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Prayer: Real Or Routine? By Doug Gilford
“Prayer is not working, why even try?” He said to me. “Doesn’t God already know what I am going through? What is the point?” He slumped into his seat. I can remember many times when people say things like this to me. Naturally, I assume they have not yet understood what biblical New Testament prayer looks like. This person represents many people. Over twenty years of meeting and talking with people in the role of a pastor, this question often comes up in our meetings. And for twenty years I have searched and studied to find one single response to why we pray. Sure, anyone can give short oneliners to answer this question; but I want to have a solid, biblical answer that is understandable and relatable to offer. As a result of deep study, I could write a full book about my findings. Please allow me to share a summary of what I have discovered. The first thing we must come to
terms with is: What is our definition of prayer. Is it from a memorized, prescription we learned in the church along the way, or is it from the heart of a child speaking to their Father? My first finding is the latter. When we come to God in prayer we should come like a child to a Father. The disciples saw Jesus praying all the time in His short ministry life, and they finally get the nerve to ask Him, “Lord, teach us to pray like John taught his disciples.” (Luke 11:1). It is interesting to me that they could have asked for training in many other things like, “Show us how to feed 5000 people with a few loaves and fish.” Or “Teach us how to raise the dead.” Or “Can you show us how you changed the water into wine?” Instead, they approached Jesus about His prayer life because they saw powerful things occur after He spent time with the Father in prayer. The answer Jesus gave them may have been an unlikely one, yet an important one. The Lord answered the disciples this way, “When you pray say, Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread. Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation.” Although, today in America and across the globe we call this prayer the “Lord’s prayer.” But certainly, we should call it. “The Lord’s instruction on how to pray” At nearly every funeral I have presided over for two decades, we have all recited this as a ritual. Having overlooked the most important two words, “Our Father.” This prayer has more to do with
VIRTUE Continued from Page 38 Turn the world's greatest vice, selfishness into the world's greatest virtue, service and if you do, you will merit happiness yourself and bring happiness to others. Sing and pray with the poet All to Jesus I surrender, All to Him I freely give. I will ever love and serve Him, In His presence daily live. Francis of Assisi embodied the truth of this sermon in his famous prayer: "Lord, make me an instrument of Thy peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there
is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy. "O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand; to be loved as to love; for it is in giving that we receive; it is in pardoning that we are pardoned; and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen." Save The Nations Ministries >
The Christian Journey the “how” to pray instead of the “what” to pray. And what Jesus tells us is that when we pray, we humble ourselves as children and approach God as a Father. “Our Father, hallowed be your name.” As the disciples wondered what perfect prayer should look like, don’t we? I submit, yes, we do. Don’t we all want to know that Heaven is listening when we cry out? It starts, with knowing God as a Father, and we, his children. This is not the first time Christ represented God as a father to us. Jesus says, “If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone?” (Luke 11:11) Jesus is using a dramatic contrast to illustrate that it would be ridiculous for an earthly father to give his child a rock to eat when he is hungry for food. Jesus proceeds two verses later to complete this thought by saying, “how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!” What a contrast! If earthly dads
take care of their kids, the heavenly One will give us so much more, even the Holy Spirit! The Lord’s Prayer as we know it needs to be more than a rote, ritualistic recitation. Our prayer life should start with saying, “Hello Father it is me again.” It can be that real and intimate. God is a Father to those who have accepted Christ as their Lord and Savior. When we pray, our Father hears us. I want to encourage you to talk to God. When you do, let it be from your heart to an enthusiastic Father who wants His best for our lives.
Doug Gilford, Senior Pastor, Cornerstone Church -23051 Hwy 1088, Mandeville, La 70448. 985-624-8652 www.cornerstonenola.com >
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