Friday 15 February 2013

The Lord's Prayer


Matthew 6v9-13
"Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. Let your kingdom come. Let your will be done, as in heaven, so on earth. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors. bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For yours is the kingdom, the power, and the glory forever. Amen."

Last night at our community worship night, the guest speaker referenced this scripture. Growing up in the Catholic denomination, I've memorized these verses and recited them many times. But over the last 15 years these verses have come more alive to me. They aren't just words to rehearse but they have deep meaning and reveal so much of God's purpose for us. Now, every time I read this passage, I have sooo many more questions about it!

Here are just a few questions that are challenging my thinking of how I view God and the world around me.

-If we represent God on earth as his children/Christians, how are we accurately or inaccurately portraying God's character to society?
-What does is mean to 'keep His name Holy'? How can we honor God's Name in our words and actions?
-What is heaven like? Was heaven the original plan and earth is modeled after it? Does heaven function similarly to earth with different areas of society?
-What does God do in heaven that can be done on earth, through me and other believers?
-What is God's will for the earth?
-What does 'His kingdom' look like practically worked out on earth? How will living out God's kingdom change/reform every area of our lives and communities?
-How do I trust God for the everyday things and in His ability to provide for me? What's hindering me from trusting Him completely?
-How is God's power and glory explained in other parts of scripture? What does it look like for us to walk in that power and have God be glorified through it?
-What are the differences between how God, as a King, would rule His kingdom compared to an earthly ruler? (Compare legal systems, care of orphans/widows/vulnerable, education & sanitation systems... etc.)
-How did God rule Israel and how can we learn from the principles/laws He set for them?
-How have we strayed from the laws God originally put in place for Israel?

Meditate on these verses and please post your own thoughts or any questions of your own! I'd love to hear of any revelation you got from these verses. Blessings!

1 comment:

  1. Great timing Shelly! We are currently doing a study on prayer using Jim Cymbala's teaching guide from Brooklyn Tabernacle church. Any guess what tonight's topic is? Yup, Obedience in Prayer. God will use His church to turn the world upside down but first the church must be turned inside out. Complete transparency, honesty, no hypocrisy, pure motives. This is truth. God's will is ALWAYS done in heaven. Oh Lord our God, so let it be on earth!

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