September 2 - this is how you should pray

September 2 - This is how you should pray

Our Father in heaven, 

Hallowed be your name, 

Your kingdom come, 

Your will be done, 

On earth as it is in heaven. 

Give us today our daily bread. 

And forgive us our debts, 

As we also have forgiven our debtors. 

And lead us not into temptation, 

But deliver us from the evil one. 

I’m sure you have heard this prayer before. It’s called the Lord’s prayer, because it was Jesus who said it. He was showing us how we should pray. There are important things I’ve heard turned into sermon’s from this prayer. Like the fact that Jesus shows us to desire the kingdom of heaven here on earth, or that Jesus is our daily bread just like the mana was in the wilderness. I’ve even heard entire sermon’s around this passage and the effects of sin and temptation on us. 

But when I look at this section of the Sermon on the Mount, and when I consider everything Jesus is trying to teach us, I see something different. Let me read the entire section to you. 

This is Matthew 6:5-15

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. 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. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. 

This, then, is how you should pray: 

“Our Father in heaven, 

Hallowed be your name, 

Your kingdom come, 

Your will be done, 

On earth as it is in heaven. 

Give us today our daily bread. 

And forgive us our debts, 

As we also have forgiven our debtors. 

And lead us not into temptation, 

But deliver us from the evil one. 

For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. 

Did you hear it? 

What is this section really about? 

First off, it’s about alignment of heart with God. HIs kingdom coming into our hearts, HIs will being done by us. Relying on him and knowing he will sustain us. Keeping us from sin and evil. But with all the talk about babbling and praying in a way that is about being with God and not looking for attention, the last two sentences are perhaps the most revealing. 

For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But I you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. 

Remember, Jesus is showing us what it looks like when we love God and others. This prayer is a moment for us to be right with God, so we can be right with others. This is why Jesus focuses on forgiving others as the final part. We can’t be right with God if we aren’t trying to make things right with others. It’s indicative of who Jesus is. If we are apprenticing him, then we should learn to be like him. The way to the heart of God is through forgiving those around us. This aligns us with the heart of Jesus and makes us like him. The prayer for the will of God and the kingdom of God looks like right relationship with the people around you. 

Once again, this is a call to make things right with others. 

You need to have a clear heart toward others, and in the heart of others, if you are going to be right with the Lord. 

Is there someone you need to make things right with? If so, what steps will you take to reconcile that relationship? If you don’t, you will not be able to see the kingdom of heaven hear on earth the way he intends. You will miss the chance to be forgiven of your debts because you hold out on someone else. 

So take time and inventory your relationships. Have you wronged someone? Have you been wronged? 

Pray for an alignment of heart with the Lord, that you might forgive properly. 

And as you do, I pray that you will understand what you believe and why you believe it to be true. Until tomorrow, I love you, and as you pursue the kingdom of heaven, and the heart of God through right relationships, may God blesses you!