See Matthew 6:9-13

One short blog isn’t enough to communicate the good instruction from this prayer that Jesus taught us to pray on a daily basis. Therefore, here’s part 2.

Our Father … let your KINGdom come

It would help to keep in mind to whom we are praying. We are bringing our petitions to a God who is both our good Father, and the King of all kings! Jesus reminds us to have faith in God, not faith in faith. Our faith is only as good as the object in which it resides. The more clearly we see the One in whom we trust, the more faith-filled our praying will be. We must be confident in God, who is both our good Father with our best interest in the centre of his being AND the majestic King with the power and integrity to keep his word.

Hallowed be your name

There was a little boy who heard this phrase in church one day and thought that God’s name was, “Hallowed”!  No.  In the Bible, a person’s name represents their nature. We are praying that God’s fatherly and kingly nature would be kept holy – respected, worshipped, highly valued. What this essentially means is that God is not a pushover. This must lead to an awareness of our need to give our Creator the dignity and reverence that his regal nature deserves while at the same time pursuing intimacy with our Heavenly Daddy. What an incredible offer God has made to us, his re-created ones!  We get to relate to God who is ferocious… but friendly. I love the way that Matt Redman, the gifted lyricist, sums it up: “I am longing to discover both the closeness and the awe, Feel the nearness of Your whisper, Hear the glory of Your roar, just knowing You … I want the friendship and the fear of knowing You.” 

Deliver us from evil

In last week’s blog, we saw that Jesus wants us to live a life full of his provision, healthy relationships and his glorious goodness – the blessed life. If that is the case, then every single obstacle that prevents us from living the blessed life must be treated as an enemy!

What is it that limits you from living the blessed life? Is it pride, lust, greed? If you are like me, it would be controlling fears – fear of failure, fear of ridicule, fear of others. I have allowed these fears to limit what I knew God wanted to do in and through me! But I cannot let these demonic strongholds have the last word. Regularly, I get to choose to give into fear, or to faith.

Pursue God with diligence. Resist the enemy and he will flee from you. Make an appointment with a prayer ministry team or a counsellor if you want to get free of a particular issue. You are designed for a blessed life!

Your blessed life is meant to speak volumes to a world needing proof of God’s reality and goodness!