Studies in Prayer, Part 2 - Our Heavenly Father

Saturday, March 10, 2018

Within each clause of the Lord’s Prayer there is a different type of relationship we are meant to have with God, and there is also a form of repentance that comes with it. Repentance is a change of mind, a turning from dependence upon ourselves to dependence on God with a genuine desire to turn away from sin. The Lord’s Prayer begins with, “Our Father”. This is the first relationship we have with God; that of a child with their father. It is intimate, open, honest and secure. It is a relationship of love for Him, trust in Him, obedience to Him and dependence on Him. Just as a child may ask their father for anything, we may ask our heavenly Father for anything, but our prayers are not to be for ourselves alone. “Our Father” introduces us to corporate prayer. In a church community, we pray as a community, intercede as a community, and we say, “Our Father,” as a community. This is what Jesus teaches by His the use of plurality (we) in the Lord’s Prayer. Six times He uses us, our and we. Not my Father, “give me this day”, but “give us this day”. This involves repenting of individualism, and recognizing no one’s prayer is of more value than anyone else’s. We all come to the Father on equal ground.

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