The first time I remember praying was reciting the Lord's prayer in church. It was the one prayer I knew like the back of my hand but I hadn't really given much thought to the meaning of the words.
Prayer was something I took for granted as I thought it was something that I should do rather than something I wanted to do.
Aside from this prayer, I knew no other and never understood any other. I know now that the Lord's prayer is to be spoken with reverence and humility. It is a open plea and supplication and not to be chanted without feeling. So often I remember this prayer as the congregation stoicly spoke into the open room in unison almost like a Gregorian chant... " Our Father who art in heaven"...
So many times this prayer is spoken in monotonous over tones and because the passion is lacking, so too the exuberance and the dedication that is needed for such a prayer. All meaning is lost when it becomes slow and tiresome and this was never Jesus intent.
Matthew 6:9-13 ( NIV)
"Our Father in heaven" - This opening statement to prayer is an acknowledgment, a reverence to our creator, who is our living Abba- Father.
"Who art in heaven" - This gives recognition that we have a living Father who resides in Heaven- now.
"Hallowed be thy name"- Hallowed means sacred. We should regard Him as Holy. How worthy is His name, How blessed! He says to Moses that He is " I am that I am" There is no name for God given to us that we can say because He is so Holy. I'm astounded, are you?
"Your kingdom come" - We eagerly and patiently await His arrival.
"Your will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven" - Both are His creation and He is ruler and has the final say on what happens in both. He is the ruler of all His creation. Believers should always pray acording to God's will and not their own needs.
"Give us today our daily bread"- Meet our needs daily, through Jesus and Him cruxified.
"Forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors". - God cannot forgive us, if we do not forgive others. Jesus talked in parables about this. We judge while we have a plank in our own eye against someone who has a speck of dust in theirs.
"And lead us not into temptation"- God will never allow you to succumb to temptation, if we do, that is because of our own free will of choice. He will however help provide away out should we choose to turn away from temptation.
"But deliever us from the evil one". - Satan means adversary. He tempted Jesus and through the Cross of Christ, Satan was defeated. If we fix our eyes on the cross, we will find deliverance.
The power of prayer begins with our faith in Jesus and the Cross. When we place our faith and trust in the redeeming qualities of our Savior, our faith holds power.
Prayer has the ability to heal, deliver and call into action from the Holy Spirit to see to it that our loved ones find salvation!
There is no set way to pray, in fact prayer from the heart in sincerity and emotion goes along way.
The quickest way to getting God's attention is calling out His name, and that is always the best way to starting a prayer.
If you would like your name placed on our prayer list, please contact us.
Do you have a story of how the power of prayer has touched you?
We'd love to share it!