Today’s Podcast
Today’s Bible reading plan:
Read it in a year – Psalms 6-8
see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)
Today’s Devotional
Matthew 6:9-13
Jesus(prayed): Your prayers, rather, should be simple, like this:
Our Father in heaven,
let Your name remain holy.
Bring about Your kingdom.
Manifest Your will here on earth,
as it is manifest in heaven.
Give us each day that day’s bread—no more, no less—
And forgive us our debts
as we forgive those who owe us something.
Lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
But let Your kingdom be,
and let it be powerful
and glorious forever. Amen.
What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?
We’ve heard the Lord’s Prayer a gazillion times in our lifetime. We learned it as kids from the original King James Version or from the NIV and we’re able to recite it without even thinking about it. In fact, we do. It becomes so familiar and so routine we don’t think about what we’re saying when we spit it out at church or in company with others, when we hear it on the television or as someone starts it in some obscure setting. Too often, the Lord’s Prayer is just so many words coming out of our mouth without any thought behind it.
We should never take His example in prayer lightly, though. Let it sink into you and resonate within your heart. He gives us a simple pattern for prayer that we should not forget. Prayer opens with the acknowledgement that the God of creation invites us to commune with Him. Imagine that. It’s really a little hard to comprehend sometimes. If you tried to get an appointment with the governor or the president, you would have to explain your reasons in great detail and still would have to go through background checks, investigations, whole layers of staff to get that appointment. And these are just men. But the God who created everything from nothing invites you to talk to Him without an appointment. Just burst into His throne room whenever you want. Whenever you have something on your mind that you want to talk about, He gives you that freedom.
Second, it’s all about His will, not ours. We can ask for things, but we must remember to bow to God’s will in all things. We can trust Him because He is God. He knows what is best for us, so we can and must bend to His will in all things if we want to enjoy the blessings He has in store for us. The human side of Jesus had to bend to the Father’s will even though it meant pain, suffering, and ultimately the most cruel form of death known at the time, crucifixion. But He knew God’s will must take precedence over anything He might want. The same is true for us. So we acknowledge God’s holiness, and we acknowledge His sovereignty, that His will supersedes ours in anything that we might ask of Him.
I like the way The Voice renders the next part of the Lord’s Prayer, “Give us each day that day’s bread—no more, no less.” If He gave us too little we wouldn’t trust Him to provide for us. If He gave us too much we would become spoiled and treat Him like a cosmic Santa Claus. But when we recognize that God knows exactly what we need each day and will provide for us in the same way He provided for the Israelites as they wandered in the desert for forty years.
Next comes introspection. Look at my heart and see if there is anything that is not right between me and God, but don’t stop there. Is there anything that is not right between me and my fellowman? Note that Jesus’ prayer indicates God forgives in the same measure we forgive others. God wants all our relationships to thrive. We live in community. He created us to need each other and Him. When there are things that keep us apart, sin against Him or sins against our neighbors, we need to both ask and give grace and forgiveness.
To keep us out of those dangerous areas of breaking relationships with God and our neighbors we ask for His protection. Direct our path away from the temptations that would cause us to fall away from Him. “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” The words roll off our tongue, but think of what we are asking God to do for us with those ten words. We ask Him to keep our minds and our thoughts pure and noble and clean and holy. We ask Him to keep us in the company of those who will lift us up and encourage us. We ask Him to place us in situations that cause us to lean on Him with such determination that we see only Him and not the world’s glitter and enticements it throws our way. We ask Him to transform our minds to be like His.
Finally, Jesus tells us to come back to where we started. Give praise and honor and glory and power to the One who deserves it all. Give God thanks before you see the results of your prayer. Have such confidence in your heavenly Father that you thank Him in advance for what He will do in your life in the next hours, days, weeks, years, or ever how long it takes for Him to show you the answers to your prayers. Praise Him for the answer He gives, no matter what that answer. Whether the answer you expect or not, know it is the right answer because God gives it and God knows what you need more than you do.
Such a simple prayer, but so powerful. Never prayer those words again without really thinking about them. Let them touch your heart as you say the words. Know your heavenly Father cares about you and will answer you.
The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved. In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.