“If you don’t know how to pray, pray the Word. [If you] don’t know the answer, read the Word. [If you] don’t know what to say; speak the Word.” (Lisa Bevere)
Matthew 6:9-13, Living
Bible
9 Pray along these lines: ‘Our Father in heaven, we honor
your holy name. 10 We ask that your kingdom will
come now. May your will be done here on earth, just as it is in heaven. 11 Give
us our food again today, as usual, 12 and forgive
us our sins, just as we have forgiven those who have sinned against us. 13 Don’t
bring us into temptation, but deliver us from the [devil]. Amen.’
How to pray
(using the Lord’s Prayer)
1.
Prayer
is telling God you adore Him-(Matthew
6:9 above) A person’s name holds
their identity and reputation. God is powerful. Among His names are Creator,
Redeemer, King, Provider, and Teacher.
2.
Prayer
is telling God you’ll be obedient to Him-(Matthew 6:10 above) God needs to know we
are ready, and willing to turn His “to-do” list into a “to-done” list.
3.
Prayer
is telling God about the things you need-(Matthew 6:11 above) Attitude and motives
matter when you are praying. When making requests to God, do it with
confidence, with others in mind, with contentment, and continually (daily).
4.
Prayer
is telling God you are sorry for your sins, and the sins of others- (Matthew 6:12
above) You
must forgive others, and not harbor hate in your heart. Jesus’ forgiveness can
make us agents of grace.
5.
Prayer
is telling God we need daily assistance and protection from sin-(Matthew 6:13
above) Pray
for God not to abandon you in the midst of your temptations. Ask for strength
not to yield to the enticement. At the conclusion of your prayers, ask God to
protect you from sin (Jesus-guard) so you can remain as long as is possible.
Don’t worry about anything, but pray and ask
God for everything you need, always giving thanks for what you have. (Philippians 4:6, Easy-to-Read Version)
“When
I pray, I do not come before God as an isolated individual, but as a member of
a family, a community of saints.” (R. C. Sproul)
12 God has chosen you and made you
his holy people. He loves you. So your new life should be like this: Show mercy
to others. Be kind, humble, gentle, and patient. 13 Don’t be angry with each other, but forgive
each other. If you feel someone has wronged you, forgive them. Forgive others
because the Lord forgave you. (Colossians 3:12-13, Easy-to-Read Version)[i]
[i] Inspired
by the sermon “How to Pray: Powerful & Effectual Prayer,” (installment
three, final) Sunday January 24 2021, Pastor Jon Fulton (CPW). In-person
services begin today Sunday, January 31, 2021 for Hilliard and Westerville and next Sunday, February 7, 2021 for Gahanna and Lewis Center CenterPoint campuses. CenterPoint
also has an online Sunday morning service that can be viewed at
facebook.com/centerpointchurches or centerpointchurches.com/.
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