Now this note may take a couple of blogs to get it in but I am going to try. First a little personal history. I was raised to believe that Christians should not say the Lord's prayer since the kingdom has already come...one of many things I believed which later learned to be untrue. The kingdom of God is within us (Luke 17:21). "Kingdom" is about the REIGN of God in our hearts. People who are under the Lordship of Jesus who have God as their King are kingdom people, they are people who acknowledge God in their lives.
Second - I preached a sermon on the Lord's Prayer a few weeks ago and realized that Jesus is telling is how to pray, "This then is how you should pray" (Matthew 6:9). So I have begun to pray the Prayer and it has revived my prayer life. I follow the words of the Prayer but in a developed and expanded manner. Make it personal!
For example: I begin with "My Father who is in heaven..." focusing on "my." The God of this world is MY father. I then think about my relationship to him as an adopted son, elected by him in Jesus to whom I can cry "abba" (Aramaic for daddy). I think about him waiting for me like the "Prodigal's" father - how patient he is with me and how he disciplines me and waits on me to return when I wander. Speaking to him as MY father opens a door of intimacy for me as I approach his throne. "MY FATHER."
The key for me is to personalise the prayer as I say the words and take time to expand the concepts in my heart and mind. Rather than just saying the words of the prayer, to think of the words as I ponder my relationship with him. Sometimes my whole prayer for that moment is about Him being my father.
In this part I also think of the wonderful aspects of my relationship to my earthly Father and consider how God has been that same way with me. For example - my dad shared his work and relaxation with me. He took me fishing and hunting and camping and also taught me how to wood work and work in the yard and pour concrete. We laughed and cried together and shared life. When I consider all God has done for me he too has been sharing His life with me. "My Father," what an awesome way to open conversation with God. I will share more ...but first are you getting my drift? Foree
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3 comments:
I definitely "get your drift", and whether I call him "Daddy" or "Father", the sentiment behind those words (at least for me) is still pretty much the same--a tender, loving relationship between a parent and child.
Thank you for your insight, Foree. Your post definitely has made me reexamine a prayer that I've had memorized for a long time, and even shared with my own kids...but not necessarily felt a personal connection with in a long time. I am grateful for this reminder.
got your drift....thanks for continuing to take something that satan wants to be stale and making it fresh!! what a great place to start...MY father, examing what my picture of MY father is. loving, tender, protector, faithful even in his discipline of me, i love HIM!!!
Thanks Steve - learning never ends. I will check it out and be more careful in the future. Hope you caught the drift. FG
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