The First 15

Wednesday October 12, 2022

by Jan Davis

Today is Wednesday, October 12 and we are studying the words of Jesus in Matthew chapter six.

Opening Prayer

As I enter a time of prayer, I quiet my mind, slow my breathing and focus myself – body, mind and spirit on the God who loves me.

Pause and Pray


Blessed Lord, I long to hear your voice! Speak to me and help me comprehend the wisdom and guidance you want to share with my soul. Open the ears of my heart to receive truth and gain understanding. Amen.

Scripture Reading

As a new day dawns, I sing praises to God my Father with the words of Psalm 68.

Sing to God, sing in praise of his name, extol him who rides on the clouds; rejoice before him—his name is the Lord. A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling. Psalm 68:4-5

Pause and Pray

In ancient Israel there were a number of pagan groups living among the Jewish population. These non-Jews used multiple formulas in their prayers to various pagan gods and goddesses. They often recited long complicated magical words repeating them over and over anxiously hoping the god or goddess they addressed would respond in favor. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus provides a framework for Christian believers to pray to the One true God, Creator of the universe and Author of humankind. Jesus teaches His followers how to pray and begins by telling me to call God “Father.”

And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. This, then, is how you should pray: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Matthew 6:7-9

Reflection

What does it mean to call God, “Father”? For the Jewish people it is a reminder that God rescued Israel from slavery in Egypt and called Israel His firstborn son (Exodus 4:22). If God is a Father, then He is good and loving to His children. My Father will not withhold any good thing from me but will sustain my life and bless it. My Father always hears me, always loves me and invites me to commune with Him often. Jesus says God is located in a place named heaven, He is my Father in heaven. God is not a man-made idol, but a living God who loves the earth and its people like a father loves his children. Jesus tells me I should pray for the kingdom of God to become fully present, for the glory and beauty of heaven to become a reality on earth as well. When that is done, God’s name, character, reputation, and indeed His very presence will be hallowed – held in high honor everywhere.

Ask: How do I personally understand God as Father? How do I imagine the kingdom of heaven breaking in on the earth?

Pause and Pray

My Father in heaven, thank you for loving me. I kneel before You in humble prayer and contemplate the beauty and joy of Your abiding presence. I pray that the glory and holiness of Your kingdom will break into my everyday circumstances and routine activities. Surprise me with something new – beyond the confines of this broken world and limited earthly existence. I read Matthew again, listening for the message You have for me today.

And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. This, then, is how you should pray: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Matthew 6:7-9

Ask: What image, word or phrase stands out to me when I slowly read this passage? What is God trying to say to me through these words of scripture?

Pause and Pray

God wants me to learn something new about the Lord’s Prayer – a prayer I have known since my childhood. What new insights into this ancient prayer will my Father reveal to me? Maybe God wants me to devote more time to prayer, exude more faith, spend more time in quiet listening, learn to search the scriptures, trust that He already knows my needs, or gain confidence that He will supply my needs. Whatever it is for me today, I turn to address my loving Father in heaven knowing He is always faithful.

Pause and Pray

Father God, You are holy, You are mighty, You are God. I call on You this day and invite You into the circumstances and situations of my earthly life. Come and provide whatever You see that I need the most today. I look to Your hand – the hand of my loving heavenly Parent to supply the deepest longings and repair the greatest shortcomings of my soul. Amen.

I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty. 2 Corinthians 6:18

Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir. Galatians 4:6-7

Closing Prayer

I leave this time of prayer reminded that I am a beloved child of God. I go to tell others of His amazing grace and love.

Amen

The First 15

Sign up to receive an email notification whenever a new devotional is posted to The First 15.