Deepening Our Connection Through the Lord's Prayer

Devotional

Day 1: Relational Dialogue with God

The Lord's Prayer is more than a set of words to be recited; it is an invitation to engage in a relational dialogue with God. This prayer begins by acknowledging God's holiness and our relationship with Him as our Father, setting the tone for a conversation that is both intimate and reverent. It emphasizes the importance of approaching God not just with requests, but with a heart open to deepening our connection with Him. As we pray, we are reminded that God is not distant but is a loving Father who desires a personal relationship with each of us. [26:34]

Matthew 6:6 (ESV): "But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you."

Reflection: How can you create a space in your daily routine to engage in a more intimate and personal dialogue with God today?

Day 2: Understanding Temptation and Testing

The phrase "lead us not into temptation" in the Lord's Prayer can also be understood as "testing." This duality highlights the reality that while God tests us to refine and grow us, the enemy seeks to tempt us to fall away. It is crucial to recognize the difference and trust in God's leadership, seeking His strength in times of testing to ensure these moments do not become temptations. This understanding calls us to rely on God's guidance and protection as we navigate life's challenges. [37:10]

James 1:12-13 (ESV): "Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. Let no one say when he is tempted, 'I am being tempted by God,' for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one."

Reflection: Reflect on a recent challenge you faced. How can you discern whether it was a test from God or a temptation from the enemy, and how can you seek God's strength in similar situations?

Day 3: Surrendering to God's Leadership

The Lord's Prayer is a call to surrender, asking God to lead us through life's complexities. It is a declaration of trust in God's leadership, recognizing that we cannot navigate life's challenges alone. This surrender is not a one-time event but an ongoing process of aligning our wills with God's will. By surrendering, we acknowledge our limitations and invite God to guide us, trusting that His plans are greater than our own. [39:25]

Proverbs 3:5-6 (ESV): "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths."

Reflection: Identify one area of your life where you struggle to surrender control. What steps can you take today to trust God's leadership in that area?

Day 4: Life's Purpose and Identity

The Lord's Prayer addresses the fundamental questions of life: our purpose, identity, and the struggles we face. It reminds us that life is about glorifying God, that we are His children, and that the struggles we encounter are part of a broken world. Through Jesus' forgiveness and grace, we find healing and the strength to forgive others. This prayer calls us to live with a clear understanding of who we are in Christ and the purpose He has for us. [28:31]

Ephesians 2:10 (ESV): "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them."

Reflection: How does understanding your identity as God's child influence the way you approach your daily life and interactions with others?

Day 5: Living in Ongoing Surrender

The Lord's Prayer invites us to live in a posture of ongoing surrender and trust, allowing God to guide us through life's complexities. It is a reminder that while life is challenging, we have a Father who loves us, a Savior who understands our struggles, and a Spirit who empowers us. By continually surrendering to God, we open our hands to His leadership, trusting that His will is best for us. [50:07]

Galatians 5:25 (ESV): "If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit."

Reflection: What is one practical way you can practice ongoing surrender to God in your daily routine, allowing His Spirit to guide your decisions and actions?

Sermon Summary

In today's reflection, we delved into the profound nature of the Lord's Prayer, exploring its depth and significance beyond mere recitation. This prayer, taught by Jesus, is not just a set of words to be repeated but a relational dialogue with God, inviting us into a deeper connection with Him. It begins with acknowledging God's holiness and our relationship with Him as our Father, setting the tone for a conversation that is both intimate and reverent.

We explored the dual nature of the word "temptation" in the prayer, which can also mean "testing." This duality highlights the reality that while God tests us to refine and grow us, the enemy seeks to tempt us to fall away. The prayer is a call to surrender, asking God to lead us through life's challenges, recognizing that we cannot navigate them alone. It is a declaration of trust in God's leadership and a commitment to align our wills with His.

The Lord's Prayer addresses the fundamental questions of life: our purpose, identity, and the struggles we face. It reminds us that life is about glorifying God, that we are His children, and that the struggles we encounter are part of a broken world. Yet, through Jesus' forgiveness and grace, we find healing and the strength to forgive others.

This prayer is an invitation to live in a posture of ongoing surrender and trust, allowing God to guide us through the complexities of life. It is a reminder that while life is challenging, we have a Father who loves us, a Savior who understands our struggles, and a Spirit who empowers us. As we pray, we open our hands to God's leadership, trusting that His will is best for us.

Key Takeaways

1. Relational Prayer: The Lord's Prayer is not a script but a relational dialogue with God. It invites us to engage with Him intimately, acknowledging His holiness and our relationship as His children. This prayer is a guide to deepen our connection with God, emphasizing the importance of a conversational practice with the living God. [26:34]
2. **Temptation vs. Testing:** The prayer's phrase "lead us not into temptation" can also mean "testing." While God tests us to refine and grow us, the enemy tempts us to fall away. This duality calls us to trust God's leadership and seek His strength in times of testing, ensuring that these moments do not become temptations. [37:10]
3. Surrender and Trust: The prayer is a call to surrender, asking God to lead us through life's challenges. It is a declaration of trust in God's leadership, recognizing that we cannot navigate life's complexities alone. This surrender is an ongoing process of aligning our wills with God's will. [39:25]
4. Life's Fundamental Questions: The Lord's Prayer addresses life's fundamental questions: our purpose, identity, and struggles. It reminds us that life is about glorifying God, that we are His children, and that the struggles we face are part of a broken world. Through Jesus' forgiveness and grace, we find healing and strength. [28:31]
5. Ongoing Surrender: The prayer invites us to live in a posture of ongoing surrender and trust, allowing God to guide us through life's complexities. It is a reminder that while life is challenging, we have a Father who loves us, a Savior who understands our struggles, and a Spirit who empowers us. [50:07]
** [50:07]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[17:24] - God's Presence and Our Burdens
[19:02] - Worship and Offering
[20:27] - Upcoming Service Changes
[21:19] - Community Growth and Challenges
[23:12] - Series on the Lord's Prayer
[24:05] - Personal Reflection on the Lord's Prayer
[25:42] - Jesus' Teaching on Prayer
[26:34] - Relational Nature of the Prayer
[28:31] - Addressing Life's Big Questions
[30:11] - The Fullness of the Prayer
[32:12] - Focus on Temptation
[33:13] - Understanding Temptation and Testing
[37:10] - God's Testing and Satan's Temptation
[39:25] - Surrender and Trust in God

Sermon Clips

But I am so glad, Father in heaven, Lord Jesus, our Savior, our friend, our Lord, Spirit of God. God, who comes to dwell in and with us, that you will carry these things. And so, God, on behalf of each of us here today, and for those of you who are here and are engaged, would you take this moment just to release and give to God your burden, the weight, the weight, the thing that you've been praying about, that's just... It's just still so frustrating to you. It's painful. It's hurtful. You just don't know where it's going. Would you... Could you trust him again? [00:18:11] (49 seconds)

And it's best when we see it that way, when it's lived that way, when it's experienced that way. Let's just remind ourselves of it. We're going to read Matthew 6, 9, and we're going to stop at verse 13. Ben will be finishing this series off next week. This, then, is how you should pray. Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread and forgive us our debts as we also have forgiven our debtors. [00:31:26] (47 seconds)

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. It's beautiful. Now, okay, this morning, I'm gonna be focusing us a little bit in on this concept and lead us not into temptation. Next week, Ben's gonna talk about the deliver us from evil. He's gonna handle all of that. So some of you, maybe most of you, get tripped up on that phrase right there and lead us not into temptation. [00:32:39] (31 seconds)

Testing is for our betterment. And testing is to develop us, to grow us, to reveal, to refine us. Excuse me. The other is to skewer us, truly. Temptation is to trip us up, to trap us, to tempt us to fall, to not follow after God, and to have our lives kind of crater. And so what do we do with this? What do we do with this idea? I mean, God, James said God doesn't do this, and yet. [00:36:46] (29 seconds)

And so right there we see this concept within this word that those two things are true. We have the story of Joseph. Do you remember the story of Joseph? Right? His whole life his brothers tried to kill him and all of a sudden he found himself in a serious, significant position within the land and then he was thrown back in jail and then all of a sudden he was leading everything. And if you ever made it through the book of Genesis, when you get to the end of the book of Genesis, in Genesis chapter 50 verse 20, it says you meant this for evil, for harm. [00:38:14] (35 seconds)

I am surrendering to you. Would you lead me? I trust you. I trust your leadership. I trust your leadership. I... I... I believe that your will is what's best. I know I don't always... Do I really think that? Yeah, sometimes I don't. I struggle and I wrestle with God a little. But God, I want to trust you. I need you to lead me. And so I'm going to learn. I'm going to try and endeavor to stand with you, in you, on you, if you like. Your way, your will, your strength. I will follow. [00:40:57] (44 seconds)

The prayer reflects the relationship between the disciple and God, where the disciple trusts God's leadership and asks for strength in times of temptation, in times of testing, so that maybe those times of testings don't become an enticement, a temptation, and a falling to it. Maybe this is where we need to be reminded Jesus was tempted. You know, being tempted is not the sin, right? Jesus was tempted. Hebrews 4, 14 to 16, we reference it all the time here. [00:43:00] (43 seconds)

And so this prayer calls us to go to him and to trust him and to surrender to him for his leadership in our life. And again, this is where, we need to have the full scope or spectrum of this prayer. Because as I'm personally trying to pray this, God, I need your leadership. I need you to guide. Man, life is just hard and I get distracted and I get, you know, just heading down the wrong ways and I don't, it seems like I don't trust you, but I do want to trust you. I really do. [00:44:02] (36 seconds)

And what I am increasingly understanding, is that I don't actually need the reason, but I need a Father, a Father who's got me. I need a Savior. I need a Savior. I need a Father who's got me. I need a Savior. Who understands my brokenness. I need the Spirit of God who will come and be present with me when everything within me is wanting to go and head down those ways that are just incredibly destructive to me. [00:47:58] (39 seconds)

And I'm not saying what I really desperately want and believe. It doesn't make any sense. I don't know. I need a Father. I need Jesus. I need the Spirit. See, the Lord's Prayer, it's an intentional setting of our wills to His will be done. It's a surrender. Ben said this a few, I don't know, it was last week, whatever he said it. He was talking about how in forgiveness it's a prayer of an open hand. I sort of view this entire prayer as one of an open hand. [00:49:43] (36 seconds)

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