A Reminder
How do you pray?
Jesus said, “When you are praying, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. “Pray then in this way: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And do not bring us to the time of trial, but rescue us from the evil one. For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you; but if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” - Matthew 6:7–15
Jesus seemed to have an agenda in the way he taught his disciples to pray. The key action he focuses on in his prayer to the Father is forgiveness.
We are to ask God for forgiveness because we forgive others.
But what if we don't? Perhaps God will still give us our daily bread, making sure we are taken care of, but will He forgive us our debts to Him?
Why are we indebted to God? Is it for our very existence? Has God loaned us something that we have failed to repay?
If we look at our lives as a gift, we probably see it as something we are not obliged to repay, nevertheless acknowledge. But if we see that each moment is on loan from God, it changes the picture, doesn't it?
Rather than get angry with God for cutting us short, we should be praising God each day for granting us another day's extension.
Prayer is all about acknowledging God's awesome love and grace. We could do nothing without Him, and yet how often do we give Him credit?
The prayer Jesus taught is simple. It acknowledges that God is great and awesome. God gives and forgives us everything. And all we need to do is act that way toward others, not because we have to, but because we want to out of our love for one another.
The prayer is not so much a request for God to do something for us, but a reminder of what we need to do for each other.
So, let us pray...