July 15, 2009
Daily Bread
Jesus gave us the Lord’s Prayer as an example of how we should pray to the Father. I find it interesting that as children we memorize this model prayer, but we rarely recite it as adults. I have a feeling that some of us feel it’s a sign of our ‘maturity’ to leave the model prayer and to be able to craft our own eloquent public prayers on the spur of the moment. Considering the current financial and economical crisis we might want to think about going back to the basics, “Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors…” (Matt 6:9, Luke 11:2)
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1 comment:
Gail;
-----It can not be denied that religion involves a strong element of feeling. Often someone feels it important to lead a group in reciting The Lord’s prayer, and I feel it, too. But mentally, I can not dismiss the fact that it was given as a pattern, not a recital. When my life came across a difficult time, I took seriously to patterning my prayers by it. Of course, that also invoked a certain feeling, but the thoughts addressed, as arranged by its pattern, became chocked with meaning.
-----Recognize Him as Father in your very address to Him. A Father provides what you need more than what you want, and He understands needs in perspective with the whole scope of affairs, both in Heaven and Earth, far beyond our tiny understanding. Your situation is thoroughly understood by Him, and His interest is for your best security in all that is. For His existence is in Heaven where His perspective can be all inclusive. Buy into the fact that His character is the epitome of Holiness, and pronounce that in your understanding. Being your Father, He is going to treat you with that Holiness, so acknowledge it and realize it is a call for you to become the same. For it is His kingdom you desire to come. These earthly kingdoms are onerous, and an honest thought about any possible improvement of them still reveals their pitiful shortfall. Moreover, His kingdom is in the process of coming as it is built into your own heart through righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. May it continue to come more and more. That things be done rightly, that you have peace within yourself, with others, and with Him, and that you live joyfully in the Spirit is His will. His perspective of being Father in Heaven is His ability to know what is best in any situation, and His holy character is to will it to be done on earth even as it is done in Heaven. Mindful of this we request our needs in the present situation be met. It is the situation needing focus because it is now here, the rest will get attention as they come. And our situations will get His attention regardless of the fact we are flawed and errant. We desire not to be, but we are. All we can do about them is be sorry for our misbehavior in the face of our gratitude for His kind provision, and ask Him to forgive us. Yet, He can only forgive in as much as we forgive. For His relationship with us depends upon mercy, so we must take part in that mercy as well. It is only by mercy that He is our Father who leads us through this dangerous life of snaring temptations. They are subtle beyond our ability to discern, so we desire His discernment to steer us from them. For the least suspecting temptation can be the unwitting portal to the worst evil. And we must not only be protected from doing evil, but we need also to be protected from the evil doings of others. For our lives wind through thickets of evil all about us as His Kingdom progresses in our hearts, teaching safer paths, until He entirely removes us from the presence of this evil world. It is His Kingdom that will ultimately stand alone, and eventually nothing will be done outside it. He has the power to secure it and uphold all that is right. And it is to His glory that He will do it forever.
-----Jesus did not say that the arrangement of these topics in His prayer was as important as their simply being in it. But the arrangement He demonstrated is a powerful concept. And as each day’s events, needs, errors, temptations, and evils are specifically addressed in prayers patterned by His, the feeling that real communication and understanding have been made and reached becomes very comforting. As our Father, He desires to also comfort us.
Love you all,
Steve Corey
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