Answered Prayer

Someone posed the question, “What if the Lord’s Prayer was truly answered in our lives?” I wondered what our lives would be like if we truly went beyond just a recitation of the prayer model given to us by our Lord (Matthew 6:13f).

We certainly would reverence our heavenly Father. I admire people who honor their parents. How much more we need to honor our Father in Heaven. It would make us better children and witnesses to His greatness. The Father we know as Christians is not Allah. He is the one and only true God and Savior of the world. So, why do we not reverence and defend His name as the Muslims do their god? Why does the Bible say to abstain from ever appearance of evil? What we do reflects on our Father in heaven.

Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done reminds us that God is King and we are not His equal. His will matters as much on earth as in heaven. His will matters in my life, in my home, on my job, at school, in my budget and on my calendar. There are things happening on earth that I should refuse to do. If God is king of my life and his will uppermost in my intentions I will be faithful to Him as He is to me. The model prayer is laid out in perfect order, first things first. If it seems God isn’t hearing our prayers, perhaps we should first attend to His holiness and Lordship in our lives.

One who lives according to the model prayer will trust God for daily sustenance. I note the prayer requests daily bread and not weekly or monthly. I wouldn’t want to make this a test of faith but if you prayed for today’s bread and received more than enough, would you share it? What if your neighbor has also prayed for daily bread and The Lord wants you to be his supply line? Thy will be done? (See Matthew 25:31f)

We need God’s forgiveness. We also need forgiveness from one another. Forgiveness is difficult but it gets easier with practice. This is a two-faceted prayer in which we actually ask for forgiveness and for ability to forgive. We are most like Jesus when we forgive. How can we be all He wants us to be if we won’t forgive? Grudges are un Christian.