Recognizing the Power of God

Our Father

Which art in heaven

Hallowed by thy name

Thy kingdom come

Thy will be done

On earth

As it is in Heaven.

Let's stop there for a moment.  Jesus is teaching prayer.  Did Jesus start out with - Our Father which art in heaven - give us this day our daily bread?  NO. No. And no. 

Jesus did not teach prayer in such a way for us to even remotely get the impression that we should start our prayers with requests.

Jesus started it by pointing us to God the Father. Naming God as our Father. Naming the location of our Father God- Heaven. Telling us that the very name of God is HOLY.  Continuing to say to us that Our Holy Father in heaven has a KINGDOM that will come.  Pointing out to us that our Holy Father in heaven whose kingdom is coming - that HIS WILL MUST BE DONE right here on earth as IT ALREADY IS in HEAVEN. All of this comes before any mention of personal requests become apparent.

So tell me, how many of us pray all that, NOT by rote, not by mimicking Christ's words to the letter but heartfelt prayer to our FATHER, recognition of the God we are praying to. Recognizing the power of our God in a really amazing way, not just in passing. 

Let's review-

Our Father- who lives in heaven. Holy is Your name!

HO'LY, a.

1. Properly, whole, entire or perfect, in a moral sense. Hence, pure in heart, temper or dispositions; free from sin and sinful affections. Applied to the Supreme Being, holy signifies perfectly pure, immaculate and complete in moral character; and man is more or less holy, as his heart is more or less sanctified, or purified from evil dispositions. We call a man holy,when his heart is conformed in some degree to the image of God, and his life is regulated by the divine precepts. Hence, holy is used as nearly synonymous with good, pious, godly.

Perfect is Your name!

Pure is Your name!

Thy kingdom come. 

Father in Heaven You have a kingdom! A KINGDOM! A Holy kingdom!

More on the kingdom of God tomorrow by HIS will, by His grace and mercy all through Jesus Christ our LORD, now and forever!
 

'A serious error concerning  prayer prevails in our common understanding, which is to say, that we often think of prayer as an outlet for expressing what we need-- as our cry to God for help. We do not see that prayer is the asking of God to fulfill HIS needs. We ought to understand that God's original thought is certainly not letting the believers achieve their own aims through prayer, rather it is God accomplishing His purpose through the prayers of the believers. This is not meant to imply that Christians should never ask the Lord to supply their needs. It is only meant to indicate how we need to first understand the meaning and principles of prayer.'   Watchman Nee- Let Us Pray