Give us today tomorrow’s bread!
Most of us have quoted The Model Prayer (aka The Lord’s Prayer) numerous times throughout our lives.
Jesus spoke in Matthew chapter 6:
5 “And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.
6 But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.
7 And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words.
8 “Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him.
9 In this manner, therefore, pray:
Our Father in Heaven, Hallowed be Your Name.
10 Your Kingdom come.
Your Will be done On earth as it is in Heaven.
11 Give us this day our daily bread.
12 And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors.
13 And do not lead us into temptation,
But deliver us from the evil one.
For Yours is the Kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
We are not to use vain repetitions. We are not trying to convince FATHER to meet our needs, He already knows our needs before we ask, we are simply to pray daily for HIM to meet our needs in advance. Notice that Jesus uses the terms “Our Father” and “Give us”, not “My Father” and “Give me”. This prayer is intended for all believers, not just me and my family and no more.
Sometimes our prayers are token prayers to make us feel better about responding to a crisis and they’re not necessarily prayers to make a difference. The Lord has called us and positioned us to make a difference in our co-laboring relationship through prayer.
One of the greatest mysteries in the Bible is the fact that we were designed to co-labor with GOD!
Once you grasp this Truth, your prayer life will change for you are vital in bringing forth The Kingdom of GOD to the earth. A prayer is one of those moments where we see it the clearest.
You and I were designed to be alive at this moment in time.
In the Book of Esther, the Jews were to be annihilated by a decree of the king. Yes, GOD could have intervened on HIS own but HE co-labors with men and women. To keep the Jews from perishing, Esther was called to pray in order to be acceptable before the king and intervene on behalf of all Jews.
It is recorded by The Holy Spirit in Esther chapter 4:
10 Then Esther spoke to Hathach, and gave him a command for Mordecai:
11 “All the king’s servants and the people of the king’s provinces know that any man or woman who goes into the inner court to the king, who has not been called, he has but one law: put all to death, except the one to whom the king holds out the golden scepter, that he may live. Yet I myself have not been called to go in to the king these thirty days.”
12 So they told Mordecai Esther’s words.
13 And Mordecai told them to answer Esther: “Do not think in your heart that you will escape in the king’s palace any more than all the other Jews.
14 For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”
15 Then Esther told them to reply to Mordecai:
16 “Go, gather all the Jews who are present in Shushan, and fast for me; neither eat nor drink for three days, night or day. My maids and I will fast likewise. And so I will go to the king, which is against the law; and if I perish, I perish!”
17 So Mordecai went his way and did according to all that Esther commanded him.
Prayer is an essential part of our lives in receiving our needs from FATHER.