The Bread Of Life: A Model Prayer
Now it came to pass, as He was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, that one of His disciples said to Him, 'Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.'
So He said to them, 'When you pray, say:
Our Father in Heaven,
Hallowed be Your Name.
Your Kingdom come.
Your will be done
On earth as it is in Heaven.'
Luke 11:1-2 (NKJV)
Most of us learned the Lord's Prayer as kids. It’s a precious Seed of the Living Bread. For many children, the Seed grows early. For me, It grew late.
A necessity for the growth of any seed is water. For holy seeds, this water might include a godly family, church fellowship, teachers of The Word, and Bible study.
At the perfect time, heavenly seeds sprout and willing hearts take the plunge of Baptism: a deep, personal commitment to Christ.
With continued water, light, and tending… a 'Planting of the Lord' (Isaiah 61:3) becomes fruitful! Consider a natural progression:
Bread comes from the fruit of wheat: the kernel,
But growth starts as a slim stalk and small leaf.
In due time, the stalk grows tall and flowers.
After the flower show… comes the harvest!
Think of the first five lines in God’s Prayer:
1) 'Our Father in Heaven.' We acknowledge the Lord as our Father, Who waters, enlightens, and tends to us.
2) 'Hallowed be Your Name.' We praise His Name above all other names, signifying our total reverence.
3) 'Your Kingdom come.' We invite God's Spirit into our lives, since without Him, we can do nothing good.
4) 'Your will be done.' We humble ourselves like little children, fully trusting He’ll take good care of us.
5) 'On earth as it is in Heaven.' because we know earth will be perfected… not by us, but only when Christ returns.
Christians must KNOW and SHOW this action plan. The Lord's Prayer is a great starting point. I didn’t understand It as a child. Nevertheless, just the repetition of these Words CAN transform the ignorant, even me--at the Lord's appointed time.
But since we're asking His will to be done, what IS the fruit of our Father’s Good Will? *
'This is the will of Him Who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life' (John 6:40).
The Bread Of Life: A Model Prayer (Part 3)
* Additional Scriptures on God's will for us:
http://www.psalm40.org/verses.html;
http://www.openbible.info/topics/gods_will
NOTE: This is a 2023 update of a 2013 Carey Lewis Devotion. You may see notes to 'Actors, Models & Talent for Christ.' If you think you're not in show business, think again. Shakespeare said, 'All the world's a stage and all its men and women merely players. Mostly true. But you're not merely players. You are messengers and ambassadors for the King of kings.