Jump Start # 296

Luke 11:2 “And He said to them, ‘When you pray, say: ‘Father, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come.”

  We continue our look at prayer through the eyes of Jesus. No one prayed as Jesus prayed. In this passage, which is a part of the sermon on the mount in Matthew 6, we find the Lord giving us an example or model of a prayer. The teacher is teaching about prayer. This comes from one who prayed and prayed. The disciples noticed. They asked Him to teach them how to pray. This is what He said.

  Jesus begins with God. Prayer is first of all, a form of communication. In prayer you are talking to a real person. You are not venting or talking out loud, but rather, you are talking to someone. Prayer begins and is based upon a relationship. Some find it difficult to pray and I think the reason is they just don’t know the one they are talking to. Prayer is not self help or pulling the strength that lies within you as some modern gurus teach. Prayer is talking to God.

  So, the first thing implied in prayer is my belief in God. If I don’t know that God is, then I’m just talking to the ceiling. Not only must I believe in God, but I must believe that God can hear me and that He wants to hear me. This is where the relationship comes in. God loves us. He wants His children to talk to Him. Now, consider this. What kind of relationship would I have with my wife, if the only time I talked to her is when I needed something. The rest of the time I ignored her and never spoke to her. What kind of relationship would we have and more than that, how would she feel? I would be the number one candidate for “idiot of the year” if I treated her that way. Now, think about your relationship with God. When you do talk to Him? Only when you need something? God is not the genie in the lamp who promises to grant your wishes. We serve God, not the other way around. Our attitude and faith about God will tell us much about our prayer life.

  There are some more things to consider. My relationship with God determines whether He will accept my prayer or not. Peter tells us, “For the eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and His ears attend to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil” (1 Pet 3:12). The Psalmist said, “If I regard wickedness in my heart, the Lord will not hear” (66:18). I cannot use God like a spare tire, going to Him when my life is flat but ignoring Him the rest of the time. God will not be used by us. The walk we take in life affects our prayers. If you are not serious about following God’s way in the Bible, do not be surprised if your prayers don’t seem to be working. Prayer is based upon relationship and our relationship is driven by faith and trust in Him.

  Jesus begins this example prayer by acknowledging that God’s name is hallowed. “Hallow” is similar to Holy. One of the ten commandments stated not to take the name of God in vain. Vain means empty or common. God’s name is special. We shouldn’t use it as an expression of anger or joy. Saying, “Oh my…” because you don’t know what else to say, isn’t right. God’s name is hallowed. Lincoln in his Gettysburg address said that they were at hallowed ground. Moses was commanded to take of his shoes because he stood upon “holy ground.” Our prayers and our hearts need to reflect this. Referring to God as “the old man in the sky” or “Dad” is not hallowed. In prayer we must remember who we are talking to. God is not our equal. God is not accountable nor answerable to us. He is God. Our language and attitude ought to reflect that. No one has a right to demand of God. No one has the right to question God. Remember, God’s name is hallowed because He is hallowed. Isaiah would say that there is no one to compare to God. His thoughts are higher than our thoughts and His ways are higher than our ways.

  It is a privilege and an honor to be able to talk to God. I have seen one of our Presidents before, from a distance. Couldn’t get close and definitely couldn’t speak to him. With God you can. Any time, any where. The same God that heard Noah, and David, and Abraham, and Paul, and even Jesus, will listen to you. And it’s not just one setting you get with God, it’s often, every day, throughout the day, without ceasing as Paul told the Thessalonians. You can talk to God! Amazing!

  There is more to be said. Another Jump Start for that.

Roger