NEW TESTAMENT PRAYERS
Introduction
We are so glad you have joined us for these daily prayer posts. Over the last few weeks we have listened to the prayers we find in the Bible, and some of God’s most faithful saints and servants. Through their prayers, we have learned better how to pray and connect with our heavenly Father.
Today, we conclude our Daily Prayers journey with some of Jesus’ most profound words.
Look
“While Einstein’s theory of relativity may one day put Earth on the intergalactic map, it will always run a distant second to the Lord’s Prayer, whose harnessing of energies in their proper, life-giving direction surpasses even the discovery of fire.” – Kurt Vonnegut
Listen
Today, we conclude our Daily Prayers journey by returning back to the epitome of New Testament prayers – the prayer of our Lord Jesus Christ, who taught us how to pray.
N.T. Wright says, “when we pray, ‘Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven…’ we are praying as Jesus was praying and acting—for the redemption of the world; for the radical defeat and uprooting of evil; and for heaven and earth to be married at last, for God to be all in all. And if we pray this way, we must of course be prepared to live this way.”
As you read the Lord’s Prayer today, keep in mind that prayer is not simply our words, but our very life. As Bingham Hunter says – “Our prayer cannot be separated from what we think, feel and do.” Jesus didn’t separate His words from His life – and neither should we. Our life should say “Your kingdom come” from moment to moment. As you read The Lord’s Prayer again, keep in mind that it is meant to be lived, not simply prayed…
Matthew 6:9-13
9 Pray then like this:
“Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.
10 Your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our daily bread,
12 and forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
*For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever.
Amen.
Reflect
1. Having read the Word, sit silently for a minute and give God’s Word a moment to settle within you.
2. Re-read the verses slowly and write down some thoughts that resonate with you.
3. Ask the Spirit to help you see the deeper longings, desires or motives in your heart that those thoughts are pointing to. (for example: you may write down, “God’s will in heaven is to become God’s will on earth.”) The Spirit helps us understand that this world is not all there is…all that matters. There is a greater “kingdom” than any on earth.
4. What might “bringing God’s kingdom” to the world around you possibly look like as you live from moment to moment today? How does this perspective change your perspective, your thoughts, your feelings, your actions?
Pray
Take a moment to name a few of the characteristics of God’s Kingdom that you pray are reflected in your life and in the world around you today. For example: God’s Kingdom is a kingdom of peace. How might you pray that God’s peace is expressed in the world today?
It has been a joy to walk this Daily Prayers journey with you for the past 28 days. We would love to hear how God has spoken to you during this time. If you’d like to share this with us, please fill out this form.
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These devotionals are adapted from various sources, including The Holy Bible, The Book of Common Prayer, The Seeking Heart by Fenelon, Fellowship Bible Church Nashville, Handbook to Prayer by Kenneth Boa and others.
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