The Prayer Jesus Taught Us.

When the disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray, they had waked with him for some time already. They would have known the standard Jewish prayers, like the Shema -"Hear, O Israel: The LORD  is our God, the LORD is one", or Psalm 23 “Adonai is our Shepherd…”. Perhaps you have seen this depicted in “The Chosen”, as they have prayed “Blessed are you, Lord our God, King of the Universe…”.  There is a rich history of prayers from the Jewish heritage and the Old Testament, that they would have been well acquainted with. What sparked this curiosity?

What intrigued them to ask Jesus to show them to pray, what did they observe in His prayers that was different than theirs?  What did they witness in his prayer life that would created a desire to want to be shown how to have this “intimate moment with their God” like their messiah? Jesus answers them with a short but powerful and rich prayer that we all have learned and say on a weekly basis, and for many of us a daily practice. Have you ever considered what does this prayer mean in the life of a follower of Christ? This will be what we as a family will consider over the next few days.  My hope is that as we revisit this beautiful prayer and the depth of its meaning, that it would help us grow closer, deeper, and more intimate in our relationship with our heavenly father. As Jesus prayed at the last supper for his disciples and for us in John 17:21

 “21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.” (Emphasis mine)

That we would be one with Him and the Father, implicates intimacy, vulnerability, and transparency, as we come to the one who loves us so dearly, who would give up that which was most precious, His only son, to rescue and redeem us. To start us off on this short walk through on the prayer that Jesus taught us, take a moment together with me, put the phone down, and lets us pray together. 

Matt 6:9-13 - “9…Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. 10 Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. 11 Give us this day our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever.  Amen.” 

Always remember,

Jesus loves you, and so do I!

Pastor Will