Text: Matthew 6:9-13, Isaiah 53:10-11,
I have a notion that what seem our worst prayers may really be, in God’s eyes, our best…
For these, perhaps, being nearly all will, come from a deeper level than feeling.
– CS Lewis, from Letters to Malcolm: Chiefly on Prayer
I can’t pray out loud without crying. I have no idea why this is or exactly when it started, but ask me to pray aloud – in front of one person or 100 – and there will be puddles in my eyes by the time we reach Amen.
If you’re thinking this makes me super holy, you’re totally right. [If we were texting, this is where I would insert one of those cry-laughing emoji guys. In other words, sarcasm alert.]
But I know me, and I know my auto-tears don’t mean what you might think they mean. I know how hard I struggle with prayer, how the concept of talking to God has always made me feel intimidated, disoriented, strange. I know how my tears are less often tears of belief and more often tears of “I believe, help my unbelief” (Mark 9:24). And while some days prayer flows like breath from my lips — Thank you and Please Lord and Help me — most days my prayers start more like a grocery list than a love letter. Here are the things I know I need. Here are the things I need to remember. Here are the people I ought to pray for.
It’s no wonder I was relieved to read CS Lewis’ comment that “prayer is irksome.” Or, as my handy thesaurus might say, it’s frustrating. Exasperating. Disagreeable. Prayer doesn’t always come naturally. We were made for communion with our Heavenly Father—but so long as we are being sanctified here on earth, we’ll struggle with this tension of praying for a Kingdom that has come and is yet to come.
Jesus knows we’ll need help in prayer department when teaches His disciples how to pray, saying clearly, “Pray like this.” What follows, now known as The Lord’s Prayer, is not flowery or overly emotional. It is bold. Intentional. Concise.
Father, Your name is holy.
Bring Your Kingdom, Lord.
Your will be done, not mine.
We depend on You for our life, our everything.
Forgive us and help us to forgive.
All glory is Yours, forever. Amen.
“Thy kingdom come.” Only Jesus could truly understand the weight of this simple prayer. Only He knows how difficult the act of prayer can truly be or what this Kingdom-to-come really looks like.
Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer…
– Isaiah 53:10a, NIV
Just as we saw in yesterday’s reading when Jesus “set His face to Jerusalem” knowing full well what it would mean, He also knew exactly what He was praying when He petitioned for God’s Kingdom to be ushered in. The coming of the Kingdom of God required the current, real-life sacrifice of God’s only Son.
I want to pray those words like Jesus prayed — not because I feel like praying but because I know and believe in the goodness and holiness of the One to whom I pray.
I want to give God glory in each and every thing, even when it hurts.
I want to desperately depend on God for my provision on the great days and the awful days.
I want to seek God’s will above my own, even when I don’t understand it.
I want to pray for God’s Kingdom to come — both in the Now and in the Not Yet.
“The petition, then,” says Lewis, “is not merely that I may patiently suffer God’s will but also that I may vigorously do it. I must be an agent as well as a patient. I am asking that I may be enabled to do it. In the long run I am asking to be given ‘the same mind which was also in Christ’” (emphasis mine).
Oh, how I want the mind of Christ! Oh, how I long for my prayers to be worshipful breaths of obedience and my tears always sincere. I want to not just pray “Your kingdom come” but to seek to vigorously do it!
I want to daily lay down the banner of my kingdom and pick up the banner of the Kingdom of God.
Friends, in the spirit of praying for the coming of God’s Kingdom and the nearness of the Son (and because it’s Saint Patrick’s Day!), let’s close our time today praying these beautiful words from St. Patrick’s Breastplate:
Christ be with me, Christ within me,
Christ behind me, Christ before me,
Christ beside me, Christ to win me,
Christ to comfort and restore me.
Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ in quiet, Christ in danger,
Christ in hearts of all that love me,
Christ in mouth of friend and stranger.
May it be so, Lord.
Amen.
I really appreciate that SRT is an interactive online community. I am used to reading online devotionals and then going on with my day, but that tends to be isolating if that’s all I do. Here, we can pray for each other, bravely type our words out and hope that it encourages someone or that someone encourages us or prays for us…I love reading through the comments and seeing the way conversations and prayer for each other develops.
I do have people in my life that I can talk to about Christ and how he is pursuing, always has pursued us. But these are new people, people, I’m not as comfortable sharing with, although I have the desire too…Christ is stirring me yet.
One another thing-the past two days have been kind of amazing. I hope to write about it soon, but I think it has to do with this Lenten study, the SRT community, and most importantly, Spirit of God moving-
May his kingdom come, His will be done, in our lives and in. This. World.
In prayer, with you, my sisters and brothers.
the verses from Matthew made me think of my grandpa. that was his favorite prayer! he helped me to memorize it
Hey everyone! This is the first time I have ever posted here I just became aware of SRT at the beginning of Lent. I have so enjoyed this Lenten study. To reflect on my ways of how I forget about the Lord in the busyness of life and the things I need to do to stay in him, by learning scripture, reading his word, quiet time and then repentance – the darkness and the soul splitting wide open, dying to self, the guilt and shame that keeps me from repentance and leaving them at the cross. Now making the journey to the cross. So beautiful what he has done for US and I know that I don't deserve!
I tell you, there is so much I love about SRT! I am actually praying before reading – I am actually reading the scripture before the daily reading, reading comments and saving the weekly scripture on my phone and learning it each week. It is so funny each week, I say I will never learn this scripture, by weeks end I have it memorized. I so need this community! I read the comments to each reading and on many days they have helped me understand what I wasn't understanding…lol The hard part for me is coming and commenting to be a part of the community!
I had an episode Sunday that hit on one of my dark places and all day yesterday I couldn't find my way to prayer or to pray for that person that trespassed against me. I was feeling resentful! I was suffering because I was more concerned about my humility and about my kingdom and not his, and prayer wasn't anywhere on the map! I performed a loving act for this person yesterday and his kingdom came shining through. I was able to love others as he loves me. I have such a hard time saying prayer when I am in crisis!
Thank you SRT for reminding me how to pray!
Sandy, Your excitement pops off this post. I too enjoy the lockscreens for my phone and memorizing. I think of this commenting area as a bonus. It is not mandatory in the least. SRT has thousands of participants, yet daily there aren't that many posting here. I use it as an extra tool–especially on days when a I'm confused about what that days devos connection to the scripture is (yes I sometimes don't get it :/). Those times the other comments help me along.
Blessings ~Val
I've recited the Lord's prayer many times, and I thought that I understood what it was I was praying each time. But not until you broke it down and simplified it into today's English did I really understand how simple it is. I'm always doubting myself that I'm not praying "the right way" or not saying "the right words." I often say things in my prayers like "I can't imagine how this circumstance could possibly be your will, when it goes against everything I know to be true about you and words I've read in the Bible, but…" I realize now I need to leave that phrase out. Sometimes I'm not going to understand God's will and that's ok. I just need to keep it simple and pray "Your will be done, not mine."
Love this beautiful devotional. This is my prayer too– “I want to not just pray “Your kingdom come” but to seek to vigorously do it!”
I’ve also had several prayers of “Lord, I don’t know how to pray.” Now I’ve been praying with my two year old son and feel like we’re both learning together. We start with “Papa God, thank you for….(a million little things).” It helps me see the joy that can come from simple prayers.
This is such a blessed Word!
Ahh, I didn’t know where that prayer came from but it’s one of my favorite songs from The Brilliance. Beautiful.