Check out all the previous Pray for ONE Readings here.
Pray for ONE Reading Plan | Week 2 | Day 1
Prayer
As you come to spend time with Jesus, calm your mind and body until you feel fully present. Ask Him to teach you more about Himself today.
Bible Reading: Matthew 6:9-14
Read these verses three times slowly.
“This, then, is how you should pray:
“‘Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.
Reflection & Questions
As we continue our series “Pray for One”, in our readings this week we are going to reflect on the Lord’s Prayer. Each day this week, we will take a couple of the stanzas and meditate on them. Today we will look at the first two lines:
“Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.”
When we come to pray, it is very important we remember who we are praying to. It will make a huge impact on our prayers. Jesus says we are praying to “Our Father in heaven.” Let’s break that out.
Jesus says we are coming to our “Father.” This is a massive shift in the idea of prayer. We don’t come to a distant and detached god. We don’t come to an angry or displeased ruler. We come to a loving, caring, strong father. If He is Father, then we are his child. We come as sons and daughters who have a familial privilege to speak with their father, even if He is Creator and Lord of the Universe. To come as a child means to come dependently, humbly and trustfully.
It’s interesting that Jesus says to pray “Our Father”, as in the paragraph before this he says “But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen.” Why would you pray “Our Father” when you’re alone? At least part of what is going on here, is that as we come to pray, we remember we are a part of a huge family of believers. Physically we might be alone, but spiritually, we are part of a giant network. As we pray, by saying “our” we are reminding ourselves that we have brothers and sisters who are also praying, who can testify to God’s faithfulness, love and care.
He is our Father “in Heaven”. There is a closeness in calling him Father, but there is a reverence and awe that comes in adding “in Heaven.” We are acknowledging His far better perspective, wisdom and power. Which is emphasized in then saying “hallowed be your name.” To “hallow” something is to declare it as holy, as in to be revered, respected and held in very high regard. The fact is that there is no one like our God. What other god could be described as close as a Father and a powerful Creator? None! His name should be held higher than any other name.
- As you begin your prayer, do you pray to “God”, “Lord”, “Father” or something else? What difference do you think it makes on how you address God?
- Reflect on how you’ve been praying recently. Have you been praying to God like he is your father? Why or why not? How might your prayers change as you realize He is your Father?
Prayer
Pray in response to today’s reading.
Worship Song
You might use this song today to worship Jesus today:
Check out more Bible Reading Plans here.
Questions?
Ed Applegate
