Blessed to Be a Blessing: Pray Like Jesus, Part 2
May 21, 2016
If we are living all of our lives in constant dependence on God: praying for our everyday needs, our everyday relationships and our everyday struggles… then more than likely we’ll start bringing even the simplest things to him in prayer. That’s how Jesus lived. He kept God in the loop with everything in His life. And that’s how Jesus wants us to live as His followers: To keep God in the loop with our everyday needs, in our everyday relationships and in the everyday struggles of life.
- Keeping God in the Loop with our Everyday Needs: “Give us today our daily bread” How do we cultivate a prayerful dependence on God for our everyday needs?First, acknowledge God everyday as the source of every good thing we have in life: whether that be food, clothing, work, leisure and even the strength or intelligence we have that enabled us to earn a good living and acquire a good life. We must not forget what the Bible teaches in James 1:17, “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of heavenly lights.” One of the best ways to acknowledge God as the source of every good thing is to thank Him. This may be why many of us say “grace” when we sit down for a meal. It’s just a simple yet constant reminder that we are dependent on God for everything we have.Second, if God has blessed you with an abundance of good things on earth, don’t just keep them for yourself, use what God has given you to help others or bless others. This is the principle of Matthew 6:19-34, where Jesus said, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
The early church grasped this truth immediately. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Acts 2:45 You see, God cares about our everyday needs, and He uses His people to meet those needs. So pray like Jesus. Bring your everyday needs to Him. Nothing is too small and nothing is too big for Him to meet.
- Keeping God in the Loop in our Everyday Relationships: “And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.” Since our debts have already been paid in full when we believed, this request, “forgive us our debts,” refers then to any sin that breaks our fellowship with God, and any sin of those who sin against us: So then to pray like Jesus is to keep God in the loop of our everyday relationships: first with Him and then with others. Coming to God for daily forgiveness is an amazing privilege. For with His forgiveness we maintain our closeness with God. However, without forgiveness we are left powerless, weak and useless to God. So because we are far from perfect and still fall into sin everyday, we need the Father’s gracious forgiveness everyday. And He is more than eager to keep on forgiving His children. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to purify us from all unrighteousness” 1 John 1:9. However, it does us no good to pray to God for forgiveness if we are not willing to forgive those who have offended us. Jesus teaches us to pray “And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.” Our forgiveness of others is what makes us most like Jesus. That’s why Jesus wants us to pray this way. He wants us to treat others the same way He has treated us. Think of it this way: The price God paid to forgive you is the same price He paid to forgive the person who wronged you.
3. Keeping God in the Loop with our Everyday Struggles: “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.”
The Bible clearly teaches that God does not tempt us to sin. So this request must be understood like this: We ask for God to lead us, to lead us not into temptation, but away from it – to deliver us from the evil one. In other words, this last request leans in on God seeking His protection from the evil within us that keep us from living like Jesus and evil without that seeks to take us out.
Give us today our daily bread… God is the provider of our everyday needs!
And forgive us our debts as we also have forgiven our debtors… God is the peacemaker in our everyday relationships!
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. God is the protector in our everyday struggles.
May we learn to call on Him everyday and live in prayerful dependence with Our Father who always loves us and always hears us! May we pray like Jesus!