Matthew 6:9-13-"Pray like this:OUR FATHER in heaven, may your name be kept holy. May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us today and the food we need, and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us. And don't let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one.*" (NLT)
*Some manuscripts add For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
Maybe you noticed--This is the Lord's Prayer! Yes, it is! It is beautiful, and so useful at times when we need a good, heart filled prayer, but can't find the words to say it. The Lord's Prayer is the way Jesus told us how to pray, and though your prayers may differ in content a little bit, they should all look like this prayer. Not--"Dear Heavenly Father, please give me a new bike and 1,000,000 dollars. Oh, and please give me a boyfriend too. I love you. Amen." Not this either--"Dear Lord, please help my mom to stop being so mean to be, and please help my friends to like me better, and please help me to be prettier. Please don't let anything bad happen to me. Amen." Do any of these prayers sound familiar? If so, than you're in the right place. God is speaking through me to teach you how to pray like Jesus asked us to pray.
So, who is this "Father" anyway? Let me tell you a story. :) A long time ago, the Israelites, God's chosen people, had a king named Jeroboam. He did a lot of things that were evil in God's sight, and hurt the Israelites badly. After he died, his son Nadab was king. He did just as Jeroboam did. Then King Baasha, King Zimri, King Omri, and King Ahab all followed the example of Jeroboam and his son, Nadab, doing what was evil in the sight of the Lord. Even though all that evil happened and brought Israel down, did God, our Heavenly Father just give up on them? No way! His love is greater than our failure. Eventually, King Ahab's family was wiped out by Jehu, a King that finally followed God's ways. God also used Jehu to get rid of Baal (Baal was a pagan god) worshipers in Israel.(2 Kings 18-31) He provided for Israel COUNTLESS times a way out of their sin and hurtful disobedience. Our Father is love, and He never gives up on His people.
Job 38:4-7-"Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell me, if you know so much. Who determined its dimensions and stretched out the surveying line? What supports its foundations, and who laid its cornerstone as the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy?"
Psalm 121:3-6-"He will not let you stumble; the one who watches over you will not slumber. Indeed, he who watches over Israel never slumbers or sleeps. The Lord himself watches over you! The Lord stands beside you as your protective shade. The sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon at night."
Romans 5:7-8-"Now, most people would not be willing to die for an up-right person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. But God showed His great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners."
It is shown over and over and over again how GREAT, HOLY, FAITHFUL, and GOOD our Lord is in the Bible as well as the lives He's given to us. Our Father loves us so dearly. He will protect you and hold you up always as you walk through this life. It will be hard at times, but our Father will never fail you. He spoke the world into motion, and He knows what He's doing. When you pray today, think of His awesome power, fear Him, and trust in his love for you. He gives freely of His strength and forgiveness through the blood of Christ!
Ephesians 5:1-2-"Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God."
Thank you, God! Our Father is great. He is love. You are loved! God loves you. Be filled with peace, and keep measuring up! :)
-Jenna Hampton
with prayer and encouragement from the Heavenly Father who speaks through me.
