Reading the Bible is an important part of how we can grow in our faith, but we know many people question why the Bible is not relevant for today. With its old language and confusing references, it can feel irrelevant or disconnected. But these Scripture meditations are meant to help us bridge that disconnect and encounter reasons why the Bible is relevant.
The Lord’s Prayer
Prayer is one of the most beautiful yet intimidating gifts we have from God. What should we say to the Creator of the universe? Is he even listening? Does he even care? And, if he knows all our thoughts anyway, should we even take time to talk with him? The short answer to all of these questions is a resounding, “Yes!”
Not only do we have a direct line of communication with our Creator, but he yearns for us to use it—to spend time talking with him and to learn to hear from him ourselves. To ask him for the biggest and the smallest things, and to trust him with the results of each conversation.
But where to begin? While there are many different directions to take, we think it’s helpful to start by looking at our incarnate—embodied in human flesh—God himself: Jesus. Prayer was part of his public ministry as well as his private life. There are times when his prayers expressed thanksgiving and other times when his prayers were distressed. Yet, in all things, Jesus knew that the character of God the Father— his own character—was good.
So, let’s look at the prayer Jesus taught us himself: The Lord’s Prayer. It covers all the topics we could ask for— praise, trust, provision, justice, forgiveness, deliverance… For those of you just beginning to explore a life of prayer, this is a good place to start. For people who’ve been around church for a while, the Lord’s Prayer can sometimes seem overly familiar, but we’d like to encourage you to take a look at it each time with fresh eyes. To say it with conviction. And if you need to, to quietly listen to others say it and pay attention for a particular line or phrase that seems to jump out to you.
What might it really mean to invite the Kingdom of God into your present moment?
Let’s find out.
Matthew 6:9-13
“This, then, is how you should pray:
‘Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.’”
Observations from the Text
God is personal, our loving Father (v. 9)
God is worthy of our praise (v. 9)
God’s kingdom will redeem the world (v. 10)
We can invite God’s will into our lives with confidence because he is good (v. 10)
Prayers of Response
You are a loving Father who wants what’s best for his kids.
You are worthy of praise and honor.
Prayer Requests
Please provide for our daily needs.
Please protect us from evil and the evil one.
Prayers of Readiness
Help us provide for those in need.
Help us forgive as you have forgiven us.
One way to start reading the Bible is through Scripture meditations. They help recognize reasons why the Bible is relevant today. Click here to see more!
Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™
