We will wrap up this short series on prayer today by exploring Praise in our prayer life.

Have you known you needed to pray, but just weren’t sure how. You didn’t know the right words? You didn’t know what was acceptable to God.

In the gospel of Luke account, the disciples said to Jesus

Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples. —Luke 11:1

Jesus then teaches them what we call The Lord’s Prayer.
In prayer we praise, glorify God in what He does in our lives. So today we will look at 3 truths in our Praising God from the Lord’s Prayer.

1 Matthew 6:9a Our Father… ESV

The first words of the Lord’s prayer show us who we are in Christ. Jesus taught His disciples to address God as Father. Some of the first recorded words of Jesus show this relationship.

Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house? —Luke 2:49

The last words of Jesus on the cross also show this > > “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” —Luke 23:46

The Lord’s prayer reminds us of who we are in Christ. We come to God not as outcasts or strangers but as those who have been adopted into God’s kingdom. We come as His children. It means that we have direct access to His presence.

Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. —Hebrews 4:14-16

God is both our Father and the Lord of glory. We can approach Him confidently in prayer because we are His dearly beloved children.

Remember the story of the prodigal son? The son decided to leave the family. The son recognized that he had given up his rights as a son and went back to the father willing to be treated as a servant or hired hand. But the father had other plans.

But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to celebrate. —Luke 15:22-24

Instead of punishment, his sonship was restored. Every time we pray “OUR Father” we are forced to recognize the fact that we cannot pray alone. We can’t have a close relationship with our father if we hate the rest of the family. The family stands or falls as a unit. Second we read

2. Matthew 6:9b ….hallowed be your name. ESV

God is our Father, but he is also the Almighty Creator of Eternity. The word hallowed means holy. To proclaim “hallowed be your name” is to recognize and declare the holiness of God.

Words like endless…vast…perfect…whole…creator…provider…protector are just a few words that come to mind about God.

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” —Isaiah 55: 8-9

God’s nature and thoughts are not like our own. He lives far beyond the bounds of time and humanity so He has a completely different perspective on reality than we do.

Job learned this the hard way. He had lost his children and possessions. The council of his wife was “curse God and die”. For 37 chapters his friends Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophath each gave their words of advice but God chooses to speak in Chapter 38.

Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding. —Job 38:4

God reveals all the wisdom, anger, and understanding of man do not compare to His wisdom and Purposes.

In prayer we turn our attention to the Rock of Ages who can never be shaken. Last truth for today

3. Matthew 6:10 Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. ESV

Once we have a clear vision of who we are in Christ and who Christ is then we will seek to line up with God’s will and purposes in our lives. Out of information comes transformation.

And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. —2 Corinthians 3:18

Prayer is not just about talking but also listening. What does God want? What is His agenda for our time together?

CS Lewis observed- *”The moment you wake up each morning, all your wishes and hopes for the day rush at you like wild animals. And the first job each morning consists in shoving it all back; in listening to that other voice, taking that other point of view, letting that other, larger, stronger, quieter life come flowing in.” *

I heard the story of a church business meeting that got pretty hot. After discussing the issue for some time one person said “maybe we should pray about this”. One of the others at the meeting said “Oh no, has it come to that”.

Do you recognize who you are in Christ? Can you see your life and situation from God’s higher perspective?**

Is your prayer that God’s will be done? What role do play in God’s kingdom coming to earth?