I bet if I asked you right now to recite the Our Father prayer, you could probably do it without thinking twice. We recite it at bedtime; we quote it as we go through life's trials; we sing it at weddings. We look to these words for strength and comfort. But have you ever really thought about what the words mean? In this series, we're going to dive into one of the most famous and most beloved scripture texts in the bible, which has affectionately become known as The Lord's Prayer. We'll take it verse by verse, unpacking some of the mysteries and pearls of wisdom that can be applied to every prayer we pray. In the end, my prayer is that this lesson will help you gain new insight into this familiar passage, and breathe fresh life into your own prayer life. It’s Praying Time A recent news article referenced an atheist organization that is pushing to allow satanic clubs to become part of afterschool activities in an elementary school. Weekly reports of terror attacks put everyone on edge as we visit local malls and outdoor events. Gender neutrality, legalized marijuana, uncharacteristic weather conditions...yes, it's definitely praying time. We recently linked to a video by Nancy Leigh Demoss on the urgency for the women of God to unite in prayer. I'm sure you feel it, too - a nudge, an impulse to spend more time in the presence of the Lord, to cry out for your family, your friends, your neighborhood, the schools you kids attend, your church. It's not a coincidence. channels of approach During this series, we will refer to the model for prayer provided in Matthew 6:9-13. I say model because each section of the prayer gives insight into how we should pray. Here's an example:
In his book Prayer, the late author and pastor Verbal Bean refers to these as Channels of Approach. These "channels" are also mentioned in 1 Timothy 2:1 - "I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intersessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men;". Each is a way to communicate with God on a particular frequency, like talking on a CB radio or walkie talkie. You may have noticed these in your own prayer life. The Lord may wake you up early in the morning to pray. You begin praying for a particular thing, but you get a nudge in your spirit that says "No, that's not it. That's not why you're up this time." So you press further into prayer, talking to God about issues or circumstances you and your loved ones face. And after a while, your spirit sort of sighs, as if to say "Aahh, that's it! That's where the Lord wants me to pray." Getting on God's channel or frequency takes time, but it is SO worth it to feel that release in your spirit, to know that you have connected with Him in a way that brings refreshing to your soul. It's a way to make sure that our prayers fit the description of James 5:16 - that they are effectual, fervent, and avail much.
In our next lesson, we will focus on the first channel of approach - Adoration and Praise. Go ahead and begin reading Matthew 6:9-13, and jot down any thoughts or insight that you may receive. You can add them below by clicking on Comments, or feel free to join our Word Without Walls group on Facebook.
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Inheritance. Legacy. These are things that I find myself thinking about more and more as my girls get older. What heirlooms will I pass down to them? Will we be able to give them the down payment on their first homes? My husband and I make plans, talk to financial advisors, and try to wisely prepare for our girl's futures. But I've learned over the years that there is a need for another type of legacy, a more meaningful and lasting inheritance that I need to make sure is in place for my girls before I leave this earth. And that's the power of prayer.
Prayer has always played a major role in my life for as long as I can remember. As a child, my mother would gather us together before school and anoint each of our heads with oil. Then, she would make us bow our heads as she prayed over us for the school day - for safety, for understanding of what we learned, for our teachers. I have memories of hearing my mom praying and crying in the wee hours of the morning, or walking into her room to see her kneeling beside her bed. These experiences shaped my understanding of the power and importance of a regular prayer life. This knowledge became practice in my own life as I got older. When my father's departure put a strain on our finances, my siblings and I learned to join hands in a circle with my mom and pray for God's provisions - school clothes, lunch money, Christmas wishes, money for the light bill... I vividly remember during a time in my mid teens when things had gotten particularly bad that my mom called the four of us to sit with her on the back pew at church. She said that the Lord had shown her a vision in prayer of a terrible stormy sky, but on the horizon was beautiful, clear blue. She said that He had let her know that daybreak was about to come and that He was going to bless us so that "men would marvel". It was hard to believe at the time as we sat there in our hand me down clothes, probably not really sure what we were going to do about dinner, knowing that we would spend another night sleeping on the floor. But we held on to what God had said. In the years that followed, I watched God transform our lives just like He'd promised. My brother was able to secure several well paying jobs with only a GED. One sister has earned a double Master's degree and is a successful business owner with a beautiful home and family; the youngest sister is a Chiropractor, happily married to a husband who loves her dearly. My mom is finishing up her Doctorate degree and is a professor at a Coker College in South Carolina. And me? Well, after a stint of too much partying that got me kicked out of college and cost me a scholarship my freshmen year, a ruptured appendix and two subsequent surgeries, a diagnosis of barrenness due to excessive scar tissue, and a slew of other roadblocks, I am now also happily married (to a pastor - go figure!) and the mother of not 1, not 2, but 3 miracle babies who have been blessed to have the legacy of fasting and prayer passed down to them by both their parents and grandmothers. Now, my girls ages 12, 11, and 6, cry out before God with us on Saturday mornings and make their petitions known before the Lord. They cry out in their own rooms when school gets too tough, or when people aren't so nice, or when their puppy can't quite obey as well as he should. They fast when they or their loved ones are sick; they pray when they have a big test coming up. I can think of no greater legacy than this - that they, too, understand and apply the power of prayer in their own lives, and will pass it on to their children. |
CTP COOLJCCalvary Temple Pentecostal (CTP) COOLJC Archives
August 2020
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