A Woman's View of the Lord's Prayer
Do you have trouble with prayer? How should we pray? For what should we pray? What lessons should we learn from prayer? Let's consider Christ's lesson on the subject.
by LeeAnn Luker
One passage of Scripture familiar to many of us is the Lord's Prayer. As a child, you may have memorized it. You've probably read it over the years. It has been immortalized in beautiful, moving hymns and other musical works. But how often do we consider the many shades and levels of meaning given to us in these few verses?
In reviewing this section of Scripture recently, I was again inspired by Christ's instruction. In Luke's account, the Gospel writer tells us that Christ had been off by Himself praying. When He finished, one of the disciples came to Him and said, "Lord, teach us to pray ..." (Luke 11:1).
This disciple was not a man who was unfamiliar with prayer, yet he recognized that learning to pray is a growth process, and he wanted to improve his understanding of prayer and the effectiveness of his entreaties to God.
In the related account in Matthew 6, Christ began by explaining that personal prayer is just that: It's private. It shouldn't be used to compete, to see who can sound the loftiest. It is personal communication with God.
"Our Father in heaven"
Jesus explained that prayer should be meaningful; a profusion of words is not what is important. Then He said: "In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name" (verse 9).
The brief outline Jesus gave His disciples starts with "our Father"—not just my Father, but our Father. God, residing in heaven, is the Father of humankind—of all races, peoples and nations, of everyone who has ever lived.
Read the full article at www.gnmagazine.org/issues/gn49/womansview.htm
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Table of Contents that includes "A Woman's View of the Lord's Prayer"
Other Articles by LeeAnn Luker
Prayer:
- _A President Who Prays
- _Words No One Wants to Hear From God
- _Flash: Americans Believe in Prayer!
- _"When You Pray..."
- _A Heart Toward Prophecy
- _"O My God, Incline Your Ear"
- _Growing in Faith
- _Is the Kingdom Here Now?
- _God's Sabbath in Today's World
- _What Is True Worship?
- _The Prayer God Will Hear
- _Building Habits of Prayer and Bible Study
- _How to Stir Up the Spirit
- _Who Is the Center of Our Worship?
- _'Teach Us to Pray'
- _Nehemiah: Portrait of a Leader
- _How to Seek God's Will
- _Whose Prayers Does God Hear?
- _Pray For and Respect Governing Officials
- _Ronald Reagan: In His Own Words
- _The U.S. Supreme Court: Presidential Decisions Impact National Morality
- _How's Your Prayer Life?
- _When God Doesn't Make Sense
- _Teach Your Children How to Pray
- _Additional conditions for answered prayers
- _The Privilege and Power of Prayer
- _What Are You Doing With Your Time?
- _Turning Your Own Life Around: Where to Start
- _What Does Jesus Want From You?
- _Talked to God Lately
- _Miracle in a Dumpster
- _Building a Better Relationship With God
- _Do You Know Your Dad?
- _Held Hostage
- _Is God Real to You?
- _What Do I Need Right Now?
- _Questions and Answers - Jan/Mar 2003
- _Hello, God! Are You There?
- _When God Says No
- _A Personal Experience of Prayer
- _How to Spice Up Our Prayers
- _Do You Know Your Father?
- _Enhance Your Prayer Life With Meditation
- _The Windmill Mystery
- _Do You Have a Treasure?
- _A Tale of Two Sisters
- _The Perfect Prayer
- _Breaking Bad Habits
- _Faith
- _I Was a Stranger and You Took Me In
- _In Contact With God: Answered Prayer on the Coeur d'Alene River
- _Why Is God So Silent?
- _The Power of Prayer: Stolen Passport Found Just in Time!
- _Lessons Learned During the San Diego Fires
- _Tuning Up Your Prayer Life
- _Time-Out!
- _Making Prayer a Priority
- _Wrestling--in Prayer
- _Surviving the Bullies: A Story of Answered Prayer
- _A Lesson in Prayer
- _Words No One Wants to Hear From God
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Biblical References Index
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