Advent Reflections: Luke 11:1-4

“He was praying in a certain place, and when he finished, one of his disciples said to him, ‘Lord, teach us to pray, just as John also taught his disciples.’ He said to them, ‘Whenever you pray, say, Father, your name be honored as holy. Your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins, for we ourselves also forgive everyone in debt to us. And do not bring us into temptation.’” (CSB – Read the chapter)

Throughout the season of Advent, we are to be preparing ourselves for Jesus’ arrival. One of the best ways to do this is through the spiritual disciplines. Of these several lines of ancient practice intended to put us into a posture of readiness for the action of God in, through, and around us, prayer sits among the most foundational. Knowing how to pray is something we often wonder about. Thankfully, Jesus gave us some instructions. Let’s talk about them.

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Digging in Deeper: Matthew 6:9-13

“Therefore, you should pray like this: Our Father in heaven, your name be honored as holy. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And do not bring us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.” (CSB – Read the chapter)

This week we have been talking about prayer. As Jesus was teaching His disciples and the crowds about prayer, He started with what not to do. That’s what we covered over the last couple of days. We know that prayer is not a means of self-advancement. We also know that prayer should be simple and focused, not wordy or rooted in a false idea about God. As helpful as it is to know what not to do, though, knowing what to do is even better. So then, how do we pray? Fortunately, Jesus doesn’t leave us hanging there. He moves smoothly on to tell us how to do it. Let’s take a look at the Lord’s Prayer together today.

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