Matt Nelson - January 21, 2024
Your Kingdom Come
TEACH US TO PRAY Our Father in heaven 1.14.24 Luke 11:1 One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.” Matthew 6:1 “Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. Matthew 6:5-9 “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 7 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. 9 “This, then, is how you should pray: Prayer is less about informing God of things we need or trying to get him to do what we want and more about shaping our own hearts and lives. Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come; thy will be done; on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from the evil one. For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen. The Lord’s Prayer becomes a template for prayer and a model for guiding us on how and what to pray. Go find a quiet place where you can relax, Jesus seems to say. Unclench your fists. Breathe deeply. Let your heart rate decrease. Know that you're already bathed in the Father's love and ask simply for what you need, in the assurance that the One to whom you're speaking is already cupping His ear in your direction. That's what prayer should be. - The Lord’s Prayer by Wesley Hill Whether our human fathers loved us deeply or abandoned us entirely, or whether our fathers died or were simply absentee, we are not orphans. We are not orphans because our Father loves us and has adopted us into His family. - Pope Francis What would change about our prayer life if we truly lived with an accurate picture of the Father’s love and goodness towards us?
From Series: "Teach Us To Pray"
The life and ministry of Jesus was formed around the practice of prayer. The disciples notice this rhythm in the life of Jesus and ask, "How should we pray?" Jesus gives his followers a guide for prayer while helping them overcome their fears and misconceptions surrounding prayer. Join us as we seek to imitate the life of Jesus by becoming a people of prayer.