“Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:9-10).
All Christians know they should pray, and even non-Christians often find some comfort or significance in a kind of prayer. But all prayer is not the same, and prayer is certainly more than mere good wishes. In fact, Jesus provides a model prayer that gives us great insight and help for our own practice of prayer.
Focusing on the eternal God, the Lord’s prayer is a desperate outcry to the good and sovereign King. It is no dispassionate or distant plea, however, for the King is also called “our Father.” Christians are welcomed into the kindly and gracious presence of their maker, sustainer, savior, and rewarder. Such an experience is nearly too much to comprehend. And yet, this experience is available to all Christians at every moment of every day.
However, our awareness of our own desperate need for God is not usually as keen as it should be. So, Christians often wait until moments of crisis and pain to lean upon God’s tireless strength and provision.
Oh, may God make us aware of our great need in order that we might be a praying people. And may God work in the prayers of His people to bring about His good purposes in the world.
Holding the Line 