533 people in our community are currently praying with you.

Lord’s Prayer

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever.

For a Sense of Wonder at God's Creation

Dear Lord, grant me the grace of wonder. Surprise me, amaze me, awe me in every crevice of your universe. Delight me to see how your Christ plays in ten thousand places, in limbs and eyes not His, to be the father through the features of men's faces. Each day enrapture me with your marvelous things without number. I do not ask to see the reason for it all; I ask only to share the wonder of it all.

For Humility

Heavenly Lord, no matter what I do or which way I turn, my pride raises its ugly head to damage my life. It tells me that my opinions are correct, no matter how ill-informed I might be. I fail to appreciate my stupidity, my weakness, my self-deception and rationalization for my many errors and shortcomings. Help me, O Holy Spirit, to see my fault. Instruct me in my error and support me in my efforts to follow your commandments; for I truly love you, Lord God, and want to grow in service and faith. In the name of Christ, forgive me and bring me closer.

Mason Barge 9/4/2014

Meditation

[Think of one specific example of pride that you carry with you every day, and pray how it might be diminished or removed from your existence.]

Benediction

Now, oh Lord, I pray that you may lift up the light of your countenance upon me, and give me peace; in my going out and in my coming in; in my sitting down and my rising up; in my work and in my play; in my joy and in my sorrow, in my laughter and in my tears; until that day comes which is without dawn and without dark.

Think of the day ahead in terms of God with you, and visualize health, strength, guidance, purity, calm confidence, and victory as the gifts of His presence.

Psalm 106:1-3 (KJV)

Matthew 6:9-15 (NIV)

The Lord’s Prayer [Part 2]

“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.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.’”

Notes on the Scripture

“Thy kingdom come”

hrist taught us that, some day, God would reveal His kingdom. Here is one area where science and Christianity completely agree: The earth will cease to exist in its present form at some time in the future. Although we cannot comprehend what it will be like, we live with faith in the promise that God will replace the world we live in today with a world of joyful perfection: the “world” in which God Himself dwells. We thus overcome our fear of destruction and death, and pray for the coming of God’s kingdom. We remind ourselves and tell God that we believe in His kingdom and have faith that it will come when He has ordained it.

“Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven”

We want to do what God tells us to do. Although we all fall short and do not manage to implement this prayer perfectly, we pray this as a statement of our goal. We promise to try to get closer and closer to knowing and doing God’s will every day of our lives. We have faith that if we could do God’s will, without doubt and without slipping up, we would know enormous joy while on earth. We know that it is impossible; all of us have sinned and come short of the glory of God. But we want it and, in this part of the prayer, we remind ourselves to try, as hard as we can, to learn God’s will and to do His will in our daily lives.

“Give us this day our daily bread”

Christ tells us repeatedly to trust in God for our sustenance. Yes, most of us have to work; we earn our food and other necessities with our labor. But all of our labor, and all of our pride in our accomplishments, is fundamentally receiving something that is given to us. All food comes from the sun, the earth, the air, and water. If one of these were to disappear, we would all perish. Which of us invented corn, or cattle? Even the most advanced scientific experiments with life are no more than pale imitations of what God has given us.

We also remember that, ultimately, we will eat bread as the symbol of Christ’s body, as well as a means of nourishing our own body. So, many Christians take this verse as an opportunity to remember Christ’s sacrifice.

Communion scene from a Dutch Book of Hours, ca. 1435.

Daily Inspiration

“Lawsuits”

Current Memory Verse     Remember the Bible

Print Today’s Devotion