It’s probably the first prayer you learned, and it’s the most popular prayer ever spoken. Some call it, “The Lord’s Prayer.” If you’re like me, you might have memorized these or similar words as a child:
“‘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 today our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. (Matthew 6:9-13 NIV)
Today we are beginning a four-week journey called, “Pray for Reign.” Over the next few weeks, we’re going to ask Jesus to teach us to pray like He prayed. After all, no one is born a natural ‘pray-er.’ I believe it is possible to still learn about prayer, even if we’ve been praying our whole lives.
When we pray, we normally ask for what we want. But Jesus is going to teach us that prayer is about aligning ourselves with what He wants. Prayer was never intended to be for the promotion of our kingdom; it is for the advancement of His Kingdom. Ultimately, we’ll be learning to “Pray for Reign,” to pray that Jesus rules and reigns in our hearts, in our church, and in all the earth.
If you have never memorized this prayer, I hope that during this series, you will memorize it. If you have not yet taught this prayer to your children, I hope that during the next four weeks, you’ll teach this prayer to your children. A child who can pray this prayer before he/she can read is blessed beyond measure.
I look forward to taking this journey with you.
Mike Johnson
Don’t forget to ‘Take 5.’