Genesis 16:1-18:15 / Matthew 6:1-24 / Psalm 7 / Proverbs 2:1-5
In Matthew we see The Lord’s Prayer and I want to take time today to explore these words because we need to continue in prayer for our nation.
Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy
When we pray, we must first remember Who we are praying to; remember His character and nature. We must remember that He is good and that He hears us because we are His. From the Strong’s Concordance: “God is called the Father of Christians, as those who through Christ have been exalted to a specially close and intimate relationship with God, and who no longer dread him as a stern judge of sinners, but revere Him as their reconciled and loving Father. “ At the same time we see Him as Father, we must not forget that He is holy. Holy is “separate from profane things and dedicated to God.”
May Your Kingdom come on earth, as it is in heaven
God’s Kingdom is already fully established and operational in heaven, and it is a perfect Kingdom. It’s our privilege to bring heaven into earth as ambassadors of Christ. Kingdom = “royal power, dominion, rule, the right or authority to rule, of the royal power and dignity conferred on Christians in the Messiah’s Kingdom.”
Give us today the food we need, and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us
God knows what we need to live each day, so we should be content to live from what His hand brings each day. At the same time, we must remember to ask God for forgiveness. We must hold no offense or He will not hear our prayers.
And don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one
Our enemy the devil is always trying to get us to agree with his kingdom, but we must be aware of his tricks and not be fooled by them. Temptation = “a trial of man’s fidelity, integrity, virtue, constancy”. Our way out from the temptations of the devil is to pray God rescues us from the traps he tries to set.
I also love this verse from Psalm 7:9 and I think it’s a good prayer to pray today in addition to The Lord’s Prayer above.
“End the evil of those who are wicked, and defend the righteous. For you look deep within the mind and heart, O righteous God.”
Praying scripture is very effective because we can know we’re praying God’s will and purpose.
What scripture are you praying today for your family and our nation?
