Thursday, March 2nd
9 Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.
– Matthew 6:9
Who do I pray to?
Today is the 8th day of lent, a season of self-examination and self-denial, where we empty ourselves of lesser things and fill ourselves with greater things of the Gospel. (join the journey: https://northstarchurch.org/prayer-tools)
Matthew 6:9 is the opening words to what is referred to as “The Lord’s Prayer”. You may have recited this prayer in church as a kid or before a football game but over the next few weeks, we are going to take a deep dive into the Lord’s Prayer in a way that I pray will help each word of this beautiful prayer come to life in a new way.
Verse 9 begins with OUR FATHER.
The opening address reinforces our primary identity as CHILDREN OF GOD. The one to whom we direct our prayer, and ultimately our attention and affection, is our Heavenly Father. This helps us move the attention off of ourselves and onto the God who created us, has faithfully loved us, and calls us his own. There is a major implication of intimacy seen in using the term Father. It highlights that God is not a distant creator but rather is a nurturing parent. He does not sit coldly outside of time and space but is near and relational. He is our perfect heavenly Father.
Not only does this opening address focus on God as Father, but it also acknowledges that we are part of a FAMILY OF FAITH. We do not pray to my father but instead, OUR FATHER. We live in an individualistic culture, in which “the self” always takes center stage. The Lord’s prayer is an invitation to get in touch with reality, that we are a part of God’s story of redemption alongside our brothers and sisters. We play a supporting role, while the Triune God is the Director and the lead role.
The opening address of the Lord’s Prayer is to look UP to God and AROUND to our Family of faith, while resisting the urge of culture to look down and in at ourselves. As you pray today, remember that you pray to a Father that knows you better than you know yourself and that you belong to a family of faith now and forever.
PRAYER
Day 8 – MAR. 2: Ask the Lord to help you pray honest prayers based on what you are really thinking and feeling. Thank the Lord that He can handle your deepest doubts, concerns, and struggles.
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