u2018Your Kingdom come<\/b>.\u2019\u00a0 We considered the question, “What is the Kingdom<\/b>?” by focusing on just two ways to understand what Jesus meant.\u00a0 The first connotation that “Kingdom<\/b>” has refers to the eternal Kingdom<\/b>.\u00a0 And then to understand “Kingdom<\/b>” in another way, we looked specifically at Matthew chapter 13\u00a0 where Jesus spoke in parables and used tangible examples to help His disciples (and us!) to understand the importance of having the Kingdom<\/b> established in our hearts.\u00a0 He wants you and me to be in that Kingdom<\/b> along with Him.<\/p>\n

The following week, we focused on the next aspect of Jesus\u2019 instruction \u2018Your will be done<\/b>.\u2019\u00a0 It is Almighty God\u2019s will that we are to be concerned about…not our own.\u00a0 We continually saw Our Lord\u2019s constant example that it was not His will that was important but His Father\u2019s.\u00a0\u00a0 We looked at a number of records in the Scriptures which clearly spoke of Jesus\u2019 great desire for His Father\u2019s will.\u00a0 If it were ever possible for anyone to justifiably state and act on their own will, it would have been Jesus; true?\u00a0 We were reminded of the great humility and the beautiful love that He and His Father shared in Their relationship.\u00a0 Jesus always desired His Father\u2019s will<\/b>, always sought His Father\u2019s will<\/b>, always purposed to know His Father\u2019s wil<\/b>l so that He always did His Father\u2019s will<\/b>.\u00a0 And what did we find was His Father\u2019s will?\u2014salvation and redemption through Jesus Christ.\u00a0 We were assured that at the very foundation of God\u2019s will<\/b> lies our hope, which is salvation through Jesus leading to eternal life.<\/p>\n

And then last week we studied the phrase \u2018<\/p>\n

“Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven<\/b>.” From the perspective of our Lord\u2019s life and ministry.\u00a0 In John 6:38 we read that Jesus came down from heaven<\/b> not to do His own will but to do the will<\/b> of His Father on the earth<\/b>.\u00a0 Jesus was always the perfect example to His disciples, and of course to us.\u00a0 We, too, can live with that same heart as Jesus did.\u00a0 God has promised to lead us, to guide us, to show us His Will<\/b>.\u00a0 We looked at a number of promises that God has given us regarding our knowing His will<\/b>.\u00a0 Jesus, Who knew His heavenly Father like no one else did, desired to do God\u2019s will<\/b>.\u00a0 God\u2019s perfect will<\/b>.\u00a0 He simply and clearly taught His disciples AND US to do the same.<\/p>\n

Now this week we are considering the phrase, “Give us this day our daily bread<\/b>.”\u00a0 There are a number of connotations that I believe can be applied to understanding what Jesus was teaching them here.\u00a0 The first would be to recognize that Jesus IS the \u2018bread<\/b> of life.”\u00a0 In the sixth chapter of the book of John, He repeatedly helped them to understand the eternal importance of recognizing Him as the Sustainer of life\u2014eternal life.\u00a0 In verse 35 Jesus states,<\/p>\n

“I am the Bread<\/b> of Life. He who comes to Me will never be hungry, and he who believes in and cleaves to and trusts in and relies on Me will never thirst any more (at any time).”<\/p>\n

Further along in this record, He reiterates this statement and adds,<\/p>\n

“I am the Bread<\/b> of Life [that gives life\u2014the Living Bread<\/b>].\u00a0 Your forefathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and [yet] they died.\u00a0 [But] this is the Bread<\/b> that comes down from heaven, so that [any]one may eat of it and never die.\u00a0 I [Myself] am this Living Bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this Bread,<\/b> he will live forever.”\u00a0 (verses 48-51)<\/p>\n

And He qualifies it even more by saying,<\/p>\n

“Just as the living Father sent Me and I live by (through, because of) the Father, even so whoever continues to feed on Me [whoever takes Me for his food and is nourished by Me] shall [in his turn] live through and because of Me.\u00a0 This is the Bread that came down from heaven. It is not like the manna which our forefathers ate, and yet died; he who takes this Bread for his food shall live forever.” (verses 57,58)<\/p>\n

So we clearly see Jesus\u2019 heart of compassion, wanting them to live forever by partaking of the Bread <\/b>of Life\u2014Himself\u2014and receiving that blessing.\u00a0 Jesus always knew His mission, “…this is the Bread that comes down from heaven, so that [any]one may eat of it and never die.\u00a0 I [Myself] am this Living Bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this Bread, he will live forever…” (John 6:50, 51).<\/p>\n

I think that when Jesus was addressing their desire to learn to pray, He focused on the basics: 1) recognizing God as their Father Who is in heaven<\/b> and that He is holy<\/b>; 2) asking for God\u2019s Kingdom<\/b> as well as His Will <\/b>to be accomplished on earth and in heaven<\/b>; and 3) acknowledging need of their daily bread<\/b>.<\/p>\n

Immediately before giving them this beautiful sample (Matthew 6) of how<\/i> to pray, Jesus was talking to them about how not<\/i> to pray(verses 1-7), and was using the prayers of the Pharisees as a \u2018bad\u2019 example.\u00a0 He encourages them in verse 8, saying,<\/p>\n

“Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.”<\/p>\n

THIS is the essence of Jesus\u2019 instruction.\u00a0 If they would pray, “give us this day our daily bread<\/b>…” they would be humbly acknowledging that their heavenly Father already KNEW what their needs would be that day.\u00a0 For us, just like Jesus\u2019 disciples, it is when we recognize our immense need for God\u2019s provision that we step back from trying to accomplish it (whatever \u2018it\u2019 may be for that day) and let the One Who has so much to give to us provide so perfectly for us!<\/p>\n

Further along in this chapter, immediately following Jesus\u2019 teaching them HOW to pray, He also reminds them of how WELL their Father in heaven takes care of them.<\/p>\n

“Therefore I tell you, stop being perpetually uneasy (anxious and worried) about your life, what you shall eat or what you shall drink, or\u00a0 about your body, what you shall put on. Is not life greater [in quality] than food, and the body [far above and more excellent] than clothing?\u00a0 Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father keeps feeding them.\u00a0Are you not worth much more than they?” (verses 25-26)<\/p>\n

For our practical application, let\u2019s remember: Jesus answered their plea to teach them to pray, and in the midst of that instruction, He directed them to pray, “give us this day our daily bread<\/b>.”\u00a0 Then, He gently reminded them that God already provided that daily bread<\/b> for them!\u00a0 (AND for us!)<\/p>\n

“Therefore do not worry and be anxious, saying, What are we going to have to eat? or, What are we going to have to drink? or, What are we going to have to wear?<\/p>\n

For the Gentiles (heathen) wish for and crave and diligently seek all these things, and your heavenly Father knows well that you need them all.” (verses 31, 32)<\/p>\n

God, our heavenly Father, Who is\u00a0 Holy, knows our need AND has already provided for\u00a0 our need, gives us our daily bread<\/b>.\u00a0 And the reason is…\u00a0 Oh. How. He. Loves. Us. So.\u00a0 <3<\/p>\n

—————————————————————–<\/p>\n

This week , in our study A Daughter\u2019s Worth<\/i>, we have been looking at the importance of having godly friends along with being a godly friend.\u00a0 This is another oh-so-important daily need of ours!\u00a0 Having Christian relationships and friends who hold us accountable, and build us up, and forgive us when we are wrong, and bring out the best in us as we share our hearts on spiritual matters and God\u2019s goodness is vital to living well as a Christian!\u00a0 And God has graciously provided for this in our lives, too.<\/p>\n

Ask yourself:\u00a0 ______ (insert your name here), how much worth do I have knowing\u00a0 that\u00a0 my “heavenly Father knows well my needs” and provides for them all?\u00a0 <3<\/p>\n

“…Give us this day our daily bread<\/b>….”<\/p>\n