THE PRAYER PERSPECTIVE: PRAY LIKE THIS

Hello my name is Pernell Hill, and welcome to, The Prayer Perspective, a biblical view point on the principles and practices of prayer. Each perspective will have Prayer Take-Aways, these are steps you can use to maximize your prayer discipline.

Matthew 6:9-13 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. 10 Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven 11 Give us this day our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever, Amen.

There had to have been countless times that I recited “The Lord’s Prayer.” my earliest recollection are those times I attended Sunday School, at Mt. Zion BC in Ringgold, La. It was a universal practice then and it remains even in our modern age. And though it was documented centuries ago, it still carries great reverence and relevance. The radio station where I am employed, daily at high noon the Lord’s prayer is played; giving our listeners the opportunity to pray along with us. It’s admired and applied by most, if not all Christian denominations.

The Lord’s prayer is actually a prayer teaching model, hence it’s affectionately known as “The Model Prayer.” Jesus disciples inquired of Him to teach them how to pray. The inquiry came after Jesus was teaching them about how they ought not to pray, and he used Pharisees as their example. I would like to begin looking at the posture or approach we should have relating to this prayer model. What you will read may be similar to what you have engage in before, and that’s OK, because when it comes to prayer, more development is always good.

The model prayer in its entirety is a comprehensive engagement for anyone, especially the believer seeking God the Father in prayer. Prayer is about communicating, and from what I gather, based on this prayer approach; teaching should begin with whom you will be communicating with, and in this case it is ‘Our Father.” All that which follows, helps in fulfilling the time spent in prayer. In other words when the model prayer is in whole or broken down, we can communicate more specifically based on my own experience and encounter with the Father.

For example, “Our Father” this suggest relationship. another example “Hallowed be thy name” this suggest reverence. So when I pray, my approach is to pray based on my relationship and my action in this case is to give reverence or praise, to recognize sovereignty if you will. When you pray this in it’s entirety you cant go wrong, but even if you broke it down and prayed in parts, you still will not be wrong. If you just pray/communicate to the Father ‘Give us this day our daily bread” alone, you may not have prayed the whole model prayer, but you have chosen to use part of an approach to prayer that still keeps you in the will and the teaching ofprayer.So the next time you are saying or praying the Lord’s prayer, there is more to it than meets the eye; with the right teaching you can maximize your approach to God with it.

Prayer Take-Aways

1. The Lord’s prayer was not written just to be recited.

2. The Lord’s prayer is also known as “The model prayer.”

3. The Lord’s prayer is actually a prayer teaching model.

4. Do not be afraid or embarrassed to ask for help in learning how to pray to the Father, just because a certain group is doing it a certain way doesn’t mean that its correct.

5. Prayer is about communicating.

6. The Lord’s prayer is comprehensive prayer model.

7. When you pray the Lord’s pray as a whole or in part you are not wrong, it can be taught in both ways.

8. When you are saying or praying the Lord’s pray, remember there is more to it than meets the eye.