There are so many books out there written on prayer, yet none of them can compare to this simple teaching. The Lord, as we know, had an amazing prayer life, and here he teaches us how to do the same.
"And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
"This, then, is how you should pray:
"'Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
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 lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.'." Matthew 6:5-13 (NIV)
To finish up our time studying the Kingdom of God, I want to sum up with this thought.
Being a member of the Kingdom means we live for the the will of our Father, who is in heaven. We pray, "your kingdom come, your will be done"
Jesus prayed in the Garden,""My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will." Matthew 26:39 (NIV).
He prayed that prayer before being crucified, taking on your sin and mine. He prayed it three times, then submitted to the will of the Father.
Jesus taught us to live for the Kingdom, for God's will alone. And then he lived it out for us to see.
Is there any area in your life where you know you need to lay aside your own will in favor of his? Let's ask the Father to reveal anything in us that we hold back from him, and to help us to live for his Kingdom.