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March 30, 2023

Day 7: The Lord’s Prayer | 12-Day Guided Prayer

Welcome to Day 7 of Our Guided Prayer

Note: This prayer meditation is first and foremost designed to be listened to, so we encourage you to listen to the audio as you read along.

TRANSCRIPT:

Hey Church on the Move family,

Welcome to our 12-day guided prayer podcast.

Today is day 7.

Take a moment to prepare yourself to pray over the next few minutes by putting away distractions, setting aside mental to-do lists, and finding a place where for the next 10 minutes or so you can give yourself entirely to the task of prayer.

See yourself placing any worries or situations outside of your control at the feet of Jesus.

Let’s begin by praying a simple prayer. If you find your mind wandering or it’s difficult to focus simply return to prayer by repeating this phrase. Take a deep breath, rest your thoughts on God and pray:

Jesus, in my weakness you are strong.

I receive strength from Your strength, life from Your life.

Our prayers over the 12 days are based on reflections from the life and teachings of Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew.

There are three parts to the invitation to pray in this season.

This podcast, praying the Lord’s prayer at noon, and a simple prayer to reflect on our day called the prayer of examen in the evening. Today we are going to spend some time reflecting on and praying through the Lord’s prayer found in Matthew 6:9-13. Let’s start with verse 9.

9 Pray then like this:
“Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.

There is so much meaning packed into one small phrase. The Almighty God is not just “my Father” but “Our Father”. Paul says that God is the Father from whom every family on heaven and earth derives their name. In other words, God is the Father of everyone whether He is acknowledged as Father or not. And His name is to be kept holy. This is not just something we pray would happen it is something we actively participate in by representing Him in our day to day lives.

Take a few moments and allow these words to fill your imagination.

What does it mean to know God as Father? What does it mean to represent Him well?

10 Your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.

When we think of a kingdom we might have an image in our head of a castle, a king and queen, but what is it really? A Kingdom is the place where what the King wants done gets done. And how does He get things done? Through His people. Our prayers that God’s will would be done on earth as it is in heaven can’t help but propel us into mission with God. God is at work and He is calling us to partner with His supernatural action in the world, to bring His kingdom on earth as it is in heaven.

What do you see in the world that is incongruent with the kingdom of heaven?

Pray about that now. Pray that God’s rule and reign would come where there’s injustice or suffering in the world.


11 Give us this day our daily bread,
12 and forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.

These last few lines of the prayer confess our dependence on God for our daily needs, forgiveness, and His guidance. Prayer aligns our hearts with Kingdom purposes and puts our priorities in order. Where we might be tempted to worry, God wants us to surrender to Him, trusting Him to provide for every area of our lives. His rule and reign comes in our lives first and then flows through us.

Ask God to show you any area where you have been resistant to trusting Him.

Do you have a practical need? Ask Him to provide it. Forgiveness? Ask Him for it now. Do you need Him to guide you? Surrender to His leading now.

Some translations have added, “For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.” To the end of verse 13.

Even though this text doesn’t appear in some of the earliest manuscripts it is true nonetheless. The kingdom, power, and glory belong to God and God alone. Let’s take a moment to declare God’s rule and reign in our homes and over our lives.

As we close today please join me in praying the Lord’s Prayer in its entirety.

Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.

Your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day 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 evil.

For Yours is the kingdom

and the power and

the glory forever.

Amen.

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