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2007-07-20 - The Prayers of
Christ
Part 2
Beginning in this devotional, we will examine (non-exhaustively) what has
been called by some "The Lord's Prayer." Since we'll be looking at each verse
involved, this will take several weeks, and we will be just going with the
"flow of the Spirit," seeing where He leads us.
Matthew 6:5-15 (NIV) Said our Lord:
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. 6 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. 7 And when you pray, do not keep on
babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their
many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what
you need before you ask him. 9 "This, then, is how you should
pray: "'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, 10 your kingdom
come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us
today our daily bread. 12 Forgive us our debts, as we also have
forgiven our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation, but
deliver us from the evil one. 14 For if you forgive men when they
sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15
But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your
sins.
In Verse 5, He teaches us: 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.
Why is it that when we pray in public, we suddenly start using "thees and
thous," talking in the language of King James of the 1600s? I venture to
say that most of us probably don't pray like that when are by ourselves!
For some reason, it either makes us think we sound more intelligent or more
holy - or more "something," to use "The King's English." But Christ didn't
use formal language, nor did he speak in the dialect of an English King.
Nor did the Psalmists.
They used the vernacular of their times., as did Christ. When we pray, we
need to remember the purpose of that prayer - communication with our Heavenly
Father. In the Bible, God is referred to 170 times as "Father." Think about
communicating with a beloved family member or friend. When you talk with
that person, if it's someone you are really close to, you don't speak formally,
or with the goal of impressing. Rather, you are thanking them for something,
requesting a favor, or just chatting about your day etc. And even if we are
praying publicly, that's how we should do it, albeit on behalf of everyone.
Remember our true Audience is God.
Comments or Questions?
Jan
cfdevcfpray@yahoo.com
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