daily spiritual reflection - mar. 10

daily spiritual reflection

BIBLE READING FOR THE DAY:

 This then, is how you should pray:

'Our father in Heaven,

hallowed by 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 have also forgiven our debtors.

And lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from evil.'

-Jesus, in Matthew 6:7-15

THOUGHT: In the 5th and 6th chapters of the book of Matthew (one of the accounts of Jesus' life found in the Bible), Jesus gives a bunch of lessons on life. This passage is Jesus' "How to pray" guide-- he offers this as a model to work from. Whether you have never heard it before, never even prayed before, or you recited it in church every Sunday growing up, read it again, carefully, and try reading with the expectation that you can find something new in it.

This model teaches us a lot about how we could structure our prayers, when we want to try approaching God. Especially note Jesus' humble and reverent attitude. This is not the 'wish-fairy' or 'Santa Claus' God, that Jesus is carelessly rattling off his wish-list to. Rather, Jesus is speaking to the King of Heaven and Earth, and it's the king's will that matters. The prayer is a practice of submission, praise, confession, and reverent request. It is also to the point, and from the heart.

The prayer teaches us a lot about God himself as well. It speaks to this God as holy and worthy of praise. It speaks of God as good, wise, and powerful-- having a will that we want to be done on Earth. It speaks to God as our provider for our needs. It speaks to his forgiveness and grace. And it teaches us that God is strong, and can protect us from evil forces. The prayer is as much a way of speaking to God as a way of centering ourselves on God's qualities, helping us find truths to trust in this life.

CHALLENGE:  Write your own version of this prayer (known as "The Lord's Prayer" in some churches), following this model. 

1. Start by declaring some of the qualities that make God who he is, whether these come from your own experiences or what the Bible/others have told you. 

2. Then ask what God wants to do in a situation in your life or in the world. Seek 'His will' before asking your own.

3. Then request those things that you think you need in order to have a full life. 

4. Look for ways you might do something God would ask of you (for example, 'we have also forgiven our debtors'). 

5. Lastly, ask for God's protection as you close up the prayer and go out into the world.

Take the time to try praying the prayer that you write for a few days in a row. See if it centers you and helps you as you start your days off. And see if God shows up in these different ways in your life.