The
little girl, having just heard her bed time story, snuggles down into the
blankets and closes her eyes. Her father
tucks her in and softly asks, “Did you say your prayers?”
“No, Daddy. Say them with me,” she replies.
Daddy
smiles, and begins, “Now I lay me down to sleep,” as the little girl joins in
and the two together pray for God to keep and bless their family, friends, and
loved ones.
Learning
to pray is, on the surface, a relatively easy process. Much like learning to talk, learning to pray
begins with repeating someone else’s prayer, memorizing the words, and
eventually putting them together to express one’s own requests.
Beneath
the surface, prayer is a struggle between our sinful nature and the will of
God. It is only as a forgiven, redeemed
child of God that we can learn to pray, and mean, “Our Father, who art in
heaven, hallowed be Thy name, etc.”
Prayer
is a conversation between God, who reveals Himself as a loving father, and us,
who God views as His beloved children.
He listens with joy, even when the words don’t come out right. He hears our requests, even when we don’t ask
for the things which are best for us. He
answers our prayers with yeses and no’s, and He delights in teaching us to pray
for the right things.
When
Jesus taught His disciples the Lord’s Prayer, He gave us a glimpse at the heart
of God so that we see what God loves to be asked for. As He did so, Jesus gave us vocabulary to say
to God, “I love you.” As we pray about
His holiness, kingdom, provision, forgiveness and protection, we are asking Him
to do His will in our lives; to do the things He loves to do in us. What is more, living in the forgiveness Jesus
won for us, God shapes our hearts to love and want the gifts He gives.
O Holy Spirit, help us
pray as Jesus taught us. Thank you. Amen.
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