Pray Like This...
“Our Father in Heaven"
Matthew 6:9a-13 (CSB)
- Prayer - “Prayer is a personal conversation with a holy and loving God that reorients our reality and makes all things possible.”
- Key Truth - “To pray like Jesus prayed is to see like Jesus saw, trust like Jesus trusted, and live like Jesus lived.”
1. The Person of the Father – “Father” speaks to us of our Position and Privilege.
ToTo pray to God as Father is to be related to Him by adoption as son or daughter.
To To pray to God as Father (Daddy) is to intimately relate with Him, not just possess a title.
To To pray to God as Father is to submit to Him, both to His care and His discipline.
2. The Place of the Father – “Heaven” speaks to us of God’s Power and Authority.
To To pray to God in Heaven is to pray to a power distinct from earthly restriction- strength.
To To pray to God in Heaven is to pray to the One present there, seated upon His throne – dominion.
To To pray to God in Heaven is to pray recognizing His sovereignty over all things and people - authority.
3. The People of the Father – “Our” speaks to us of our Family and Responsibility.
ToTo pray the word ‘our’ is to pray as part of a family.
ToTo pray the word ‘our’ is to realize both privilege and responsibility.
Because…
There is a shared Divinity: establishing that God is the Father not only of Jesus but of all who have faith in Christ.
There is an interdependence: fostering a sense of shared responsibility by reminding us that we are to pray not just for ourselves but also for others within this spiritual family.
There is humility: encouraging a perspective that acknowledges God's greatness and our dependence on Him.
There is a call to Charity: serving as a reminder of the bonds of brotherhood, promoting love, reconciliation, and working towards the salvation of fellow human beings.
After the Message:
Are you someone who can call God your father? Have you trusted Christ as your Savior and entered a relationship with God as your Father that is only possible through Christ? Are you tapping into the privilege of utilizing the greatest source of power known to any by praying to the one and only true God of heaven? As to your responsibility as God’s son or daughter, have you taken God’s call to pray for one another seriously? Are you earnest and faithful in your prayers for others? How might this change your prayer life?
