Lesson 3Prayer |
When Jesus told his disciples “After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name." What do you think he was talking about? Remember the disciples had not known God as their personal FATHER, but as the “God of Abraham, of Isaac, of Jacob or the God of our fathers”. They had to change the way they communicated with God. This was about their entering into a completely new level and a new way of speaking to God that they had not known before. This is where many of us are at in our prayers to God, entering a new way of praying.
Let us approach this new way of praying from perhaps a different understanding. When you think of FATHER what comes to your mind?
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Have you ever thought about the fact that you are made up of His genes! Now that you are calling God, FATHER, you not only have His genes but His Spirit. Read Genesis 1:26, which should now take on a completely new meaning and view when we are told by Jesus to call God our Father. Does this mean that you are using your whole body, mind and spirit to communicate with our Father?
In this communication, we need to understand that the old person that you were is not the one talking to God, but the new person that you are now. We have to see that we are like the prodigal son (Luke 15:11 - 24) coming home and the father say to the servant go wash him and put new clothes on him.
We recognize that we have been made part of His family. In addition, that He wants to hear from us in ways that come from any open and honest relationship. Read Nehemiah 1:1 – 11, in these verses we see Him recognizing the condition of His family and what it should be. Nehemiah is open and honest like the Prodigal Son about his status in life, remembers where he came from, and returns to that place.
Read 1 Samuel 1:9 – 18. Here you have Hannah opening up to God in a way that Jesus is calling us to do. She speaks from her heart. In fact, Eli thought she was drunk, because no words came out of her mouth. Yet, Hannah was so intense, involving her whole being and spirit in prayer. She was so into talking with God from her heart that her mouth moved but no words were heard by Eli.
What is Jesus saying when He uses the word “HALLOWED”? The word hallowed means to be free from profane things and to command reverence. With both Hannah and Nehemiah their behavior before God actually communicated, “Hallowed be thy name”, which is to give honor and reverence to God. They did not treat him as a slave to them, but as a master and father. This is want Jesus is asking us to do when we pray to the Father.
OH! Want a change in our attitude we must have before we can really pray.
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