From His Lips

~~~ Isaiah 55:10-11~~~ Psalm 34 ~~~ Matthew 6:7-15 ~~~

 

Jesus teaches us to pray with intention today.

 

“In praying, do not babble like the pagans,
who think that they will be heard because of their many words.
Do not be like them.
Your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

Babies babble because they do not yet know how to formulate correct words.

Babies babble because they cannot yet form words with their lips.

Babies babble because they have not yet learned the proper way to talk.

 

In many ways when it comes to prayer we are just like the baby.

We often do not know the best way to bring our needs before God.

 

Jesus, knowing our dilemma, gave us the beautiful words of the

Our Father.

This prayer has been used in prayer for over two thousand years now.

It remains the best prayer one can pray.

It is a pray we usually learn as a young child.

It is a prayer that comes to mind in times of need.

It is a prayer that can bring comfort to the one and reciting it and to those listening.

 

 

The Our Father is the perfect prayer.

It contains all the components of the ideal prayer.

It is a balanced prayer.

Oftentimes our prayers are lop sided or one sided.

We just come before the Lord to ask without first

giving thanks for what we have already received.

 

There has been much written about the Our Father,

but for me two parts stand out...

doing the will of the Father and forgiving those who wrong us.

 

If we can only say one prayer the Our Father should be that prayer.

It is the only prayer given to us directly from

the lips of Jesus himself.

 

“This is how you are to pray:

Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name,
thy Kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.

“If you forgive men their transgressions,
your heavenly Father will forgive you.
But if you do not forgive men,
neither will your Father forgive your transgressions.”

There is nothing left to say except...

AMEN.