“Our Farther in Heaven, hallowed be Your Name. Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven” Matthew 6:9-10.

Commonly referred to as ‘The Lord’s Prayer’, this is how Jesus taught His disciples to pray. Today this is recited off by heart by thousands of people every week.  But by knowing it off by heart does not necessarily mean that it always comes from the heart?

This ‘how to pray’ is found in the middle of the teaching found in ‘The Sermon on the Mount’ in Matthew chapters 5-7.  It is placed directly after Jesus instructed His disciples to first be of a different nature in their attitudes and responses to the issues of the day.  Issues such as how to deal with anger and not to allow it to eat them up, and not to lust after what they didn’t have but be thankful for what they already had, and how to have right relationships and integrity with each other and how they should respond out of a heart of love and not out of a need for retaliation by loving their enemies and being generous to those in need.

It’s almost as if Jesus was saying that their prayers should not focus on them at all!

They were encouraged to pray with the confidence that as they focused on God’s kingdom, as they gave out to others, there would always be a supply for tomorrow (vs. 11).  If they forgave others, then they could expect forgiveness for themselves (vs. 12).

Their prayer came out of their experience, it wasn’t a prayer for an experience. There was never meant to be any separation between life and prayer because for the disciples, as it was for Jesus, it was all one in the same thing!

We would love to pray with you. Our prayer centre is open for your calls, 8am-8pm, Monday-Friday and until 12pm on Saturdays. Why not call us on 0300 561 0700? Or go to www.cbneurope.com/prayer