⁹“This, then, is how you should pray:

” ‘Our Father in heaven,

hallowed be your name,

¹⁰your kingdom come,

your will be done

on earth as it is in heaven.

¹¹Give us today our daily bread.

¹²Forgive us our debts,

as we also have forgiven our debtors.

¹³And lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from the evil one”

(Matthew 6: 9-13, NIV, some manuscripts add, ‘for yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.  Amen.’)

Recently, I have altered my morning prayer routine and my first commitment is to talk to Our Father or Our Dad, who is also My Father or My Dad.

I thank him so much for the PRIVILEGE of being HIS CHILD BY ADOPTION: ‘How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!

(1 John 3:1)

I do not recite the LORD’S PRAYER word for word but I tell him of the two important truths contained in this prayer:

1)   OUR (MY) DEEP DESIRE FOR HIM

Our thoughts and longings must begin with WHAT GOD OUR FATHER DESIRES AND NOT OUR OWN DESIRE.  I tell him of our DEEP DESIRE FOR HIM that:

a.   His name may be made holy

His name equals his person – God, the Father of Jesus Christ

b.   His kingdom may come

His whole creation will acknowledge his rule.

c.   His will may be done

His commands are obeyed because we love him.

MAY THIS BE DONE BOTH BY ME AND ON EARTH, AS IT IS IN HEAVEN.

2)   OUR (MY) DEEP DEPENDENCE ON HIM

I tell him of our DEEP DEPENDENCE ON HIM for:

a.   Daily bread

(Life, needs, human rights)

b.   Forgiveness of sin

(trusting that Jesus died for our sins and that we too must forgive).

c.   Walking each day with him and not with the devil

I CAN TELL MY (OUR) FATHER THESE THINGS WITH GREAT CONFIDENCE BECAUSE THE KINGDOM AND THE POWER AND THE GLORY BELONG TO HIM!

And so I have come to a new understanding of both the MEANING and the IMPORTANCE of the LORD’S PRAYER.

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