Introduction : Prayer is the spiritual breath of Christians. Spiritually, we will suffocate to death if we don´t pray, just as we will die if we don´t breathe. Although we pray everyday, we don´t know how to pray well. It is not necessary to speak fluently for a good prayer. A prayer needs to have the right order and contents. That is what God is teaching us.
1. Our Father in heaven. 1) We must turn our face toward heaven. We must adore God and have a heart of fear (Ps 2:11; Pr 1:7). 2) God is our father. (1) The Source of our life (Ps 89:26; 1 Co 8:6; Jn 1:12,13). (2) Who is taking care of us (Ps 31:23). (3) Who is overflowing with majesty and love (Ps 145:5,8). 3) We must accept the name of God preciously and gloriously (Ps 43:21; Dt 6:5; Ps 145:1; Ro 11:36).
2. Your kingdom come. 1) The kingdom of God was lost in the Garden of Eden by Adam, but it was recovered at Calvary´s cross by Jesus (Lk 4:6; Jn 10:10; Col 2:15; 1:13). (1) The kingdom of righteousness (Ro 8:1,2; Lk 23:42). (2) The kingdom of fullness of the Holy Spirit (Tit 3:6,7; Ro 14:17). (3) The kingdom of healing (Mt 12:28; Ac 10:38). (4) The kingdom of the blessing of Abraham (Gal 3:13,14; Mt 6:33). (5) The kingdom of resurrection and advent (1 Th 4:16,17; Rev 22:12,13). 2) The kingdom is within Jesus, and the kingdom will come when we accept Jesus (Mt 4:17; Lk 17:21; Rev 1:5,6; 1 Pe 2:9). 3) The kingdom of the Lord must come (Ac 1:7,8; Rev 11:15; 21:2).
3. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. 1) The existence that disobeys God´s will. (1) The devil (1 Jn 2:22; 3:8). (2) The non believer (1 Jn 5:19; 2 Co 4:4; Jn 3:18). (3) The secular believer (Ro 8:7; 1 Jn 2:15-17). 2) Jesus achieved the will of God (Php 2:5-8). 3) We must worship Jesus on the throne of our heart. We must serve God as His servant, farmhand, and His worker (Ps 123:1,2; Mt 7:21; Gal 2:20). 4) God must reign in heaven and on earth with His absolute sovereign power (Ps 103:19; Da 4:17; 1 Ch 29:11).
Conclusion : The things that concern God must come first in our prayers, and the things that concern us should follow His. Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and then we can tell Him about our desires. Next Sunday we will find out how to tell Him about our desires.
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