Teach Us to Pray

Now it came to pass, as He was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, that one of His disciples said to Him, "Lord, teach us to pray ..." So He said to them, "When you pray, say:
'Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name.' "
~ Luke 11:1-2 (NKJV)

Jesus said to him, " 'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.' This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' "
~ Matthew 22:37-39 (NKJV)

My plan for each day is to start it by talking with the Lord and reading His Word, in order to get His perspective on Him and me and life. I use the Lord's Prayer as a prayer outline—though the conversation rarely goes as I expect. As long as I make it through the first line, I get in what's most important.

Father
In the original Greek, the first word is "Father." God is always first. He gets the first of my time, treasure, talent—first place in the tabernacle of mySelf. The privilege to call God Father came by the blood of Jesus, without which I couldn't even enter His presence.

Of Ours
Though my Father's great love makes me feel like His favorite, I'm part of a family in which each child is favorite. My prayer ministry isn't just for me. My love of self must be my love of everybody else.

In Heaven
I acknowledge who is high and lifted up, and who is bowed to the ground. He is God. I am redeemed riff-raff. Without Him, I am nothing and can do nothing.

Hallowed be Your Name
To fear His name is to depart from iniquity. To love His name is to live surrendered to Him. To worship His name in spirit and truth is to worship Him as He is (not what I want Him to be), and as pleases His Spirit (my pleasure is the delight of worshiping Him).

Father of ours in heaven: hallowed be Your name!

Feedback invited. Post to BuildingHisBody.com "Comments" or e-mail to BuildingHisBody@gmail.com. Copyright 2009, Anne Lang Bundy, all rights reserved.