New Thoughts From An Old Prayer

When the disciples asked Jesus how they should pray, He told them

Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.

3 Give us day by day our daily bread.

4 And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.

I may be assuming the wrong thing, but I grew up in a church where we said this prayer as a congregation every single Sunday. Not knowing then the full extent to what words were even coming out of my mouth, it just became ritual for me.

Through my struggles at college, I’ve been brought back to the basics of my faith and I believe that my foundation is being remade, as well as renewed. When I say “basics,” I mean this prayer that Jesus taught His followers 2000 years ago to pray, which still applies to us today.

I can truthfully tell you that I am not longer saying words that I just have memorized because it was what I was taught; but now my heart is what is doing the praying. I’m still going to fail in my flesh, but with my heart made right, all else will follow as my Father knows that part of me more than I know it myself [thankfully].

If you are anything like me, you’ve prayed for either one or many of the following:

• For God to show you His Will

• For God to tell you His Will

• For God to guide you to His Will

• For God’s Will to be with you now

…and the list goes on, I’m sure.

Well, that is a common want for any person, I believe. I struggle with this concept daily. How is it that I can consistently focus on what God is doing in my life, yet still want what my flesh desires. I know in my mind that I cannot do both. Yet, this is still extremely hard. I feel imbalanced; wanting what I want, but at the same time really really wanting what God wants.

How do I grow and mature from this imbalanced thought process?

How do I “turn off” what I want and stop making it all about me me me, but instead about Him?

…I believe this will take a lifetime to fully comprehend, but the biggest lesson I learned recently is that I no longer have to worry about what God’s Will for my life is for in the next 10 years, tomorrow, or even in the next minute. The reason is because I should be so focused on living for Him, that I would be searching for His Will right here, and right now. Therefore, if I’m living in His Will step by step, thought by thought, moment by moment…then surely I will be in His Will in the next minute, tomorrow, and 10 years from now.

What a revelation. Thank you Lord.

Blessings.