Daily Devotion

 

It was a regular custom for a Rabbi to teach his disciples a simple prayer which they might habitually use. John had done that for his disciples, and now Jesus' disciples came asking Him to do the same for them. This is Luke's version of the Lord's Prayer. It is shorter than Matthew's, but it will teach us all we need to know how to pray and what to pray for.

 

1^stit begins by calling God FATHER. That was the characteristic Christian address to God. The very first word tells us that in prayer we are not coming to someone out of from whom gifts have to be unwillingly extracted, but to a Father who delights to supply his children's needs.

 

2^ndIn Hebrew THE NAME means much more than merely the name by which a person is called. The NAME means the whole character of the person as it is revealed and known to us. PSALMS 9:10 says, "Those who know Your Name put their trust in You." That means far more than knowing that God's name is Jehovah. It means that those who know the whole character, mind, and heart of God will gladly put their trust in Him.

 

3^rdNotice the order of the Lord's Prayer. Before anything is asked for ourselves, God and His glory and the reverence due to Him come first. Only when we give God His place will other things take their proper place.

 

4^thThe prayer covers all life.   (a) it covers present need. It tells us to pray for our daily bread, but it is bread for the day for which we pray. Go back to the wilderness and the story of manna (Exodus 16:11-21). We are not to worry about the unknown future, but to live a day at a time. (b) it covers past sin. When we pray, we cannot do other than pray for forgiveness, for the best of us is a sinful person coming before the purity of God. (c) It covers future trials.Temptation means any testing situation. It includes far more than the mere seduction to sin; it covers every situation which is a challenge to and a test of a person's manhood, integrity, and fidelity. We cannot escape it, but we can meet it with God.

 

Life Application: Do you follow a ritual when you pray, or do you just start with what is bothering you? I believe praying to God is like a conversation that may lead me to tears. But in my tears, I find comfort because I know He knows what I need.

 

Praise/Prayer: Dear Father, I am so thankful that my parents required that we pray with them or they with us every evening before going to bed. As we grew older it became prayer time for the family. Father, I am so thankful that I can call upon Your Name anytime of the day or night. You are my companion, and I feel free to talk to You about whatever comes up. Jesus, thank You for teaching me to pray. Amen!