An Open Line

Today I studied the passage on the Lord's Prayer with a friend. We learned a lot! I was surprised how much more I learned from talking it over with a friend than I learned in my own independent study the night before! The Lord really challenged me to understand what this portion of the prayer meant, "And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one." I was up until 2am struggling to wrap my mind around that short phrase. This is the worksheet I typed up for our bible study. My findings are in italics.

“More things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of.”
Alfred, Lord Tennyson

5 “And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.

What are the hypocrites' motives?

Storing up treasures on earth, not in heaven. They are short-sighted. They are motivated by pride and the approval of man, not God.

What is their reward?

They get what they wanted: an ego boost, approval from man. However, their reward is only temporal. It will be burned to ash in the refiner's fire.

6 But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.

What should our motives be for praying? Why one prays determines how one prays.

To seek God's will. To give God praise and worship. To ask for others' needs and for our own needs.

Would you rather receive your reward from man or God? Why?

This reminds me of the battle between the Holy Spirit within my heart and my flesh/sin nature. My flesh desires the approval and acceptance of my fellow man, but my spirit longs for God's everlasting love and approval. God's love is eternal and unconditional, unlike the wave-tossed heart of man.

What should our prayers be characterized by? (We found a lot of these!!)

A contrite/broken spirit, confidence (Heb 4:15-16), dependency/complete trust in God, honesty, humility, praise, receptiveness, repentance, respect/honor/awe of God, thanksgiving, and worship. Let me know if we missed any!

7 And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words.

8 “Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him.

If God already knows what we need, why do we need to pray to Him?
We need to give up our self-reliance and self-righteousness, and lay our pride and our broken hearts at the foot of the cross. We need to surrender wholly to God.

We need to stay plugged in to God, our power source, or we will lose our light.

It's a relationship, a two-way street. There must be open communication or we will grow distant.

9 In this manner, therefore, pray: This does not contradict verses 7-8 regarding repetitious prayer.

Our Father in heaven,
Our intimate relationship with God our Father meets His eternal, omnipotent existence as the one and only true God of the universe and of all time. This was a new idea for Christ's followers and people of the Old Testament.

In your own prayer time, this may serve as a time of adoration and connecting with God. God is a PERFECT father!

Hallowed be Your name.
God's name be held in great honor, respect, and awe, not to be profaned. Ex 20:7

This would be a good time for praise & worship in your prayer.

10 Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Seeking the will of God and praying to speed His coming. 2 Pet 3:12

A time of praying scripture, especially in your own words (paraphrase). Make sure you understand the correct meaning of the scripture before you paraphrase.

11 Give us this day our daily bread.
A reminder of the manna God supplied for His people in the Wilderness.

A time for praying for the needs of others (interceding). Petitioning God for His sustenance in our daily lives. Not simply physical needs.

12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
Confession and repentance.

Also a time for forgiveness.

13 And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.
Temptation vs. Trials vs. Tests

God cannot be tempted with evil, nor will he tempt others. God can test us, and he can allow us to be tempted by Satan, but He has promised to always give us a way out of temptation. It is important to realize that temptation is not sin. Giving into temptation is sin. We should pray for God to keep us from temptation in the midst of our tests and trials, and we should always be equipping ourselves with the armor of God!

For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. (truth/so be it)
Recognize God's sovereignty and control over all things, especially his dominance over Satan and his justice and holiness in regard to our sinful natures. Give up your own will and trust God completely.

When we come to God, we should come defenseless/naked, with open hearts and open minds. God already knows all of our sins, fears, and insecurities. God is good and we can trust him with our fragile hearts. God wants us to come to him as a child, hiding nothing and fearing no one because he is in control and he loves his children (us)!

Critical warning:

14 “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.

15 But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

*Grudges can be deadly. God will not hear an unrepentant person's prayer.*

After studying these verses, what have you learned about who you are, how you relate to God, and most importantly the role of prayer in your relationship with the Lord?

I am defensive toward God with my heart. I don't trust him completely and I fear being completely vulnerable with him. I have been hurt by others I have trusted in my past, but the more and more I learn about God, the more I seek him and want to be like him!

When it comes to praying for the souls of others, it is not my responsibility to finish the job! God's word will not return void. The great commission tells us to take the gospel unto all the world and make disciples. It never says our job is to make people accept Christ and his salvation. Our job is to inform, love, and instruct others in the practice of blameless living and following Christ! It is not our job to judge other people's hearts! What a great relief!

Father, you are the only one who loves me perfectly and accepts me just as I am. Thank you for being the gracious and merciful God that you are. Thank you for taking time for me, for hearing my prayers. You are a great and mighty God. You do all things well. You created me to be an incredible woman, and I am still learning what an amazing artist you are! You know what the future holds, and I trust that you have good plans for me. I pray that your will is done perfectly and that you can use me as an instrument for your plans. Thank you for my Christian friends who sharpen and challenge me. Thank you for your Word! I ask that you protect, bless, and heal my friends and family. I praise you for being a loving and gentle shepherd. Thank you for meeting all of my needs. You are more than enough! You fill my life to overflowing. You know my inmost thoughts and feelings, and I ask you to search my heart and show me any sin I need to confess to you. Please teach me joy in my trials and protect me from the fiery darts of the enemy. I ask that you clothe me in your armor. Guard my heart and my mind. You are all-powerful and you deserve all the glory and honor, Father. I come to you open-hearted and open-handed. Please take away my self-reliance and self-righteousness. Help me to lay down my pride and my hurts. Fill me with peace and grace and a passion to seek your face. Thank you for my husband and the encouragement and laughter he brings to my life. I praise you for making him so wonderfully! I ask that you bless him in this coming week, and give him peace and patience to wait on your deliverance from his stressful work situation. Please guard his heart and mind and fill him with your Holy Spirit. I commit my heart and my family and friends into your hands, trusting you in all things. In your precious son's name, Amen.

Remember To Pray!

I Will Lift My Eyes – Bebo Norman

Written by Bebo Norman and Jason Ingram

God, my God, I cry out
Your beloved needs You now
God, be near, calm my fear
And take my doubt

Your kindness is what pulls me up
Your love is all that draws me in

I will lift my eyes to the Maker
Of the mountains I can’t climb
I will lift my eyes to the Calmer
Of the oceans raging wild
I will lift my eyes to the Healer
Of the hurt I hold inside
I will lift my eyes, lift my eyes to You

God, my God, let Mercy sing
Her melody over me
God, right here all I bring
Is all of me

‘Cause You are and You were and You will be forever
The Lover I need to save me
‘Cause You fashioned the earth and You hold it together, God
So hold me now

How can you incorporate the things you've learned today into your everyday prayer life?