This Sunday, we will begin a new worship series examining the Prayer that Jesus Taught (also know as the Lord's Prayer), which we find at Matthew 6:9-13. Prayer is one of the most human aspects of Christ's life and earthly ministry, because it's the point in humanity's relationship to God in which we each acknowledge that we are utterly dependent on the grace of God and make ourselves vulnerable and helpless before the Divine.
This is not the only prayer that Jesus speaks in the Gospels. He prays for his disciples (e.g. John 17:6-26), and for his persecutors (Luke 23:34). When he prays in desperation to God, he also asks his friends to pray at the time when he most needed the support of God and his followers (Matthew 26:39-41).
Prayer is an important part of spiritual discipline that helps to nourish our own relationship with God and with others. Regular prayer keeps us mindful of the reality that God is at the very heart of our lives, and requesting prayer from - or praying for - others keeps us connected in a particularly intimate way. One of the privileges of being part of a church community is the opportunity to pray together each week and the chance to share prayer requests.
Sometimes, prayer can be the last thing on our minds, God can feel very distant, but keeping up 'the motions' (saying a regular prayer before bed, or a grace before or after a meal) is a very simple wy of continuing to be mindful of God. Is there one thing you could do to enhance your prayer life over the coming weeks? Perhaps you could try a new way of praying, or commit to a quiet time every day? Maybe even a podcast like Pray-as-You-Go to bring God into a walk or daily commute? Whatever you find useful, share it with others, you never know who you might be blessing.
In prayer,
Kate
This is not the only prayer that Jesus speaks in the Gospels. He prays for his disciples (e.g. John 17:6-26), and for his persecutors (Luke 23:34). When he prays in desperation to God, he also asks his friends to pray at the time when he most needed the support of God and his followers (Matthew 26:39-41).
Prayer is an important part of spiritual discipline that helps to nourish our own relationship with God and with others. Regular prayer keeps us mindful of the reality that God is at the very heart of our lives, and requesting prayer from - or praying for - others keeps us connected in a particularly intimate way. One of the privileges of being part of a church community is the opportunity to pray together each week and the chance to share prayer requests.
Sometimes, prayer can be the last thing on our minds, God can feel very distant, but keeping up 'the motions' (saying a regular prayer before bed, or a grace before or after a meal) is a very simple wy of continuing to be mindful of God. Is there one thing you could do to enhance your prayer life over the coming weeks? Perhaps you could try a new way of praying, or commit to a quiet time every day? Maybe even a podcast like Pray-as-You-Go to bring God into a walk or daily commute? Whatever you find useful, share it with others, you never know who you might be blessing.
In prayer,
Kate
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