How do i Pray...
-= Guten Tag =- by Bram & Vera
Prayer
"And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
"This, then, is how you should pray:
"'Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.'
For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.
But how do I pray?? I remember...Your teaching. One of your very first teachings, when you taught your disciples how to pray and i know that the Holy Spirit is reminding me of the essence of prayer...and how important it is to come to You, not with our own agenda or desires but to come with an open heart to allow the Holy Spirit to move in our lives...even when it is not clear to us...
Our Father in Heaven, Hallowed be Your Name"...Firstly, I must be able to acknowledge that God is sovereign in my life...that there is no other Name than God's Name..."Hallowed" is our God because He sits in the highest position, not just in our lives but over ALL Creation. So high and lifted up is the Name of our God...who deserves every of our praise, exultation, reverence, holy fear and adoration. When I can come that way then, i will be able to listen to You without wanting my own way, which brings me to the key prayer in Mt 6, verse 10....
"Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven"...Lord, when I come to You in prayer, let me not come with a heart filled with own desires and wants. When I come to You in prayer, first, let me check if there is any selfishness there. I ask that I may have the strength to pray "Your Will be done....Not MY will, but Yours be done." As Jesus prayed, I ask for strength from You Lord...My desire is not for this world. My desire is not for money...My desire is for Your love to be made known and Your kingdom to be established...to see every man and woman receive the promise found in John 3:16...I know that I will not live forever. One day, I will return to You. Let my desire be for You...to see You face to face on that day and stare into the eyes of my Maker and know that I am finally home...where I will belong for eternity..."I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me."...John 12:24-26 (New International Version). I have tossed and I have turned...I have fought and I have struggled. All for but this reason - That Your Will be done in my life. Whatever you serve onto my plate, Lord, let me work on it with all my heart and strength. Let my eyes be continuously set upon You, my God. And I will pray again and again and again..."Let Your will be done."
"Give us today our daily bread"...We must not love money, but yet God knows we need it still. God does not desire for any of His children to starve. To not have one's basic needs and neccessities met, is a great struggle that may cripple even a person's faith...And God knows. He knows our needs, that man needs to eat, to have good things in life to remind them that God is a good God. And I know, Lord, You know me more than I know myself most of the time...I give my desires to You. Lord, whatever you place on my plate, this life, let me receive them with thanksgiving...because I know that every thing is from You. So daily, i give to you my worries and my fears. They are not my own to carry alone, because You are there to take care of me as well. Give me THIS day my needs and my desires. I live one day at a time...by Your grace. If I have more, i praise God. If I have less, I praise God. But i will not take anything for granted. And I will work with all my heart because I know that if God gives me a good thing, I am to be a partner in receiving it. I need to play my part in this equation of "US"...God and I.
"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."...Matthew 6:25-34 (New International Version).
"Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors"...Debts are something we owe; An offense requiring forgiveness or reparation; a trespass...What is the debt that we are asking God to forgive...Oh!! I have so many! Can't count. Each day, I have things I need to ask God for forgiveness...my lack of self discipline, my selfish thoughts, my lack of trust towards Him, my temper...Need I go on?? They may not be big, yet, to a God who loves us and desires for us to be His image, He wants to hone away all these. So I come to Him and ask for forgiveness for every iniquity that I may have trespassed against God, against people, and even against the Church. I am not perfect and God knows that...and I know that He forgives me...and I know that He wants to change me...one difficulty at a time, one trial at a time, one day at a time, one difficult person at a time...at the end, I will be a Masterpiece that my God created and shaped. He is the Master, I am the vessel...
"And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one."...Lord, my weaknesses, You know. When I am tempted beyond my capabilities, pull me out before I hurt myself and others! Lord, I know I have to face temptations of many kinds in my life. But You are in control. I may not be, but You are. So, please don't let go of me, even if I may fall in my temptations. But deliver me! Save me! Yank me out of the hands of the evil one...who wants nothing better than to see me fall. But my God is for me. He will rescue me because You are able. Lord, but sometimes, I am not...Lord, I am in this yoke together with You. I on the left, and You on my right. When the yoke gets too heavy, Lord, please lift me up...When I am walking too fast, please slow me down. When I am walking too slow, please give me a gentle push...When I find myself distracted by the temptations in life, Lord, please send Your angels to remind me of my place, my calling and Your Will. Let every door that You choose to open, remain open and every door that You choose to close, by closed...Because my spirit may be willing, but my body (my desires, my thoughts, my emotions) is weak...Help me, Lord!
"For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins"...Each and every day, let me be reminded of my own imperfection when faced with weaknesses of others. Whatever hurt, whatever misunderstandings, whatever mistakes, whatever selfishness, haven't I also been responsible for the same hurts, misunderstandings, mistakes and selfishness. Lord, let me never look at myself more highly than I ought but to always humble myself when it comes to dealing with people. Every bitterness, I give to You...They are not mine to hold...They are Yours to forgive. And I choose to forgive and give them to You, Lord.
This is how You've taught me to pray...And this is How I pray, to You my God, the Author and Perfector of my faith...Who has given me all that I need to walk each day and Who I continuously look to for direction and peace. Guide me Lord. Guide me Lord...And I can't help but sing....
What a Friend We Have in Jesus
What a friend we have in Jesus,
All our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilage to carry
Ev'rything to God in prayer!
Oh, what peace we often forfeit,
Oh what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry
Ev'rything to God in prayer!
Have we trials and temptations?
Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged,
Take it to the Lord in prayer:
Can we find a friend so faithful
Who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus Knows our every weakness,
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Are we weak and heavy laden,
Cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Saviour, still our refuge;
Take it to the Lord in prayer:
Do thy friends despise, forsake thee?
Take it to the Lord in prayer;
In His arms He'll take and shield thee;
Thou wilt find a solace there.
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