Living Coram Deo: Embracing God's Presence Daily

 

Summary

In our exploration of the Lord's Prayer, we are reminded that it serves not only as a guide for prayer but also as a framework for living in the presence of God. This prayer invites us to live Coram Deo, before the face of God, in every aspect of our lives. It is a call to integrate our spiritual and earthly existence, recognizing that we are always in the presence of our Heavenly Father. Jesus exemplified this lifestyle, and through the Lord's Prayer, He introduces us to a life lived in communion with God.

The prayer is structured in two parts: the first focuses on God's glory, and the second on our needs. We begin by acknowledging God's holiness and praying for His kingdom to come. This is not just a future hope but a present reality that we desire to see manifested in our lives and the world. We pray for God's will to be done on earth as it is in heaven, aspiring to reflect His heavenly majesty in our daily lives.

As we move to our needs, we pray for daily provision, recognizing our dependence on God for even the simplest necessities. This prayer challenges us to live with a sense of daily reliance on God, freeing us from the materialism that often clutters our lives. We also seek forgiveness for our sins, understanding that our relationship with God requires ongoing repentance and forgiveness. This is not a transactional forgiveness but a transformative one that cleanses us and enables us to forgive others.

Finally, we pray for protection from temptation, acknowledging our vulnerabilities and the need for God's strength to resist sin. This prayer is a reminder of our dependence on God in every aspect of life, from provision to protection. It calls us to live with a constant awareness of God's presence, trusting in His care and guidance.

Key Takeaways:

- Living Coram Deo: The Lord's Prayer teaches us to live every moment in the presence of God, integrating our spiritual and earthly lives. This awareness transforms our daily existence, allowing us to experience God's presence in all we do. [03:47]

- God's Kingdom and Will: Praying for God's kingdom to come and His will to be done is a call to align our lives with His purposes. It is a recognition that God's kingdom is both a present reality and a future hope, and we are invited to participate in its unfolding. [06:20]

- Daily Dependence: The petition for daily bread reminds us of our reliance on God for all our needs. It challenges us to live with simplicity and gratitude, recognizing that everything we have is a gift from God. [12:47]

- Forgiveness and Transformation: Seeking forgiveness is essential for maintaining a healthy relationship with God. It is a transformative process that cleanses us and enables us to extend forgiveness to others, reflecting God's grace in our lives. [18:11]

- Protection from Temptation: Acknowledging our vulnerabilities, we pray for God's protection from temptation. This prayer is a reminder of our need for God's strength and guidance in resisting sin and living a life that honors Him. [23:14]

Youtube Chapters:

- [00:00] - Welcome
- [03:47] - Living in God's Presence
- [06:20] - God's Kingdom and Will
- [09:21] - Heavenly Majesty on Earth
- [12:47] - Daily Dependence on God
- [14:54] - Simplicity and Gratitude
- [18:11] - Forgiveness and Transformation
- [20:40] - Relationship with the Father
- [23:14] - Protection from Temptation
- [25:00] - Trusting in God's Care

Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide: The Lord's Prayer

Bible Reading:
1. Matthew 6:9-13 (The Lord's Prayer)
2. Matthew 5:48 (Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.)
3. James 1:13-14 (When tempted, no one should say, "God is tempting me." For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed.)

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Observation Questions:

1. What are the two main sections of the Lord's Prayer, and what do they focus on? [03:47]
2. How does the sermon describe the relationship between God's kingdom and our daily lives? [06:20]
3. What does the sermon suggest about our daily dependence on God, even in a world where we have plenty? [12:47]
4. How does the sermon explain the connection between seeking forgiveness and forgiving others? [18:11]

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Interpretation Questions:

1. How does living "Coram Deo" (before the face of God) influence a believer's daily life and decisions? [03:47]
2. In what ways does praying for God's kingdom to come challenge believers to align their lives with God's purposes? [06:20]
3. How might the concept of daily dependence on God challenge modern views of self-sufficiency and materialism? [12:47]
4. What does the sermon suggest about the transformative nature of forgiveness in a believer's life? [18:11]

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Application Questions:

1. Reflect on your daily routine. How can you cultivate a greater awareness of living in God's presence throughout your day? [03:47]
2. Consider your current priorities. How can you align them more closely with the prayer for God's kingdom to come and His will to be done? [06:20]
3. In what ways can you practice daily dependence on God, especially in areas where you feel self-sufficient? [12:47]
4. Think of a recent situation where you struggled to forgive someone. How can the understanding of God's forgiveness help you extend grace to others? [18:11]
5. Identify a temptation you face regularly. What practical steps can you take to seek God's protection and strength in resisting it? [23:14]
6. How can you simplify your life to focus more on spiritual growth rather than material possessions? [14:54]
7. Reflect on a time when you felt distant from God. How can the practice of the Lord's Prayer help you draw closer to Him in those moments? [20:40]

Devotional

Day 1: Living Coram Deo
Living Coram Deo means living every moment in the presence of God, integrating our spiritual and earthly lives. This awareness transforms our daily existence, allowing us to experience God's presence in all we do. It is a call to live with a constant awareness of God's presence, trusting in His care and guidance. By living Coram Deo, we acknowledge that our lives are not compartmentalized into spiritual and secular, but are a unified whole lived before God. This perspective invites us to see every action, thought, and decision as an opportunity to honor God and reflect His love to the world. [03:47]

"For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless toward him." (2 Chronicles 16:9 ESV)

Reflection: In what ways can you cultivate a greater awareness of God's presence in your daily routine today?


Day 2: God's Kingdom and Will
Praying for God's kingdom to come and His will to be done is a call to align our lives with His purposes. It is a recognition that God's kingdom is both a present reality and a future hope, and we are invited to participate in its unfolding. This prayer challenges us to live in a way that reflects God's heavenly majesty on earth, aspiring to embody His love, justice, and mercy in our interactions with others. By seeking God's will, we open ourselves to His guidance and direction, allowing His plans to shape our lives and the world around us. [06:20]

"Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures throughout all generations." (Psalm 145:13 ESV)

Reflection: What is one specific area of your life where you can more fully align with God's will today?


Day 3: Daily Dependence
The petition for daily bread reminds us of our reliance on God for all our needs. It challenges us to live with simplicity and gratitude, recognizing that everything we have is a gift from God. This prayer encourages us to trust in God's provision, freeing us from the materialism that often clutters our lives. By acknowledging our dependence on God, we cultivate a heart of thankfulness and contentment, finding joy in the simple blessings of life. This daily reliance on God fosters a deeper relationship with Him, as we learn to trust in His faithfulness and care. [12:47]

"Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, 'I will never leave you nor forsake you.'" (Hebrews 13:5 ESV)

Reflection: How can you practice gratitude and simplicity in your life today, recognizing God's provision in all things?


Day 4: Forgiveness and Transformation
Seeking forgiveness is essential for maintaining a healthy relationship with God. It is a transformative process that cleanses us and enables us to extend forgiveness to others, reflecting God's grace in our lives. This prayer reminds us of the importance of repentance and the power of God's forgiveness to renew our hearts and minds. By embracing this transformative forgiveness, we are empowered to let go of bitterness and resentment, choosing instead to love and forgive as God has forgiven us. This process of forgiveness not only restores our relationship with God but also brings healing and reconciliation to our relationships with others. [18:11]

"Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you." (Ephesians 4:32 ESV)

Reflection: Think of someone in your life you need to forgive. Can you ask God to help you begin to extend His love and forgiveness to them today?


Day 5: Protection from Temptation
Acknowledging our vulnerabilities, we pray for God's protection from temptation. This prayer is a reminder of our need for God's strength and guidance in resisting sin and living a life that honors Him. By recognizing our weaknesses, we humble ourselves before God, seeking His help to overcome the challenges and temptations we face. This prayer encourages us to rely on God's power and wisdom, trusting that He will provide a way of escape and the strength to stand firm in our faith. As we seek God's protection, we are reminded of His faithfulness and the assurance that He is with us in every trial. [23:14]

"No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it." (1 Corinthians 10:13 ESV)

Reflection: What is one temptation you are currently facing, and how can you seek God's strength and guidance to overcome it today?

Quotes

"And I want us to notice as we come to this study two particular things, that the Lord's Prayer is obviously a pattern for praying, but one of the ways in which we can use it enormously helpfully is to think of it as a pattern for living so that we learn to live in the presence of God." [00:00:30]

"And I think one of the things I learned just from that title, the book itself is like a curate's egg, as they say, there are good things in it and not so good things in it. But one of the things that we learned from that title, that prayer is not a compartmentalized part of our lives, but that what prayer is, it is the outflow of the way in which we actually live our lives before the face of God." [00:01:15]

"His life is punctuated by seasons of prayer, but he's able to teach his disciples this prayer because he understands this is the lifestyle into which he is introducing them. Life lived in the presence of the Heavenly Father." [00:02:33]

"The intercession we make here is that God would be God to us, that God would be seen to be God in the world, and that God's kingdom would come to fructification in our lives. And so, we come to Him as we've already seen, as our Heavenly Father." [00:03:47]

"And we recognize that that intimacy that we have with Him is especially wonderful because His name is holy. And because we understand His name is holy, we want to see His name treated as holy." [00:04:10]

"And so we want to see the transforming power of God breaking out into people's lives and then bowing the knee to Jesus because there are blessings and blessedness to be found in Jesus, that is to be found nowhere else." [00:07:15]

"We are beginning to think in terms of daily dependence on the Lord. We realize, no matter how much we have, that the Heavenly Father does not mean us to live in dependence on what we have rather than in dependence on Him." [00:11:39]

"And of course, one of the things that this does for us is it leads us to live in the presence of God and to live constantly in the dependence of faith." [00:14:10]

"There is only one way to live, and that is the way of day by day, dependence upon the Lord. And this does something to us when we pray this way." [00:14:41]

"Forgive us our debts as we also have forgiven our debtors, not as a quid pro quo. If I forgive them, you should forgive me, but in the knowledge that he is a God who comes to us with hands full of forgiveness. And as we look to that forgiveness, contemplate it, all unforgiveness is washed away out of our lives." [00:16:33]

"And it's because we realize we need forgiveness that we also pray, Father, don't lead us into temptation but deliver us from the evil one." [00:20:50]

"And so we're praying here in dependence upon Him, knowing our sinfulness, knowing our tendencies, knowing, as Robert Murray McChain says, that the seeds of every known sin are in our hearts. And we pray, Father, keep me." [00:23:00]

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Transcript
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