"One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When He finished, one of His disciples said to Him, "Lord teach us how to pray, just as John taught His disciples."
He said to them, "When you pray say:
Father,
hallowed be Your name,
Your kingdom come.
Give us each day our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins,
for we also forgive everyone who sins against us.
And lead us not into temptation."
What strikes me about this passage more than what Jesus says is what He does not say.
This prayer never contains a list of things Jesus wants God to do for Him. It does not contain a list of questions He wants God to answer. It does not explain to God just how He is feeling.
While I believe that God wants to hear it all. He desires us to be in constant communication with Him. However, when I think about my prayers, many times I spend more time telling God all about me, questioning Him, and presenting my requests than I do anything else.
I spend little time praising Him (hallowed be Your name.)
I am growing in my ability to simply pray that I trust His will (Your kingdom come.)
I rarely am satisfied with petitioning Him for my daily bread. I tend to want a pantry full of food and a whole list of other things I do not NEED to make it through.
While I frequently ask for forgiveness, I spend far less time examining my own heart for unforgiveness toward others.
"And lead us not into temptation." It does not get a lot more simple or more powerful than that.
I'm feeling convicted.
I think my prayer life, just like the rest of my life, needs to contain more of THEE and less of ME.
Father, hallowed be Your name, Your kingdom come. Give us this day our daily bread. Forgive us our sins. for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation.
