Not Just Another Prayer

~~~ Jonah 4:1-11 ~~~ Psalm 86 ~~~ Luke 11:1-4 ~~~

 

Lord, teach us to pray...

 

This request may have been what gave the disciples

 the strength to carry on after his death.

They knew Jesus prayed,

they had witnessed him in prayer.

They had seen his posture of prayer,

 but they did not hear the words he prayed.

 

Jesus is often depicted as kneeling or leaning

against a rock while in prayer.

He usually goes away to a secluded place.

He tries to minimize distractions...he focuses

 his eyes up toward the Father.

 

Jonah may have known how to pray, but he wanted

God's answer to be aligned to his own answer.

This is mostly dangerous and a arrogant.

Why should we think the answers to our

prayers must match the outcome we have envisioned?

 

 

There is this one line of the Our Father

that I sometimes want to skip...

'...thy will be done...'

 

It is so difficult to surrender to God my preferences.

There are so many things I would prefer to change, but then

I would be revolting against the will of God.

 

Jonah goes so far as to let anger fill his heart

because he does not want to see the mercy of God

come over the city of Nineveh.

But the LORD asked, “Have you reason to be angry?”

Did Jonah have any right to be angry?

God seems to indicate in the negative.

The God of mercy and forgiveness saw the people change their hearts.

Their hearts became transformed and they were changed.

 

I knew that you are a gracious and merciful God,
slow to anger, rich in clemency, loathe to punish.

 

In praying the Our Father slowly and intently we can

experience the true nature of our God.

 

I invite you today to pray this perfect prayer, the Our Father,

 given to us by Jesus himself.

Focus on each phrase as if it were the first

time you were hearing the words.

Then pray it as if it were the last time

you would pray this prayer.

 

Blessings in allowing the Our Father to change your heart.

We are part of 'thy kingdom come'.

Are you up to the challenge?