"...went up onto a mountain to pray"......

Luke 9:28  “He took Peter, John and James, and went up onto a mountain to pray.”

Heavenly Father,

Once again Jesus takes his 3 favorite disciples, his friends with him to the mountaintop to pray.  Often we are told that Jesus went alone to the mountaintop to pray.  Why does he include the 3 here?  This was a time to talk with You about his coming journey to Jerusalem and his trial and death.  Did he take them along to help them understand what was happening and warn them about  what was coming?  Did he take them to see how deep their faith and understanding were?  Did he take them as part of his “training” of them to take over the earthly ministry?  Peter had recently confessed his belief….”You are the Christ!”  Jesus apparently shared a deeper bond with these 3 men than any others.  His human side needed human support.  We tend to only see his God side and forget he was going through human things and human emotions.  He gathered his friends for their love and support.  Jesus’ mountain prayer times must have gone on for hours at a time.  The 3 disciples fall asleep during this prayer time and almost miss seeing “the glory” that transfigures Jesus as he accepts and prepares for his final journey.  Moses and Elijah show up and can be recognized by the 3 (who certainly have never seen them before).  I can’t imagine waking from a deep sleep and seeing a “glowing” Christ and the greatest leader and greatest prophet known to men!  No wonder Peter stumbles around trying to figure out what they are supposed to do!  God comes to them all on this mountain and speaks clearly to them identifying Jesus as His Son and affirming his mission.  Wow!  The glory of Christ, prophets and leaders long dead, and your voice coming from the cloud!  This must have been a “prayer time” like no other!  Jesus brought the 3 to “your holy mountain”….to your presence…..just as He will bring us if we ask and come along to pray with Him.  “Send forth you Light and your Truth, Let them guide me.  Let them bring me to your holy mountain, to the place where you dwell.” (Psalm 43:3)  amen.

"Where 2 or 3 are gathered in my name"......

Luke 8:51  “Once he had arrived, he permitted no one to enter with him, except Peter, John, James, and the child’s parents.”

Matthew 18:20  “Where 2 or 3 are gathered in my name, there am I in their midst.”

Heavenly Father,

I would never have connected this verse with Jesus “praying”.  He has come to the house of Jarius to bring his daughter back to life.  He doesn’t want an audience.  He chooses only the 3 special disciples, Peter, John, James, plus the child’s parents to witness this miracle.  Jesus often chose Peter, John, and James to be with him at special times…..here, and at the transfiguration, and in Gethsemane.  These were 3 times when Jesus was very much in his Father’s presence and drawing on your holy power.  These 3 friends saw things no others ever did.  When tied together with the second scripture telling us that “where 2 or 3 are gathered in my name, there am I in their midst,” we see the power of small groups of believers gathering together in Your presence.  When we gather, You come.  Our joining of faith in prayer, brings You into our prayer circle.  Jesus, too had a “prayer circle” of close friends that he called on to be with him.  We see his example to follow.  Tres Dias and similar spiritual weekends teach us the power of small groups of believers gathering together.  We strengthen each other.  We pray in shared prayer for shared causes.  We feel Your presence when we share in faith and prayer.  The oneness that should be present in the Church is evident and You promise to be there.  Another type of abiding in Your presence.  Praying by ourselves is often personal prayer to strengthen our own personal walk with You and to listen and learn in silence.  When 2 or 3 gather we look outward from ourselves for a joint reason and we draw towards the center of our prayer circle where Jesus is present as our High Priest and intercessor.  Jesus is there to guide and provide the needed power through his Holy Spirit.  The fact of gathering “in my name” indicates that we have invited Jesus into our group and look for him to be there.  We circle around Him.  Thank you for your presence when we pray together.  For always turning 2 or 3, into 3 or 4 by your presence.  Amen

"I had to be in my Father's house".....

Luke 2:49  “Did you not know I had to be in my Father’s house?”

“Didn’t you know that I had to be here dealing with the things of my Father?” (MSG)

vs. 46  “….among the teachers listening to them and asking them questions.”

Heavenly Father,

At the age of 12 Jesus made it clear to his parents where his heart was…..in the house of his true Father.  He “had to be” there.  His focus, his love were concentrated on Your will and obeying You at all times.  For a Jewish boy age 12 is nearly a man.  He was old enough to know what he was doing.  He speaks of “my Father’s house” and identifies it as where he belongs and wants to be.  He was occupied with listening and learning in his Father’s house.  We too must seek to be in our Father’s house.  To belong to your household we come through Jesus Christ.  He is our “big brother” who assures our adoption as a child of God.  Now that we are your children we need to come to listen and learn.  We need to reach a place where we say, “I had to be in my Father’s house.”  Seeking your presence at all times, drawing into your temple of holiness whenever possible.  I love the Psalm 43:3 prayer, “Send forth your Light and your Truth, let them guide me, let them bring me to your holy mountain, to the place where You dwell.”  The Light of the World, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit of Truth bring me, carry me, draw me toward Your presence.  To sit and listen and learn.  I feel selfish sometimes when I want to lay aside other things and just listen and learn, but I know it’s where I need to be.  I hope my contemplative “Mary” side is growing, and my hurried “Martha” side is learning to quiet down.  Both are necessary, both are loved by You, but my true abiding place……where I have to be…..is in my Father’s house.  Anywhere I can listen and learn is your house.  Anywhere I can strengthen my faith is your house.  Anywhere I can feel your abiding presence is the holy mountain where You dwell.  I long for my heavenly home and being in your presence forever!  Jesus, my Savior, Holy Spirit bring me to that holy place.  Amen

"Do this in remembrance of me"......

Luke 22:19  “Do this as a remembrance of me”

Heavenly Father,

I hear these words every time I take communion, but what do they mean as prayer?  I pray during communion….particularly for the forgiveness of my sins, but don’t generally think of the act of communion or the “remembering” as being prayer.  We are commanded to “do this”, and the Church holds communion as a sacrament or sacred act that draws us closer to Jesus, to our Father, the Holy Spirit, and to each other.  Sharing Christ’s body and blood, partaking of his sacrifice on the cross, being reborn through Him, accepting Your grace and abiding in it, dedicating ourselves to your Church, obeying your command, seeking forgiveness……all of this is present when we “do this in remembrance.”  Our prayer is a prayer of acted faith in the blood of Jesus Christ.  By remembering in this way we pray from our deep inner selves in a oneness with all believers.  A shared prayer for faith and commitment.  “One bread, one body, one Lord of all, one cup of blessing…”.  Sharing this sacrament of remembering strengthens the oneness of the Church.  We are no longer at this time of any denomination, but instead are One with Christ, One with the Father, One with the Holy Spirit, One with each other.  Abiding through Christ’s body and blood in the Holy presence of our God!  I always feel closer to You, O Lord, during communion than at other times.  The word “communion” sounds like “communication” and there is a connection formed during this very personal link to Christ, his body and blood, forgiveness and grace.  Remembering is good!  Remembering is living our faith.  Remembering is taking your past faithfulness and seeing it in our present circumstances, and making it our hope for the future.  We remember in Jesus’ name.  We remember Jesus’ act of sacrifice.  We remember our Father’s love and your abiding presence.  Amen.

"Terrible pain and agony of mind".......

Matthew 26:37-38  “He took along Peter and Zebedee’s two sons, and began to experience sorrow and distress.”

“He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled….my soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death.” (NIV)

“….began to be in terrible pain and agony of mind, my heart is breaking with a death-like grief”  (Phillips)

“…..agonizing sorrow.  This sorrow is crushing my life out.”  (MSG)

Heavenly Father,

Jesus’ agony as He prays to You is almost more unbearable than seeing His later pain and suffering.  He prays 3 times for You to find another way….”Take this cup from me”….but he also affirms 3 times that “not as I will, but as You will.”  His very human side knows what agony is coming….pain, separation, humiliation, desertion by his friends, death, the weight of the world’s sins.  He brings his 3 closest friends to pray with Him, to share this burden.  He tells them before He begins to pray what stress He is under…..”overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death”….”my heart is breaking with a death-like grief”…..”this sorrow is crushing my life out”.  He shares his deepest sorrow and they fall asleep while he prays!  This always sort of boggles my mind…… that these 3 always fall asleep when Jesus prays!  Jesus wanted their prayers.  They sleep. 

How often have I failed my closest friends when they needed my presence and prayers?  How often have I “fallen asleep” at a crucial time?  Sharing a friend’s deepest sorrow and pain, being “awake” to pray with them, is harder than it seems.  Our love sometimes just isn’t enough.  Our presence isn’t enough.  Our prayers aren’t enough.  We feel like we are “asleep” and of no comfort, no help, absent in mind and spirit.  While our presence may be called upon, the only presence that really matters is Yours.  When friends “agonize in the garden” it all comes down to their relationship with You, their willingness to commit to Your will.  We may be there praying, listening, trying to share their burden, but basically we are “sleeping friends”, of no real help.  We still need to be there…..our presence is wanted…..but the agony can only be dealt with by You, O LORD…..the “life crushing sorrow”, the “death-like grief”, can only be truly shared with our Father.  Our solace comes in our acceptance of your will.  Amen.

"Not my will but yours"......

Luke 22:41-42  “He went down on his knees and prayed in these words: ‘Father, if it is your will take this cup from me, yet not my will but yours be done” (NAB)

 “…But it is not my will, but yours, that must be done.” (Phillips)

“…Not what I want, what do you want?” (MSG)

 Heavenly Father,

There is much that I want, show me the things that you want.  “Thy will be done”….”not my will but yours”….”it is not my will but yours that must be done.”  I have to learn to stop praying for what I want, and acknowledge that your will in all things is most important….it “must be done”.  Teach me to listen better, so that my will and prayers will be in accordance to your will.  For my prayers to have your power, they must be your will.  Even when my wants and desires are for good things, they still must be for the things that you will and know are best.  You won’t support my plans with power if they don’t conform to your will.  I must learn to discern your will in all things!  If I read it in scripture I may pray for it in confidence….unity of believers, more of the Holy Spirit, stronger faith, healing, protection from temptation, deliverance from the Evil One, grace, forgiveness, daily bread, workers for the harvest, fellow Christians, wisdom, my enemies, widows, orphans, prisoners, Jesus Christ….I’m sure there is much more that I can pray for with confidence.  You tell us to come with all sorts of petitions, and we do…not always the right things, but the things that lay heavily on our hearts.  Sharing our hurts, our fears, our deepest wants and desires is part of a Father-child relationship.  We come knowing You are the font of all blessing, the source of all power and provision.  We come knowing Jesus has paved the way of grace to your throne.  We come with the Holy Spirit abiding in us and helping guide our petitions.  We come….because he have “nowhere else to go, You have the words of life”.  Help me bend my knees and ask for your will in all things.  Strengthen me with your Holy Spirit, that like Christ I will then arise and move towards your will with confidence and hope and peace.  Amen.

"Father forgive them"......

Luke 23, 34   “Father forgive them; they do not know what they are doing.”

Heavenly Father,

These words from Jesus are one of the most remarkable prayers imaginable.  While nails are being driven through his hands, Jesus prays to You, to forgive those who are doing this to him.  He says very simply, “they don’t know what they are doing.”  How much evil in this world is committed in ignorance?  How often do we do something to someone else, not really knowing what we are doing, what the consequences are going to be?  We feel like we know why we do it at the time, but often our motives are mixed and confused.  We act out of anger, fear, stress, confusion, peer pressure.  We develop a “crowd mentality” and go along with what others do or suggest.  “Knowing” implies understanding.  Those who crucified Jesus thought they had good reasons, thought they were supporting your will even.  Jesus was a threat to their religion, their way of life.  How often do people do evil in the name of religion?  How do we allow the Evil One to confuse us so badly?  How do we take bad and call it good, and take good and kill it?…..all in the name of our God!  You are not a God of evil!  You are not a God of killing and hurting innocent people!  We seek your forgiveness, like the thief on the cross, when we recognize that we are out of control and the innocent are being harmed.  Jesus’ whole life and death were about forgiveness.  A forgiveness so deep, so big, so remarkable, so unusual, so all-encompassing that it recognized that we often commit evil in the name of good without “knowing”.  But his love, his grace is so great that he asks for our sin to be forgiven and sees that we don’t really understand what we are doing.  It isn’t about accepting responsibility for our actions.  It’s about accepting grace……. because we “don’t know what we are doing”.  Forgive me LORD….over and over.  I don’t know what I’m doing!  Thank you for your prayers for me!  Amen.

"He climbed the mountain.....to pray"........

Matthew 14:23  “When we had sent them away, he went upon the mountain by himself to pray.” (NAB)

 Or  “With the crowd dispersed, he climbed the mountain, so he could be by himself and pray.” (MSG)

Heavenly Father,

Jesus climbs the mountainside to pray.  He sends everyone else away….even his disciples….to find time alone with You.  The number one thing Jesus may have taught us about prayer is that it is a solitary habit.    Our praying is meant to be time alone with You.  The words we speak are words to share with You.  The praise and thanks we bring are for You.  The petitions we ask are directed to the source of our provision and protection…..You.  The forgiveness we ask is between You and us.  The sins we confess, are personal and private, but we share them with You because You are the one we have wronged.  No one else can truly share the experience of prayer with us.  We can pray together with others, but each of us brings a personal heart condition into our prayers.  Our personal relationship with You overshadows all that we do and say.  Prayer is the time to build that relationship.  Alone on the mountainside, there are just the two of us….my Father and myself.  No one else to hide behind, no one else to distract, no one else to speak for me.  No one else to listen for me, when You speak.  It is quiet on the mountainside….I should hear You clearly if I listen.  Getting to the quiet of the mountainside is a journey upward.  We climb towards our Father to be with Him.  It takes effort, it takes time, it takes a desire to do this.  We have to choose to make the journey.  We have to “send away the crowds” that keep us away.  We have to be willing to face You all by ourselves, with no friends, no “back-up”, no distractions.  Climbing the mountainside to be with You, is moving out of our territory, and into yours.  Jesus will always climb the mountain with us to bring us to You.  He died for the privilege of being our guide.  The Holy Spirit will tell us of Jesus and guide us to follow Him up the mountainside and into the Father’s presence.  Thank you, Father, Jesus, Holy Sprit!  Amen

CLIMB THE MOUNTAINSIDE OF PRAYER

Jesus climbed the mountainside to be alone with God,

To find a place of quiet with no one else around.

He climbed to leave the world behind, to find a place to pray       

Where he could meet his Father, and kneel on “holy ground”.

We too must leave the world behind, the worry, stress, and woe,

And find a quiet time with God to listen to him speak.

To rest our weary bodies, to rest our troubled minds,

And find our Father’s peace and love….his “kingdom” there we’ll seek.

We cannot learn our Father’s will or find the strength to fight and win

Until we leave it all behind and climb that mountainside.

We have to get alone with God, and bow our heads in prayer

And there we’ll open wide our hearts and in his love abide.

(Mary Freeman  6-2-2007)

Praying in the church.....

Luke 4:16  “Entering the Synagogue on the Sabbath as he was in the habit of doing.”

Heavenly Father,

Jesus always kept the command to “remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy”.  He joined with other believers in worship and prayer.  His “habit”….what he did faithfully….was gathering at the synagogue.  Many Christians balk at regular weekly church worship.  Part of that is the Church’s fault….we don’t make the church service meaningful.   We fill it with rituals and traditions, and we badger the members to do trivial work and badger them to commit their money.  On the surface none of those things is wrong…..but our application of them drives out any sense of true worship or any sense of true meaning.  We end up with something we don’t “connect with” or find any reason for.  We don’t gather to pray…..to spend time with you in silent meditation.  We don’t gather to worship…..but just to sing songs we like and go through rituals we are familiar with.  We do gather for fellowship with other believers and to share communion.  Jesus attended synagogue and partook of the rituals connected to it.  Prayer would be one.  He taught in the synagogue when he attended…..leading others into contemplation of your words.  Communal worship is important and it is a “must” for all Christians.  We are meant to gather and pray together.  We are meant to gather and learn together.  We are meant to gather and worship as one body……Jesus’ body, the Church.  We must learn to “enter the synagogue” and pray together despite the roadblocks that our churches create with their abundance of organization.  We must have a habit of weekly communal worship to support each other and prepare for your work.  It should be a time to find strength in your presence and the presence of other believers.  The Holy Spirit fell on the early believers during communal worship.  Entering the synagogue leads to your holy presence and your holy power.  Prayer is communal as well as personal.  Together we are the Church of Jesus Christ.  Thank you.  Amen.

How should we pray?......

Luke 11:1  “One day he was praying in a certain place, when he had finished one of his disciples asked him, “Lord, teach us to pray.”

Heavenly Father,

I recently asked our pastor this same question:  “How should we pray?…..are the right ways and wrong ways?…..how can I make my prayer time more effective?”  This month is focusing on Jesus and how and when he prayed.  Help me to learn from your Son’s example.  I think most Christians at some time wonder if they are praying “right”.  We are used to getting immediate responses when we talk to someone and we are used to seeing those we talk to.  Prayer takes faith.  Prayer is directed to the One we know is there, but can’t see or hear.  Prayer is sent heavenward like smoke and we sometimes wonder if it reaches its destination.  The Evil One likes to plant doubt.  We dream up ways to “cover the bases” when we aren’t sure of our prayers.  We tell ourselves that You always answer, but it might be “yes”, or “no”, or “not now”.  We blame ourselves for lack of patience and persistence.  Our greatest “cop out” is sometimes the phrase, “thy will be done”.  If it doesn’t happen, then it isn’t because of our prayers, but because it wasn't your will…..we don’t expect to receive.  Surely this is not what prayer is meant to be???  Endless asking for things….short hurried phrases tossed like paperwads….lists of requests…..duty at meal times and bedtime.  No wonder we ask….”Teach us to pray!”  We sense we are doing it wrong!  It seems to crazy and often has little meaning.  David Rosage describes prayer as “mutual giving.”  He says “we give ourselves to God….our time….our preoccupations”.  In return God gives us an awareness of his presence, an experience of his love.”  I think he is on the right track!  Prayer isn’t about requests, its about knowing You, talking to You, spending time with You, honoring You, learning from You, sharing with You.  You know my needs.  You know my thoughts and worries.  You know my requests.  I honor You by talking to You about them.  But I must also listen…..and that requires time.  Teach me how Jesus prayed.  Allow me to learn at the Savior’s feet with the disciples.  Thank you!  Amen.

Lord, teach us to pray.....

Luke 11:1  “One day he was praying in a certain place.  When he had finished, one of his disciples asked him, “Lord, teach us to pray.”

Heavenly Father,

This is the preface to the Luke version of the Lord’s Prayer.  The disciples specifically ask Jesus to teach them about prayer.  He gives basically the same prayer as found in Matthew….calling on the Father, acknowledging his holiness by honoring his name, seeking Your coming kingdom and the kingdom work here to be done, asking for the day’s provision, asking forgiveness for our wrongs while also forgiving others, praying for safety from temptation.  The disciples had just observed Jesus praying.  Something about watching or listening to Jesus’ prayer makes them want to know more about praying.  I think most of us feel that if we just find the “magic formula” for prayer that we’ll get everything we ask for and have the power we feel we need to take control of the world we live in.  We see prayer as a way to our own ends.  Jesus’ prayer focuses on several things.  First recognizing who we pray to….You, the Father are the One we speak to in prayer.  This is a conversation with our Father, our Creator, our God.  We are to “honor your name”….see Your holiness, Your supremacy, Your righteousness.  We are praying to One who is both loving Father and Almighty God!  There is no other.  We are to ask for our needs for the day….provision for physical needs, but we also have needs that are emotional, spiritual, mental.  You are concerned about all our needs.  Perhaps our need to talk about these things with You is one of our greatest needs.  It is the way we “lay our burdens down” and give them to You.  We are usually embarrassed to ask so many things, but we do it in trust, in the knowledge that You love us and the knowledge that no one else can help us.  We pray for your kingdom to come….for Jesus to be King of all, for Your work of salvation, for the spread of the gospel and the Church.  We pray for forgiveness….continued recognition on our part that Jesus Christ’s grace is all that brings us to You and is needed each day for ourselves and others.  We pray for protection against our own free will giving into temptations and against the Evil One.  Jesus is the one who can teach us to pray.  He knew You perfectly and spoke with You always.  He is our example and our teacher.  Help me to listen to Him as he speaks to me.  Thank you!  Amen

"Lead us not into temptation....deliver us from evil".......

Matthew 6:13  “Subject us not to the trial, but deliver us from the Evil One.” (NAB)

“Keep us clear of temptation, save us from evil.” (Phillips)

“Keep us safe from ourselves and the devil.” (MSG)

“Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the Evil One.” (NIV)

Heavenly Father,

The most familiar translation is “lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.”   This gives a sense of You somehow being responsible for our temptations….I’m not sure that is what it really means.  You don’t lead us into temptation, so why do we pray “lead us not…”?  Temptations are there, all around us.  Our free will allows us to be tempted or not.  I really like the Message translation: “Keep us safe from ourselves….”  Temptation is all about giving into our own wants and desires, contrary to your will.  Self is the root of all temptation.  Adam and Eve gave into a temptation that was rooted in “self”….desire to go against your will and try something that they chose to do.  Seeking to be “like You”.  Everything the Evil One tempts us with is an effort to elevate ourselves to god-like stature, making our own will and choices supreme.  Jesus was tempted by the Evil One to 3 “self” temptations….food provided by himself rather than YOU, security by demanding proof of God’s power to save him, and power…anything he wanted for worshiping Satan rather than God.  All benefited him…or seemed to….all would break God’s will and substitute his own.  Adam fell…Jesus didn’t.  We pray to be kept safe from ourselves and the temptations that put self above your will.  This is our gravest danger!  Connected to this is “deliver us from the Evil One”….Satan is behind all temptation.  Just as he tempted Adam and Eve and tempted Jesus, he tempts us daily.  He never lets up!  We pray for deliverance from Satan to be permanently saved from him.  You gave us that deliverance in Jesus Christ.  Even though Satan still tempts us, Jesus has delivered us, when we trust on his name, are washed with his blood for forgiveness, and accept his gift of grace.  We will have the Holy Spirit’s power to help us overcome temptations and to focus us away from “self” and into your will, and he will protect us from the Evil One and deliver us into your holy presence as a child of God, a brother I Christ Jesus!  Thank you, amen.

"Forgive us our debts....as we forgive others"......

Matthew 6:12  “And forgive us the wrong we have done as we forgive those who wrong us.” (NAB)

“Forgive us what we owe to you, as we have also forgiven those who owe anything to us.” (Phillips)

“Forgive us for doing wrong, as we forgive others.” (CEV)

“Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.” (NIV)

Heavenly Father,

This petition comes with a qualifying statement.  We ask your forgiveness, but we also acknowledge that we need to forgive others.  What You do for us, we must do for others.  It’s a package deal.”  Forgiving and being forgiven are joined in other teachings of the scriptures.  Jesus came to forgive the enormous debt of sin that belongs to all of us and separates us from You.  This is not a debt we can discharge on our own.  This isn’t a debt we can get rid of without supernatural help.  We are forever connected to the collective “sins of the world”.  We are born in sin and live in sin.  The sin of disobedience to your will is ongoing in every generation.  We can only be rid of this sin through Jesus Christ.  He died a sacrificial death on the cross as the spotless Lamb of atonement.  We now have the assurance that when we pray “forgive us our debts”, or “forgive us what we owe to You” or “forgive the wrong we have done”….that we will receive the forgiveness we seek because Jesus Christ sits at the right hand of your throne and intercedes for all who trust in Him!  My forgiveness is born in grace!  Grace is the most beautiful world in the world!  The weight of the sin I can’t lift or remove is borne up on the wings of grace and hidden forever from your sight.  If I truly believe this, if I truly understand grace and the freedom and peace it brings, than how can I not forgive those who wrong me?  The wrongs others do to me are small compared to the wrongs that I have done to You.  As You lift my burdens , I must lift the burdens of others.  Not only must I personally forgive, but I must share the Good News of grace in Jesus Christ.  Everyone needs to know how to be free from their sins and brought home to their Father’s house.  Forgive me Father God and teach me to forgive and to share the news of grave everywhere it is needed.  Amen.

"Give us this day our daily bread"......

Matthew 6:11  “Give us today our daily bread.”

 “Give us each day, the bread we need for the day.” (Phillips)

 “Give us our food for today.” (CEV)

Heavenly Father,

Here we petition You for our needs….not our wants, but our needs.  We trust You to provide each day the food and other things we need for this day alone.  Just as the Israelites wandering in the wilderness received just enough food for one day….the present…you also provide us with what we need, one day at a time.  We spend too much time and energy worrying about our future.  We work and slave to provide secure and comfortable homes, fat bank accounts to protect our future, and reliable cars, etc…….all for our future needs.  There is a fine line between preparing for our future and worrying about it.  We find it difficult to see the difference.  We need to stop all the stressful scurrying about and thank you for what you have done for us today and in the past.  Our acknowledgment of your past provision should assure us of your present intention to continue providing for us.  If we ask simply and only that You “give us today our daily bread”, we indicate our trust in You as our Father.  What you have done, you will do.  We won’t starve.  We won’t freeze or burn up.  We will have a place to sleep.  We will have clothes to wear.  Our needs are met in You, when we seek only your daily blessing.  Forgive me when I worry, when I show a lack of trust, when I’m impatient, when I strive to see the future, when I demand more than that You care for me “this day”.  You are a good and merciful Father!  I have never wanted!  I trust in You to provide for me “this day” and always I thank You for all that You have blessed me with!  I thank You for being a loving Father even when I don’t deserve one….that is grace, that is why you are a God of provision each and every day!  Amen.

"Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven"......

Matthew 6:10  “Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” 

“Do what’s best…..as above, so below.” (MSG)

Heavenly Father,

We pray “your will be done on earth as it is in heaven”, but often we don’t really mean it.  We mean “your will be done, as long as it doesn’t clash with my will.”  Or “your will be done by everyone else, but me.”  It is hard to know your will, to follow and obey your will, or even to pray for your will.   Why do we suspect that a loving Father would will something for us that isn’t good?  Why do we fear that praying for your will to be done will make us unhappy?  Why do we feel we must keep at least a little bit of control over what is to be done?  You created the earth, You know what is best for it!  You created us, and know what is best for us!  You are “all wise”, “all seeing”, “all present”!  Your ways are far above our ways, your thoughts are for above our thoughts!  How can we presume to have any idea what is truly best for us?  How can we think that maybe we have a better plan than yours?  Increase our trust!  Increase our faith!  Increase our reliance on your perfect will and our obedience to your perfect plans.  Help me seek to know your will in all things.  Help me discern the things you wish me to do…this day and always.  Jesus never hesitated to obey your will even when it was hard or he didn’t like it. “Your will” that caused him to “sweat blood” in the garden….accepting death for all mankind on the cross….was the hardest thing anyone could ever do, but Jesus chose to obey your will and was rewarded with resurrection and a seat at your right hand in heaven.  In the process, the world was saved from sin.  When your will seems too hard or we don’t understand it, we are not seeing the end result.  We must trust that your will leads to resurrection and life!  May your will be done throughout the earth as it is done in heaven.  May your will be done in me….increase my trust.  Amen.

"Thy Kingdom come".....

Matthew 6:10  “Your kingdom come.” (NAB)

 “Set the world right.” (MSG) 

“Come and set up your kingdom”  (CEV)

Heavenly Father,

The Kingdom of God or the Kingdom of Heaven…..Jesus came to establish your kingdom here on earth.  Jesus taught a lot about the Kingdom of Heaven.  He said it belongs to the “poor in Spirit” and “Those who are persecuted because of righteousness.”.  To find your kingdom we must leave the world behind.  The Kingdom of God is far different from the kingdom of the world.  Your values are righteousness, obedience to your will, service, humility, love.  We don’t find the “kingdom” by fighting physical battles, but by fighting spiritual battles.  You are Spirit, and your kingdom is Spirit.  We pray for your kingdom to come here to earth and within us.  We long for your rule in all the earth!  Our spirits are weary and heavy from fighting this world’s battles.  We want all to be “right” and for You to be in charge here.  You have entrusted us with the mission to help spread your kingdom here.  WE need to lead others to repentance and show them the Door to your kingdom….Jesus Christ.  I like the Message translation….”set the world right!”  We recognize the wrongness of all that we see here, and want you to set it all right again.  WE catch a glimpse of what your kingdom is meant to be in scripture and the Holy Spirit tugs at our hearts with desire to have it now.  You abide in us and give us the sense of all that we are missing here….love, most of all….peace….righteousness…your presence.  We want to step across the threshold of the Door and be where we belong with our Father!  Grace is our welcoming gift as well as our key.  Grace surrounds us in forgiveness, joy, love, hope.  Bring your kingdom, O LORD!  Come in all your glory!  Take us all home!  We long for You!  Bring your kingdom into the hearts of those who seek and those who have not yet found You!  amen.

"Hallowed be your name"......

Matthew 6:9  “Hallowed be your name” (NAB) 

 “May your name be honored.” (Phillips)

“Reveal who you are.” (MSG)   “Help us to honor your name.” (CEV)

Heavenly Father,

“Hallowed be your name.”….a strange word that isn’t used any more except in this prayer said by millions.  Hallowed, honored, holy.  In my mind I sometimes substitute “holy” for “hallowed”.  Names once represented a person.  To hallow your name or honor it or make it holy is to respect and honor and worship the person behind the name.  This petition tells us that You are not only “our Father”…Father of all children who believe in You….but that you are worthy of honor, praise, respect, love, worship.  That speaking your name to call upon You is not a frivolous thing….not to be taken in vain or used casually.  Holy….perfect, righteous, blessed, extraordinary, exalted, heavenly.  Holy is a difficult word to grab hold of sometimes.  We experience little in this world that might have holiness about it!  Only if You are present, is there holiness.  Many songs of the Church speak of your holiness.  They help us draw closer in understanding of this word that describes You, and You alone.  Here are a few:

“Holy, Holy, Holy, LORD God Almighty!.”

“Bless the LORD, O, my soul, and all that is in me, bless his holy name!”

“Glorify thy name in all the earth.”

“Almighty, most holy God, faithful through the ages.”

“I give glory to your name, O LORD, glory to your name; for your name is great and greatly to be praised.”

“All that is within me bless his holy name.”

“Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts. The whole world is full of his glory, holy is the LORD!

“Holy, holy, holy LORD, God of power and might!”

“Blessed be the name of the Lord, he is worthy to be praised and adored.”

“This is holy ground, for the LORD is present and where he is is holy!”

“To God be the glory for the things he has done!”

I praise You for your holy name and the honor and glory that are yours alone!  Thank You!  amen.

"Our Father"......

Matthew 6:9  “Our Father in heaven…” (NAB)

“Our Father, which art in heaven” (KJV)

 “Our Heavenly Father “ (Phillips)

Heavenly Father,

Thank you that we are allowed to address You as Father!  Thank you that we are your children.  You are an awesome God…Creator, LORD Most High, Almighty, El Shaddai, Jehovah, I AM!  All of that is a bit scary for humans who were created from dust.  But a “Father” we understand.  A Father is one who gives us life, rather then creates us.  A Father is one who raises us in love.  A Father is one who is Master over us….in charge….but with a “softer” feel than when we say Omnipotent God or I AM!  A Father is loving, forgiving, nurturing, merciful, compassionate.  A Father also disciplines us, teaches us what is right, sets our feet on the right path, guides us.  A Father is wise and has the answers to our questions.  A Father protects us, stands between us and danger, is a Rock, a Fortress, a Deliverer for us to rely on .  Seeing You as Father , doesn’t take away your greatness, it just brings us a little closer to your presence.  We are lifted by your Son, Jesus Christ, and made brothers and sisters in our Father’s house.  Jesus says, “our”…..it isn’t just about me, I’m part of a family who together come to “our Father”.  Father of all mankind.  Father of Jesus Christ, Father of me.  You reside in “heaven”….above us in a place of holiness and righteousness.  As our Father you welcome us to this heavenly home.  Jesus has gone ahead to prepare our rooms.  We will join him there with You and we will live together for eternity.  “Our Father” has such a wonderful sound!  Being part of your family, one of your children, is the most wonderful thing in the world!  May all one day say out loud “Our Father in heaven!” and call upon You as one of your children!  Thank you!  amen.

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"Through faith in his name".....

Acts 3:16 “And his name, through faith in his name, has made this man strong, whom you see and know. Yes, the faith which comes through him has given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all.” (NKJV)

“By faith in the name of Jesus, this man---was made strong. It is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through him that has given this complete healing to him, as you all can see.” (NIV)

Heavenly Father,

Peter and John heal a lame man at the temple gate and then turn the incident into a teaching about Jesus Christ. At no time do they claim that they healed the man. It was a very public healing and a very public witness. They prove here that they had listened to Jesus and what he said to them: “My Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.” (John 16:23) They echo Jesus’ own words used in healing. They tell the people that it was the man’s faith in the name of Jesus that healed him. Over and over Jesus said: “Your faith has made you well.” When we put our faith in the power and authority of Jesus Christ, it becomes faith that will heal us. Asking in Jesus’ name isn’t just a formula to repeat, it is a belief---a faith---in the person Jesus Christ. His name is the same as his being. Complete trust in Jesus Christ heals us. This healing allows this man to walk. He is given “strength” through faith in Jesus. The second use of “faith” in this verse is said to give “complete healing” or “perfect soundness”. Whenever Jesus heals we are made perfectly sound. Our health doesn’t just improve it dramatically changes our life. Jesus has an effect that can be seen and heard and felt. His miracles are always public and not hidden so there is no doubt of where the healing originates. Faith is the key. Our faith in Jesus Christ brings healing. We must seek Jesus and step out in faith and trust. Our healing through our faith becomes our witness to others. Faith evidence shows to others in some way. We were told not to hide our light under a bushel. We are told to be living water and salt for the world. Faith that heals is what the world needs. That healing faith is only found in Jesus Christ. Without his name, our faith doesn’t exhibit healing and power to others. Our faith comes “through him”. Jesus is the filter that allows us to have power to use in his name. Thank you, amen