RELEASE

One of the most impactful sermons in my life came from Pastor David Benenoch at Communion Church. It was simple, yet profound. It comes from Matthew 6:9-13, referencing the Lord’s Prayer. He did not refer to the previous verses or those that followed. He spent over half an hour breaking down those 5 verses. It has shaped the way I’ve prayed all my life. While I can’t remember the sermon by heart, here are some things I’ve committed to practice since having this prayer broken down:

Pray then in this way: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And do not bring us to the time of trial, but rescue us from the evil one.[1]

One of the most important things to remember about prayer is that prayer is not for God. Prayer is for you. God already knows you. He already knows Himself. He knows why you are approaching His throne and He knows how to bring to pass what He wants and what you want at the same time. The only benefit He receives from prayer is the pleasure of seeing you reach out to Him, which He gladly receives every time. However, when you first open your mouth, or your heart, to pray, it is best to remind yourself who you are speaking with.

Our Father in heaven,

You are not speaking to a genie. You are not speaking to a wish list. You are not speaking to one who is incapable. You are speaking to your Father, someone who has created you and has cared for you in your upbringing, even if your upbringing was horrible. You are speaking to someone who is in heaven, above you in more ways than one. You are speaking to THE God, not just a god.

The best way to know who you are speaking to is to read the entirety of the Bible, but seeing as how not even the believers read the Word, keep the basics in mind. You are speaking to someone who has the authority to say yes and no, and whichever response you get, He is justified in providing.

Hallowed be Your name.

Not only is God the sovereign ruler of existence, but His name should command respect and a healthy fear. You should not be afraid of God, but rather, you should be afraid to cross Him. You should be afraid to use vulgar language or to try to manipulate God. You should be terrified to challenge God and His decrees which are written in the Bible. You definitely should avoid making bargains with God. Such disrespect invites lessons. Ask Jephthah[2]. You are speaking to authority.

Most of you know not to antagonize your parents or grandparents, or the president, at least. Treat God with greater respect than you give these. Come with respect and a proper posture from the heart so that your prayer may be considered. Many do not consider the importance of such things in prayer. You can’t just talk any kind of way. You have to be respectful.

Your Kingdom Come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

It is safest to remain in alignment with God’s will when you pray. Oftentimes, our prayers are selfish and self-centered. We seek God to move for our benefit rather than everyone’s benefit. God seeks for all to be reconciled into His kingdom. He seeks to save all[3]. If your prayers do not reflect His mentality, you risk being told, “No,” and quite honestly, you most likely deserve that “No.”

You can’t just pray for the ally. You must also pray for the enemy. You can’t just pray for the loved one. You must also pray for the stranger. If you have not prayed for the person you can’t stand, you are missing the point of prayer. If you have not prayed for the person you are jealous of, you are missing the point of prayer. It is easy to pray for those we care about. It’s automatic. When’s the last time you prayed for the weirdo?

If this conversation makes you uncomfortable, remember, Jesus said, “Your will be done.” He did not say, “My will be done.” He took a backseat in His prayer request so that God could remain at the forefront. He was teaching this prayer for our sakes. You are not praying to have your desires met, but God’s. Isn’t about time you asked God what does He want for your life?

I have developed a habit of praying not for what I want, but what God wants. Oftentimes, I am at a loss, because I truly do not know what God wants in a situation, even after having read the entire Bible. I still have to say, “Lord, I don’t know what You want here, but let Your desires in this situation be prevalent and executed above all others.” It’s okay not to know what God wants to happen. It is not okay to refuse to let Him have His way in the results of your prayers. His will must be the focal point of your prayers!

Give us this day our daily bread.

One of the cool parts of God’s will is that He loves to speak with you daily. Yes, the ruler of all wishes to hear your voice daily. He takes pleasure in it. We understand this with our spouses, children, family, friends, parents, and coworkers, but somehow think God doesn’t want to hear from us every day. He does! He loves to hear from His loved ones on the daily!

Tell Him what’s going on. Update Him on what is happening in your life, how you interpret it, and how you feel about it. He may already know, but He loves to hear your voice and see how you’re viewing the days. He, whose voice commands the angels in heaven and the waters of the earth, values and loves your voice.

He also loves to provide for us in all aspects of our lives daily. I have grown accustomed to asking God for a changed perspective (renewed mind), food, health, enhanced emotional state, energy, and an understanding of His word, presence, and movement. It is a daily thing. The moment I start to slack is the moment I start seeing the side effects in my life.

We are creatures of consumption. If we are not taking in daily conversations with God, daily reading of His Word, and daily music, conversations, and sermons directed toward God, we risk opening ourselves to temptations from other places.

And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.

Consuming those ungodly things from other places is how we come into the position of needing forgiveness. We take our desires and gaze off of God, and begin sinning. To sin is to welcome death, consequence, and punishment. Yet, we will come to God to ask for justice against someone who is attacking us.

I am trying to make a habit of asking for forgiveness before I ask God to take vengeance on my behalf. Why? Because what if my sin, my personality, my lack of character, or my rebellion has influenced the attack on my life? What if something I have consumed has resulted in this rotten season in my life?

Two verses come to mind when asking God to forgive myself and others: Matthew 7:1-5[4] and Luke 23:34[5]. I cannot worry about other’s mistakes and transgressions if I have not addressed my own. Doing so, I feel, is a dangerous mindset on display. We are so focused on the evil of others that we ignore the evil within us. We are all evil. We all need and needed Jesus Christ to die for our sins. No one is exempt.

We are all raised in societies that attempt to push further and further from God, even when they are trying to define themselves as a Christian nation. They oppress, steal, and abuse, but expect God to see them as better because they say, “Abba Father,” on occasion. We truly do not know what we are doing, even when we have phones, tablets, and computers to help us get a better understanding of life. A wealth of information, and all we tend to be is overwhelmed.

That is why we must pray for forgiveness, and then pray for the forgiveness of others. Be intentional. If a toddler hit your leg, you’d be mad, but you’d forgive. In the same way, we must treat the offenses of others like that toddler. Yes, the damage is much more severe from adults, but they still do not know what they’re doing.

And do not bring us to the time of trial (And lead us not into temptation)

That is why it is imperative that we also pray for protection. We do not know what we’re doing, nor do we know what tomorrow holds for us. Some will lose a loved one tomorrow. Some will lose the main source of their income. Some will get in an accident. Some will be served divorce papers. You truly do not know what is in store for your life.

That is why I make a habit of asking God to cover me from the seen and unseen. Lord forbid I wake up and find myself demon possessed. Lord forbid I go to sleep with carbon monoxide covering my house. You never know how a simple request can prevent death.

Some people have prayed and God told them not to take a plane that eventually crashed. Some people have prayed and avoided a fatal accident on the highway. Some have prayed, and were made aware of their spouse’s displeasure, allowing them to course correct and save their marriage. You never know what temptations lie ahead. As the old folks say, stay prayed up!

Rescue us from the evil one (But deliver us from evil)

There is a literal enemy amongst us. We all cannot see that enemy. Yet, we feel the attacks. Job was given literal diseases, children slain, and wealth consumed. It was all because that enemy wanted to see him curse God.

Some of us have obstacles coming that we are not prepared for, because why would we think to prepare for cancer when we are healthy? Why would we think to prepare for thoughts of divorce when we just got married? Why would we think to prepare for a drug-addicted child when they have just started kindergarten?

Do not make the mistake of thinking it can’t and won’t happen to you. We have an enemy, and Satan, that evil devil, is attempting to conjure up every possible attack to expose our weak, or lack of, faith. Again, stay prayed up! We are in a war!

For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

Considering all that you have read, have you really been praying like you need to? Having written all of this, I feel convicted that I am not covering myself, and those in and around my life, properly enough. I have not prayed a true repentance prayer for a while. I have not asked God to protect me from the plans of the enemy ahead. I have not even asked God to forgive others, tending to focus on myself because I feel my life is in disarray.

Let us all be reminded that there are enough things to talk to God about for a lifetime. We just have to talk to Him and give Him room to respond. Despite all the evil we endure, this is God’s kingdom. Despite all the evil we do, we belong to that kingdom. He is pruning the evil out of us, making us despise all of it permanently, before we step foot back home.

He has all the power in the world to deliver on what we ask, but let us be found asking Him for what He desires for us rather than what we think we want. After all, the gifts of God bring glory to Him. When His children are out here thriving, and no, not in the worldly way, it brings Him glory. When we are handling our lives with diligence and grace, we represent Him well.

For some reason, I was reminded of this sermon. If I had the link to it, I would’ve shared, but it was from the time before recorded sermons. This sermon will always change how I view prayer. It will remain a guide and a reminder. There is much to discuss with God. May I do so daily, so that I do not slip up and invite the wrong mentality into my life. Join me in doing and being better.

Here is the prayer order I remembered:

1. Thank God for something (There is always something to be thankful for)

2. Remind yourself of who God is (It is for you, not God)

3. Request forgiveness (Clean your heart and clear your mind before you ask for something)

4. Pray for others (Put yourself last. Others are counting on you)

5. Pray for what you want (God is generous, but remember who runs the show)

6. Remind God of His Word (He knows it, but are you storing it to memory)

7. Thank God for hearing you (Prayer is a privilege, not a right)

I’ll never forget that sermon, or what I gleaned from it, at least. I pray this helps you on your journey and helps you in your rough days.

Love you always,

Dario

[1] Matthew 6:5-15 NKJV,NRSVA - The Model Prayer - “And when you - Bible Gateway