«In this manner, therefore, pray: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name’” (Matthew 6:9).
THE SCRIPTURES TELL US that Jesus was praying one day in a certain place when his disciples came to Him. Apparently they heard at least part of His prayer because one of them said, «Lord, teach us to pray» (Luke 11:1). Then Jesus pronounced the Lord’s Prayer.
What was the Lord’s intention when giving us a sample prayer? To give us a «formula,» for us to repeat through the ages? The answer is an emphatic no. It is enough to read the verses that follow the version Luke renders of the Lord’s prayer to know what the Lord wanted to do: «If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish? Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion?» (Luke 11:11, 12).
Clearly, His intention was to communicate to us the solemn truth that we are children of a heavenly Father whose heart beats with joy every time we draw near to Him; a Father whose love does not have to be earned because He already loves us. What does the sample prayer remind us of when we say it? Let us read it in William Barclays words.
When we pray: «Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. . . ,» we are acknowledging that the King who rules the whole universe is also our heavenly Father; and that, because He is our Father and King, we should respect and obey Him. When we say, «Give us this day our daily bread,» we are asking for Him as our Father to meet our physical needs in the present. When praying, «And forgive us our sins,» we are admitting that only He can erase our mistakes; that is, our sinful past. And finally, when we ask, «Do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one,» we are implicitly placing our future in His hands.
No, the Lord’s Prayer that Jesus left for us is not a «formula» we have to memorize. It is a powerful way of showing us that we have nothing to fear because our life—present, past, future—,are in our loving heavenly Father’s hands. It is also a loving invitation to confidently approach this throne because the King, who is also our Father, will treat us according to what we are: His beloved children.
What more could we ask for? The infinite God, Creator of the heavens and the earth, is our heavenly Father. That is more than what we thought we deserved! More than we ever imagined!
Thank You, King of heaven and earth because You are my heavenly Father.
I confidently place my present, my past, and my future; in fact, my whole life, in Your hands. You are the One who can take care of me best!
#AdultsDevotional
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Taken from: Devotional Readings for Adults 2022
“GREAT IS OUR GOD!”
From: FERNANDO ZABALA
Colaboradores: Xiomara Perdomo & Angelica Cuate
