The Lord's Prayer (5 of 6)

Pray then like this:
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be Your name.
Your kingdom come,
Your will be done,
on Earth as it is in Heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.

Matthew 6:9-13

Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.

We are not asking God to overlook our sins, because we know, or should know, that's not going to happen. What we are asking is that He forgive our past sins. This is something we need to do on a daily basis. Why? Because, whether we realize it or not, we are prone to sin on a daily basis.

Romans 3:23 tells us that we all fall short of God's standards. We all sin. Sometimes we realize it, sometimes we don't, and yes, sometimes it is intentional. Fortunately, we have such a loving God that He is willing to forgive us.

Here's the catch. In order for God to forgive us, we need to forgive others. Matthew 6:15 states that unless we forgive others, God WILL NOT forgive us. We are also told commanded in Colossians 3:13 that because God forgave us, we need to forgive others.

The Lord's Prayer (4 of 6)

Pray then like this:
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be Your name.
Your kingdom come,
Your will be done,
on Earth as it is in Heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.

Matthew 6:9-13

Give us this day our daily bread

This is the first request in the prayer that focuses on us, and not on God. Well, to a degree.

We ask God to provide us with the essentials for our physical, as well as our spiritual survival. Food, shelter, and clothing for the physical aspect, and His word and the Holy Spirit for the spiritual aspect.

The physical needs are focused on us. Without them, it can be difficult to continue the spiritual journey. Without them we can become physically weak, and lose our spiritual focus.

We aslo need to keep in mind that these are needs, not desires, that we are praying for. As I mentioned in prior posts, we are more likely to have our prayers answered if they are aligned with God's will, not our own.

I'm not saying it's wrong to ask him for things you would like to have, but I wouldn't expect a great return rate if it doesn't line up with His plans for you.

The Lord's Prayer (3 of 6)

Pray then like this:
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be Your name.
Your kingdom come,
Your will be done,
on Earth as it is in Heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.

Matthew 6:9-13

Your will be done,
on Earth as it is in Heaven

Many of us can struggle with God's will. It may not be that we do not want to do His will, but that we have the wrong understanding of what it truly means.

The key words here are "as it is in heaven". These words alone change the whole scenario.

As we know, everything in Heaven is perfect. Why is that? Simply put, everything and everyone there is aligned with God. God's will is being done in Heaven because everything is in tune with God.  On Earth, not so much the case. We live in a world filled with sin, and can sometimes struggle to keep clean.

The whole idea is to pray for, and to strive for, obedience to God. Disobedience is what truly separates us from God's will. Once we learn to be obedient, we can work out His will on Earth.

Jesus gave His life for us in total obedience. God may not be calling you to die, it may be much simpler than that. Maybe He's calling you to invite someone to church, or to spend a couple hours serving others. Maybe He's calling you to share your story of faith, or to just be a listening ear for someone in need. Whatever the call, be sure to listen, and be sure to answer.

The Lord's Prayer (2 of 6)

Pray then like this:
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be Your name.
Your kingdom come,
Your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.

Matthew 6:9-13

Your kingdom come

John tells us that "the kingdom of heaven is near". Jesus tells us this as well, but He also tells us that we won't know when. Jesus tells us it will come like a thief in the night.

Throughout the Bible we have several instances of people praying for something that eventually came to pass. Sometimes we pray for things, and they come to pass as well. Then there are times we feel the prayers aren't answered.

Jesus wasn't asking for God to send His kingdom. He already knew that would take place. Jesus was praying that God follow through on the promise of the kingdom. Jesus was claiming God's promise.

There's a difference here. God fulfills HIS promises, as He promises. God may not always answer OUR prayers the way WE want them answered. If we pray for the delivery of His promises, and not our wants, we might find that our prayers get answered sooner.

The Lord's Prayer (1 of 6)

Pray then like this:
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be Your name.
Your kingdom come,
Your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
Matthew 6:9-13

Hallowed be Your name

The word hallowed means consecrated, or holy. We need to keep this in mind during our prayers. God already knows that He's holy. He doesn't need us to tell Him. We need us to tell Him. 

We need to praise all He does for us, all He has done, and all He will do. We need to thank Him, and give Him all the glory. Jesus felt so strongly about this, that he mentions it first in the prayer.

Everything we have came from Him, for us to use for Him. All our possessions, money, spare time, and spiritual gifts all came from God. How we use these items can show glory to Him as well.

Psalm 23 (3 of 3)

You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies. You honor me by anointing my head with oil.  My cup overflows with blessings. Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me     all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the Lord     forever.     Psalm 23:5-6

God called David a man after His own heart. He said that David would do anything He wanted him to do. When we have the same desire to please God that David did, God will provide for us above and beyond. Not only the material items, but emotionally, and spiritually as well.

God has an undying amount of love, mercy, and grace for us. So much that we can't use it up in one day. It says "all the days of my life", because each day starts new. Each day God wipes the slate clean and gives us a new day full of forgiveness, mercy, grace, and love. Nobody here on earth can do that for you, and nobody ever will.

When we accept his gifts, we are not only in His family, but will one day live with Him in His house We will one day be hanging out with God, Jesus, and all the believers.......forever.

Psalm 23 (2 of 3)

t2  He let's me rest in green meadows;

     He leads me beside peaceful streams.

     He renews my strength.

He guides me along right paths,

     bringing honor to His name.

Even when I walk

     through the darkest valley,

I will not be afraid,

     for You are close beside me.

Your rod and your staff

     protect and comfort me.
Psalm 23:2-4

When we have a right relationship with God, regardless of any obstacles put in our paths, He will provide us with a sense of peace nothing can match. We can be at an all time low in our lives, but somehow be at peace knowing that He will provide a way out.

God doesn't tell us anywhere in the Bible that the Christian life is going to be easy. In fact, He tells us the opposite. He tells us that there will be pain, suffering, and hardships. 

The good news is, our relationship with God is our way out. If we listen to Him, He will lead us out of our dark valleys, and back to His peaceful streams.

Psalm 23 (1 of 3)

The Lord is my shepherd;
    I have all that I need.   Psalm 23:1

Shepherds where known for the extreme care of their sheep. They weren't concerned with just the flock as a whole, but with each individual sheep. If a sheep were lost, the shepherd would look for it, if in danger, protect it, and if hungry, feed it.

God is just like these shepherds. He wants us to live a life knowing that He will take care of our needs. He will provide all we need, and make the necessary sacrifices to make sure that happens.

The keywords "my" and "I" signify that this is directed to each of us as individuals. God is looking for individually lost sheep that are wandering off on their own. He is looking to use us to make this happen. We need to believe in our hearts that he cares for us, and will provide for us, in order for the unbelievers around us to believe it.
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Nobody's Perfect

But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.   Matthew 5:48 nlt

But you must always act like your Father in heaven.  Matthew 5:48 cev

This is a prime example of why we can't rely on just one Bible translation. Sometimes a different text can help us make more sense of His word.

God doesn't expect us to be perfect. He knows we can never match up to Him (Romans 3:23). What He does expect is that we will strive to act like Him.

We need to show love, compassion, and kindness. We need to offer forgiveness, and be willing to share our time and our resources. We also need to continue learning from His word, so that we can become more spiritually mature.

Stop trying to achieve perfection, you can't do it.  For now, focus on personal growth. We can't be perfect, but we can be better.

Let It Go

Then I confessed my sins to you; I did not conceal my wrongdoings. I decided to confess them to you, and you forgave all my sins. Psalm 32:5

We can hide a bunch of things from a bunch of different people, but we can't hide anything from God. He knows what we've done, what we're doing, and what we will do.

Sometimes, when we do something wrong, the guilt eats away at us until we can't stand it. Do you know what that is? That's the Holy Spirit convicting us. The Holy Spirit is here to teach and guide us. When we are overcome with guilt, that's the Holy Spirit telling us it's time to tell God we are sorry.

God is so full of love and mercy. He will never reject your apology. He tells us in Zechariah 1:3, "Return to me, and I will return to you". This doesn't just apply at salvation, this is ongoing. It's ongoing, because we will continue to make mistakes, and he will continue to forgive us.

A Valley of Dry Bones

 The Lord took hold of me, and I was carried away by the Spirit of the Lord to a valley filled with bones. He led me all around among the bones that covered the valley floor. They were scattered everywhere across the ground and were completely dried out. Then he asked me, “Son of man, can these bones become living people again?” Then he said to me, “Speak a prophetic message to these bones and say, ‘Dry bones, listen to the word of the Lord! This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Look! I am going to put breath into you and make you live again! I will put flesh and muscles on you and cover you with skin. I will put breath into you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord.’” So I spoke this message, just as he told me. Suddenly as I spoke, there was a rattling noise all across the valley. The bones of each body came together and attached themselves as complete skeletons. Then as I watched, muscles and flesh formed over the bones. Then skin formed to cover their bodies, but they still had no breath in them. Then he said to me, “Speak a prophetic message to the winds, son of man. Speak a prophetic message and say, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Come, O breath, from the four winds! Breathe into these dead bodies so they may live again.’” So I spoke the message as he commanded me, and breath came into their bodies. They all came to life and stood up on their feet—a great army. Then he said to me, “Son of man, these bones represent the people of Israel. They are saying, ‘We have become old, dry bones—all hope is gone. Our nation is finished.’ Therefore, prophesy to them and say, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: O my people, I will open your graves of exile and cause you to rise again. Then I will bring you back to the land of Israel. When this happens, O my people, you will know that I am the Lord. I will put my Spirit in you, and you will live again and return home to your own land. Then you will know that I, the Lord, have spoken, and I have done what I said. Yes, the Lord has spoken!’” - Ezekiel 37:1-14

 

Son of man, can these bones become living people again? - Sometimes we can be afraid to answer God's questions for fear of being wrong. God already knows the answer, but because He loves us, and wants a real relationship with us, He wants our input.

 

Speak a prophetic message to these bones - Simply put, this is a calling to preach to the lost. Preaching isn't just for pastors, we are all called to do it. The opportunity may not always present itself, but if it does we need to be ready.

 

We have become old, dry bones—all hope is gone - None of us are too far gone. There's nothing we can ever do that will cause God not to love us. He may not like or approve of all we do, but His love is unfailing and everlasting.

 

I will open your graves of exile and cause you to rise again - God gives us salvation to bring us back to Him. Salvation allows forgiveness of sins and the right relationship he wants us to have with Him.

 

I will put my Spirit in you, and you will live again - It's a new lease on life. When we accept the free gift of salvation we die to our old life, we have a new life in Christ, and we are given the Holy Spirit to guide us.

The Power of Youth

You are young, but don’t let anyone treat you as if you are not important. Be an example to show the believers how they should live. Show them by what you say, by the way you live, by your love, by your faith, and by your pure life.   1 Timothy 4:12

Being young doesn't mean you are weak, or not capable of achieving great things. We find throughout God's Word that numerous youngsters are used for incredible purposes.

Early teen years are a crucial time in your life. You are pressured by "friends" and those around you to do things you know you shouldn't. Sometimes you may cave in, and other times you may not, but the pressure is out there, and it's real. It's these times that it is VERY important to hold on to what is true. Remember, if you think it's wrong, chances are it is wrong.

You guys and girls have a great deal of power in the palm of your hands, but a great deal of you don't even realize it. You think that because you're young there's nothing you can do. That couldn't be further from the truth. God used young people to rule nations, slay giants, and even give birth to our savior. You all have the power to change the world. Add faith to that power, and there's nothing you can't do.

Just like Jacob, David, Mary, and even Jesus, God has a plan for you. You are here for a purpose, and you are an extremely important part of His plan. Harness the power of your youth, and let others know you plan to get things done.