Foundations Blog
We’re in a new series called “Foundations” which builds off of Jesus’ metaphor in Matt 7: “A house built on sand will never be able to stand BUT a house that’s built on the rock will never be able to fall.”
Practice #3 PRAYER - Day 6
This week, we’re in Practice #3: Grow in Prayer. Today, let’s spend ten minutes in the Lord’s prayer in Luke 11:1-4 from the New English Translation:
11:1 Now Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he stopped, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.” 2 So he said to them, “When you pray, say: ‘Father, may your name be honored; may your kingdom come. 3 Give us each day our daily bread, 4 and forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And do not lead us into temptation.’”
Sunday’s sermon reminded us of the eight things we can absolutely expect from God if and when we pray the Lord’s Prayer. Let’s focus on two of them:
- I can expect...peace and contentment.
It is often said that the Kingdom of God is an upside down kingdom, meaning that in most ways it is opposite to worldly patterns and operations. In our world, peace and contentment are elusive and grasped only by a fortunate few. Peace is equated to relative ease of life; contentment stems from having what we desire. But peace and contentment, for the Christian, are gifts from God imparted by the Holy Spirit. They are rooted in the goodness and faithfulness of God. If you follow Jesus, you should be characterized by both!
So, how about you? Consider if others would describe you as peaceful and content. Why or why not? Spend some time in confession.
- I can expect...gratitude over entitlement.
Prayer is a humbling task. It’s a reminder that I’m dependent, insufficient, lacking. What I need is a God who is All-Sufficient. When you come to God regularly, He will fill you with gratitude because He will help your perspective to change. You’ll be reminded that He is your faithful Provider.
How grateful are you today? Make a list of ten things you would like to thank God for providing.
Now, let’s pray the Lord’s prayer one more time with FAITH and EXPECTANCY:
11:1 Now Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he stopped, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.” 2 So he said to them, “When you pray, say: ‘Father, may your name be honored; may your kingdom come. 3 Give us each day our daily bread, 4 and forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And do not lead us into temptation.’”
Amen.
Published on 10-05-2021 @ 4:43 AM CDT