Guidance To Prayer

Guidance To Prayer (by David Peterson of The Rock Of Jesus Church)

As part of His “Sermon on the Mount”, Jesus says in Matthew 6:9-13: “Pray, then, in this way: ‘Our Father, who is 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 lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil.’”

Here, as in Luke 11:2-4, the disciples asked Jesus how to pray and Jesus offers them this simple model. In what is now known as “The Lord’s Prayer”, the first 3 petitions address God while the last 3 petitions address our human needs.

John Piper once wrote; “Love is the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22), and the Spirit is given in answer to prayer (Luke 11:13). Love is the outworking of faith (Galatians 5:6), and faith is sustained by prayer (Mark 9:24, Luke 22:32). Love is rooted in hope (Colossians 1:4-5), and hope is preserved by prayer (Ephesians 1:18). Love is guided and inspired by knowledge of the Word of God (Philippians 1:9; John 17:17), and prayer opens the eyes of the heart to the wonders of the Word (Psalm 119:18). If love is the path of fullest joy, then let us pray for the power to love “that our joy might be full!” Piper is teaching that love and prayer are intertwined. God provides us with the fruit of the Spirit through His grace and thereby to use as we pray to Him in fervent and reverent prayer.

In 1845, W.W. Walford wrote the hymn “Sweet Hour of Prayer” reflecting on the power of praying to our Creator. The third verse is:

Sweet hour of prayer! Sweet hour of prayer!

Thy wings shall my petition bear
To Him whose truth and faithfulness

Engage the waiting soul to bless.

And since He bids me seek His face,

Believe His Word, and trust His grace,

I'll cast on Him my every care,

And wait for Thee, sweet hour of prayer!

Let us pray: Loving Jesus, teach us not only how to pray but the meaning behind the words you taught us. Guide us continually in our prayer life and bestow within us a need to pray to you incessantly. Amen!