When we pray, our prayer language is frequently polite and reverent, and that is good. There are times, however, when the pain and injustice in our lives and in the situations around us call for stronger words and emotions – ones that seem to jump out of our anguish. Are such heated prayers ok, or do we need to calm down before we open up to God? The Psalms give us strong words for difficult times. May we find, as the Psalmists did, that God reveals himself most fully when we are willing to pray most fully.
In an affluent, gluten-free, low-carb society, “Give us today our daily bread” may seem like an unlikely prayer request, but it is central to the way Jesus taught us to pray. As we learn to pray for our daily bread, we learn to live with open hands – open to receive, open to trust, and open to give. May the Holy Spirit kindle our prayers and free our lives as we live with open hands for our daily bread.
This Sunday is celebrated around the world as World Communion Sunday or All Nations Heritage Sunday – a day where we celebrate the unity of Christ’s Church around the world. On the night he was arrested, Jesus prayed for his disciples and for all who would believe through their message (John 17), including us. Jesus prayed that as Christians we would be one with each other. He said that our unity is a testimony that he was sent from God and that we are loved by God. Despite that, the Church has fractured many times, and even within a single church there can be many fractured relationships. May our prayers reflect God’s desire for our unity, and may our lives be the overflow of that prayer by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Prayer is a vital part of our life and walk with God, so that we can “draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings” (Hebrews 10:22). This week we look at Desiring God’s Will. Praying “your will be done” is a request both for God to act in the world and for him to act in us. We need to “reject our own wills and to obey [God’s] will without any back talk” (Heidelberg Catechism). May the desire for God’s will kindle our prayers and our lives.
Prayer is a vital part of our life and walk with God, so that we can “draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings” (Hebrews 10:22). This week we look at the role of prayer in Seeking God’s Glory. Praying “hallowed be your name” is central to the rest of our prayers because glorifying the name of God is the ultimate goal of our lives and of all creation. May God’s glory kindle our prayers and our lives.