Lessons from the Lord's Prayer

On Wednesday mornings we are studying the Sermon on the Mount.  This week we came to the Lord's Prayer taught in Matthew 6:9-15.  As I studied and wrote down what I was learning in my journal it turned into this......a "journaly" little paragraph of notes to remember.  I often struggle with wanting my prayer life to fit into a neat little give and take fill in the blank type formula.  I learned alot today and was reminded that prayer is communication of precious relationship.

My lessons today from studying the Lord’s Prayer:

When I pray I must recognize first and foremost that I am a loved child of God, in a closely connected and personal relationship with the God who created me.  I can be confident that I can come to Him with the warmth of a “Daddy” cry.  Even then I must never forget that He alone controls, knows all, and rules.  In every interaction I have with Him all by myself as well as every interaction about Him teaching and living among others, I need to be looking for and acknowledging the truth of who He really is.  Not who I want Him to be or who others wish Him to be; but who He has already declared Himself and shown Himself to be.  I must pray for eyes to see and a heart to recognize Him.  I must desire His rule and reign not only in my life and the lives of those I love and understand; but also in the lostness, chaos, and darkness of the world around me.  It should grieve me when God’s Truth and Rule is not embraced and obeyed.  When I pray I should ask for grace to submit to His plan at all costs and in all situations.  In doing that I’m praying for the perfection of heaven to be reflected in the lives of all those who belong to Him here on earth.  I need to hold onto things lightly and refuse to worry about the material, enjoying the blessings He gives while trusting Him to provide.  I should always be aware of sin in my life, quick to recognize it and quick to repent and be rid of it.  Standing confidently in the certainty that He always forgives me.  As I do this I can be very quick to forgive others, refusing to hold onto grudges or remember the ways I’ve been wronged or hurt.  I need to pray desperately for eyes to see what might trip me up and lead me away from my loving Father and Protector, running always back to Him as a cherished and beloved daughter.