Considering this weekend we are praying over the school, we are going to be looking at the Lord’s prayer in our GPS so journey with us as we seek to be prayer heroes.
MONDAY Hosea 11:1-4; Isaiah 49:14-16 “Our Father, who art in heaven …”
Throughout the Lord’s Prayer, all of the pronouns are plural. All through the New Testament (cf. John 17:11, 21; Ephesians 4:1-6), we find reminders that following Christ is not a solitary voyage, but something we do with others in community. Where do you most find Christian friendship and support? Are there choices you need to make to make that a stronger part of your journey?
TUESDAY Matthew 4:17-23, 1 Peter 2:9-10 “Thy Kingdom come …”
How does the Kingdom of God upend ways of thinking and living that you (or others close to you) take as “common sense”? Can you identify one or two ways that this “not of this world” kingdom has changed your life? Have you learned to discern God’s will for your life,
and if so, how? What spiritual disciplines and practices have you found helpful for understanding God’s will?
WEDNESDAY Isaiah 55:1-7; Matthew 5:6 “Give us this day our daily bread”
Jesus’ prayer taught that we trust God daily. We don’t wait for one of life’s sporadic crises to pop up, nor do we think of ourselves as “spiritually stocked up.” In what ways have you, or do you want to, make it a part of your daily routine to commit yourself and your concerns to God? What particular needs or concerns can you entrust to God’s wise, caring provision this day?
THURSDAY Luke 7:36-50, Colossians 3:12-14 “Forgive us our trespasses …”
In what ways did you first learn about God? As you learned, did you see God as mainly angry about sins, as indifferent and indulgent in excusing sins, or as compassionate and forgiving when we miss the mark? What difference do you see between “excusing” and “forgiving”? What difference does it make, in our relationship with God and in our relationships with each other, that God forgives sins rather than excusing them?
FRIDAY John 10:2-5, 11-15; Romans 8:12-14 “Lead us not into temptation”
The gospel of John paints a beautiful image of a shepherd calling each of his sheep by name. Scripture says, “He goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.” Like the shepherd, God leads us by calling each of us by name. He leaves no one behind and calls all of us to follow him. When have you heard God calling you to follow him? How did you hear him? How does it comfort you to realize that God knows and calls you by name?
SATURDAY Luke 11:1-4, Matthew 6:7-15 The Lord’s Prayer
The existing manuscripts of Matthew and Luke seem to show that neither Jesus, Luke nor Matthew used the “doxology” (“For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever”) with which we usually end the Lord’s Prayer. Instead, it appears, one or more devout scribes added it later, probably based on the ending of David’s prayer in 1 Chronicles 29:10-11. But it’s a valuable addition. We often use the phrase “nothing is forever,” but the Bible tells us that Someone is forever, and calls us to live our life in the light of that reality. What steps will you take to detach your life and affections from this seen but temporary world, and to not only pray but live out Jesus’ prayer as a citizen of God’s Kingdom?