“And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples. And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth. Give us day by day our daily bread. 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” (Luke 11:1-4).
What we have there is the Model Prayer — often referred to as the Lord’s Prayer. But when Jesus was in the garden, praying to the Father to have the cup removed, that was truly the Lord’s Prayer.
The matter of prayer is, to many, a very misunderstood and misused part of their Christian life. No greater asset do we have than the privilege of prayer. Without a doubt, prayer is the most powerful — and yet the most unused — of all our Christian privileges.
So, what is prayer? Prayer is us communicating with God, just as the Bible is God communicating with us. If fellowship is to exist, then the lines of communication must stay open. The disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray. This is when Jesus gave us the example — the Model Prayer, not the Lord’s Prayer, in my view.
We would be wise to follow its example. We should begin with praise — “Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.” The word hallow means “to make or regard as holy.” The psalmist wrote, “Let everything that hath breath praise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord” (Psalm 150:6). Why? “For God is the King of all the earth: sing ye praises with understanding” (Psalm 47:7). “Sing unto the Lord, O ye saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness” (Psalm 30:4).
Secondly, we need to continue with a prayer for repentance — “forgive us our sins.” The psalmist said, “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me” (Psalm 66:18). God will not bless or use a dirty vessel, for it’s not how fancy, but how clean the vessel is. “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me” (Psalm 51:10). “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (I John 1:9). Do whatever you need to do to make me a vessel fit for Your service. For only after we have confessed our sin are we able to approach His throne with boldness.
Thirdly, we need to make our petitions known unto Him. First, praise Him. Second, repent. Now we come to theasking part of prayer, “Give us day by day our daily bread” (Luke 11:3). Some feel it is wrong to ask God for what we need, but that isnot so. In fact, we often have not because we ask not (James 4:2). Are you guilty of only asking for the things you want or the things you need? Do you pray and ask for a better understanding of His Word, a closer walk with Him, souls to be saved and lives to be touched? Or do you pray only for physical, consumable things you want? Matthew tells us: “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” (Matt. 6:33). It is the spiritual that enables us to overcome life’s difficulties. It wasn’t their circumstances that brought the song out of Paul and Silas at midnight — it was their faith and their fellowship with God.
In this world, we sometimes ask our earthly fathers for things we don’t really need — things that might even hurt us. Our heavenly Father is the same way. He knows what’s best for us and often withholds things that would do us harm. When we pray, we also need to move toward what we’re asking for through our actions.
Let me give you an example. A farmer has a truckload of seed, and he prays, “Father in Heaven, give us a good crop this year, for we really need it.” Then he walks into the house and leaves the seed sitting on the truck. Wouldn’t that be foolish? Yet our prayers are often just as foolish. We pray for God to bless, but we never take the steps of faith that make room for His blessing.
From Our Missionaries
Ebenezer, West Little Rock: Ruben Isturiz writes, “I thank God for what is happening at Ebenezer. Our activities are divided into small group meetings in homes during the week and ESL classes, singing, and worship services on weekends.
“We strive not to depend solely on the temple in Chenal, seeking to make home activities a blessing through fellowship and the study of Scripture. Each week, in homes, people connect with others, learn God’s Word, and share what they have learned. Experience has shown us that the quality of our weekday activities is positively reflected in Sunday attendance and participation.
“In fact, last Sunday we had excellent attendance and participation, and new members are bringing renewed enthusiasm to Ebenezer. As I have mentioned in previous reports, our congregation is reaching people who do not yet know the gospel or who are disconnected and hurting. It is not our church’s custom to invite people from other local churches to our activities.
“I thank God for this approach of seeking out the lost and those who are spiritually thirsty. At Ebenezer, there is an atmosphere of grace, not legalism, and from the pulpit we teach sound doctrine. Thank you, team, for your prayers and support in the ministry. To God be the glory!”
Faith Chapel, Flippin: Johnny Shew writes, “What a great week at Faith Chapel! Our number was down a little, but we still had a great time of worship with some return visitors!
“We bought a new Assistive Listening System for the sanctuary last week and tried it on Sunday morning, and those that tried it said it worked wonderfully and helped them to hear the service without missing a thing. Praise God! We should have enough receivers to serve our members and visitors going forward, and we hope and pray that it enhances their worship experience. It also works wirelessly with cell phones and hearing aids through an app. Praise God for this technology!
“The drywall texture has been sprayed, and we are officially painting in the classroom addition! Praise God again. The flooring contractor has been scheduled to polish and stain the floors, and we are moving ahead steadily.
“We thank you all for your support and prayers — God is hearing and answering!”
Faith Journey, Benton: Bryan Clay writes, “It’s been a full and rewarding week as we continue to see God at work! I had the privilege of sharing the Gospel with a young man searching for direction in his life. Though he hasn’t yet accepted Christ, he listened with an open heart—please keep him in your prayers.
We also had the opportunity to visit the Howard County Association for their meeting, where we shared a report from the BMA Missions Office and an update on all that God is doing through Faith Journey. It was a blessing to connect with fellow believers, enjoy a tasty lunch, and hear inspiring messages.
“Our Faith Journey family surprised us with a wonderful Pastor Appreciation Sunday! From encouraging words and thoughtful gifts to an evening dinner of tacos, desserts, and trivia, we were overwhelmed by their love and encouragement. We’re so thankful for the people God has brought to this mission and the joy we share together as a family.”
Epic Life, Pea Ridge: Jake McCandless writes, “This week was a steady one for our Connection Groups, even though overall attendance was down. Both groups continued their studies and enjoyed fellowship together. Our Woodbridge Group is still walking through the characteristics of God, while our Garfield Group is pressing on in their new study of Hebrews 11.
“We also held our second large-group worship service of the month last night at Room 161. This was only the second time we’d brought all our groups together twice in the same month. Up until last month, we’d only done that once a month. It was good for our immediate core to be together again, but honestly, it was discouraging — just like the first gathering earlier this month.
“That discouragement has pushed us to rethink and develop a new strategy for these gatherings, which we’re planning to launch in January. Part of that plan may involve moving to a different location, and I’ve already started checking out options.
“The biggest disappointment this weekend was that our annual Hayride and Bonfire got rained out. It’s always one of our best opportunities to welcome new guests and just have a blast together as a church family.
“Please continue to pray for our leaders, for new leaders to be established, and for wisdom as we take these next steps forward.”
Misión Gracia Soberana (Sovereign Grace), NWA:Roberto Marcelletti writes, “Greetings, sisters and brothers in Christ. This was an extraordinary week because we celebrated our cultures — an event for which we had been praying. It does not matter how much we plan or have the resources, as Moses said, ‘If your presence is not with us in what we are going to do, we do not want to do anything if you do not go.’ So, before any event, we’re going to pray fervently. Our work is spiritual.
“On Sunday, we celebrated our cultures and also observed Pastor Appreciation Day. It was wonderful — we had our highest attendance since starting the mission! Some who visited said they would return next Sunday. We enjoyed typical dishes from several countries, had representation from seven nations, and heard testimonies from brothers sharing about their cultures. We learned more about each nation and prayed for God’s work there. Below are some pictures from this time together.”
