How Should We Pray?

HOW SHOULD WE PRAY?

LUKE 11: 1-4

FOCAL POINT: MODELING HOW WE PRAY

INTRODUCTION: SHOULD SPIRITUAL ISSUES TAKE PRECEDENCE OVER PHYSICAL ISSUES AND OTHER ISSUES?

INTRODUCTION:

LUKE 11: 1-4 AND MATTHEW 6: 5-13 REFERENCES THE LORD’S PRAYER.

ONE DISCIPLE ASKED JESUS HOW TO PRAY! THAT REQUEST WAS SINCERE AND WE SHOULD SERIOUSLY ANALYZE THE PRAYER MODEL. CHRIST WAS A PERSON OF PRAYER.

READ LUKE 1 1: 1-4

THE LORD’S PRAYER DISPLAYS A VARIETY OF ISSUES TO CONSIDER IN PRAYER. IT SPEAKS TO HUMBLENESS AND REVERENCE TO OUR LORD: SO SHOULD WE. THE CONSTANT USE OF THE WORD “US” SPEAKS TO COMMUNITY NOT JUST INDIVIDUALLY.

PRAYING THE LORD’S PRAYER PRIVATELY AND CORPORATELY IS POSITIVE AS LONG AS IT IS NOT JUST RITUAL. IT IS A MODEL AND NOT TO BE SPOKEN OR MEDITATED UPON EFFETELY.

THE APOSTLES DID PRAY FOR PHYSICAL ISSUES. HOWEVER, THEY SEEMED TO BE MORE CONCERNED ABOUT THEIR SPIRITUAL WELFARE AND GROWTH MORE THAN THE PHYSICAL ASPECT.

IN CHAPTER 1 AND 3 OF EPHESIANS, PAUL PRAYED THE CHURCH WOULD GAIN WISDOM FROM GOD. HE PRAYED FOR THEIR HOPE IN THE PERSON AND WORK OF JESUS CHRIST, THEIR INHERITANCE IN CHRIST, CHRIST’S POWER AND OTHER ISSUES.

IN COLOSSIANS 1, PAUL PRAYED THAT THE COLOSSIANS LIVE IN A MANNER WORTHY OF THE LORD, THAT THEY BEAR FRUIT IN WORKS, THAT THEY GAIN KNOWLEDGE OF GOD AND STEADFASTNESS, PATIENCE AND GRATITUDE TO GOD.

PAUL PRAYED THAT PHILEMON ENERGETICALLY SHARE MORE OF HIS FAITH.

WOULD IT BE UNREASONABLE TO EVALUATE HOW WE PRAY? LOOK AT HOW CHRIST MODELED THE LORD’S PRAYER. IT APPEARS THAT THE PREPONDERANCE OF THE LORD’S PRAYER DEALS WITH SPIRITUAL ISSUES. VERSE THREE (OUR DAILY BREAD) TAKES ON THE PHYSICAL ASPECT OF NEEDING PHYSICAL NOURISHMENT (ANY KIND OF FOOD). HOWEVER, IT TOO HAS SPIRITUAL APPLICATION. THE WORD MEANINGS OF BREAD CAN MEAN A LOAF OF BREAD CONSECRATED TO THE LORD (EXODUS 35: 13). IT ALSO REFERENCES BREAD USED AT THE LOVE FEASTS AT THE LORD’S TABLE (1 CORINTHIANS 11: 26), (THAYER’S LEXICON).

APPLICATION: IS YOUR PRAYER LIFE ORDERED? I CHALLENGE YOU TO TAKE A SERIOUS LOOK AT THE LORD’S PRAYER A MODEL IT.