Matthew 6:9-13, Verse 9
Find a place and time free of distractions for the next 7-10 minutes. Sit comfortably and breathe deeply for a few seconds before you begin. As you breathe in, say the name of Jesus and become aware of his presence with you. As you breathe out, open your mind and heart to receive whatever Jesus has for you today.
For the next five days we’ll take a deep dive into the portion of Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 6 known as the “Lord’s Prayer.” Read Matthew 6:9-13 praying the words out loud if possible.
Just after explaining that God already knows what we need before we ask, Jesus tells his disciples to “pray,” (interact with God) according to his prayer. The words of Jesus’ prayer are well known to many people, and in some cases they are so familiar that they go by without much thought. But this prayer of Jesus encompasses every other prayer we pray, and thus deserves our full attention.
Focus in on the first sentence reading it slowly and thoughtfully: “Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy.”
It is significant that in this prayer, Jesus addresses God as “Our Father.” Stop to contemplate the fact that Jesus is giving this prayer to his followers, indicating that God is their Father as well as his, and by implication, yours as well.
Tell Jesus what you think or how you feel about sharing the Fatherhood of God with him.
Once again, focus in on the first sentence of Jesus’ prayer: “Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy.”
The Hebrew understanding of names was that they reflected the character and essence of a person and therefore were inseparable from the person to whom they belonged. In this prayer it is not simply the spoken name of God that Jesus is referring to, it’s the essence of who God is that Jesus desires to be “hallowed” or kept as special, sacred, and holy.
God’s character and essence are infinite, and there are many names for God in the Scriptures that reflect aspects of who God is. For the last few minutes of this time of meditation, address your prayers to God using one of the names below. Simply pray the sentence, “God you are…” over and over using these names or other names of God you know from Scripture.
Father
God Most High
The God Who Sees
The Creator
The Lord Who Heals
The Lord is Peace
The Lord Will Provide
The Everlasting God
The Lord Our Righteousness
I AM
Now be still for a moment and listen.
What might God be communicating to you today through these names?
How will you respond?
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