“When the disciples in Luke 11 asked Jesus, “Lord, teach us to pray” (v. 1), He gave them a brief model or pattern for prayer (also in Matthew 6) – what we know as “the Lord’s Prayer.” It’s not some kind of magic formula, but a concise portrayal of the foundational truths that should be in our minds and hearts as we pray individually, as families, and as churches.”
Henry Blackaby, Experiencing Prayer With Jesus, p. 26.
Have you received clarity and direction from the Holy Spirit on how He would have you participate in the spiritual discipline of fasting during this 21 Days? For some guidance and ideas, read our post on “Why Fast?”
We want to encourage you to grab a journal or a notebook – something to write on as you walk through each prayer guide or devotional. Yes, it will add a few minutes to the time it takes to do the devotion, and it will also deepen your experience and shape your walk with God for years to come. This journal or notebook will be a keepsake to remind you of God’s faithfulness during this challenging season for all of us.
Engage the Word
For the next several days, we will explore Jesus’ words where He taught us how to pray, in what has become known as The Lord’s Prayer. Here, Jesus says to His disciples (and to us):
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.
Connect the Heart
Jesus said pray then like this:
“Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.”
In his incredible book Experiencing Prayer With Jesus, Henry Blackaby says, “Jesus hallowed the Father’s name by always praying in a way consistent with God’s nature, ways, purposes, and especially His will. He would never pray anything contrary to the nature of God. This is where we must think both before we pray and while we pray. This will help keep us from praying outside the Father’s revealed will and nature, or outside Jesus’ commands and truth, or outside what we know of the Holy Spirit’s nature and activity.” (p. 62)
Reflect on the Truth
1. How is your heart – your words, your actions, your desires, your motivations – aligning with God’s?
2. In order to pray consistent with God’s nature, ways, purposes and will, we need to better understand His nature, ways, purposes and will. Take a few minutes to reflect on consider God’s nature and His purposes. Are there some areas in your life where your thoughts, actions, desires or motivations may not be aligning with His?
3. Turn your heart now to God and ask Him to do this aligning work in your heart.
Depend on the Spirit
Ask the Holy Spirit to help you see the deeper longings, desires or motives in your heart that these thoughts are pointing to. (For example: you may write down, “O Father in heaven, my deep desire is that the inclinations of my heart would align with yours… I’m not sure where to start, but I know you can show me…”) The Lord can help us discern the path forward – through His word, His Spirit, His people.
For Prayer: As we conclude our devotional time, let each of us pray for ONE person we know needs the hope of the Gospel or the encouragement of Christ. Might the Lord use YOU to impact or encourage this person today?
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Read our post “Why Fast?” to learn about the spiritual discipline of fasting and gain a better understanding of why Jesus asked us to fast. We fast not to get something we want from God, but for God to change our wants. We fast because Jesus fasted, He expected we would fast, and we see that the early church fasted.
Read yesterday’s post HERE.
Catch up on all our 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting posts on the blog HERE.
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