The Lord's Model Prayer

The disciples' request was simple: "Teach us to pray."

Jesus responded with a simple prayer.

This, then, is how you should pray:
   "Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be Your name,
  Your kingdom come,
Your will be done,
   on earth as it is in heaven.
 Give us today our daily bread.
 And forgive us our debts,
   as we also have forgiven our debtors.
 And lead us not into temptation,
   but deliver us from the evil one." ~Matthew 6:9-13(NIV)

Sometimes I think we make prayer more complicated than it has to be. Jesus even cautioned about over-doing it and having wrong motivations (Matthew 6:5-8).

God is with us. He dwells within. Our bodies are His temple. It stands to reason that He's as close as the mention of His name.

Recently I noticed something about Jesus' prayer that I previously overlooked. After addressing our heavenly Father and declaring Him holy, Jesus mentions first that God's kingdom come and His will be done.

How many time have I been guilty of praying down my list of requests instead of simply asking the Lord to increase His kingdom? How many times have I prayed for my will to be done rather than His?

I'm so quick to treat God like a magic genie rather than Lord of all Creation. "Bless me and my family. Bless my friends." While I think it's okay to pray these words, it falls so short of Jesus' example. God's picture and plan is so much bigger than my little corner of the world, and my prayers need to reflect that fact.

Abba Father, Your name IS holy. You alone are worthy of our praise. I pray for Your will, not my own. I pray for the increase of Your Kingdom around the world. Forgive me for sometimes going through my day without taking time to realize Your Presence constantly with me. Forgive me for praying selfishly rather than globally, for praying for my will rather than aligning my will with Yours. Make me content with what You have to give me today. You always meet and even surpass my needs. Help me to forgive others the way You have forgiven me. Keep me from the evil without and within, Lord, and make me cognizant of the enemy's desire to trip me up. In Your holy and precious name I pray, Amen.