JUST ASK

21 Days of Prayer 2022

Day 18

 

REFLECT

The Lord’s Prayer offers us a model of humble dependence before God. He alone has the power to provide what we need, whether emotional, physical, or spiritual. So, we approach him trusting in both his ability to help and his willingness to provide. When you ask God for help, how willing do you think he is to answer? How able?

 

Jesus used bread as a word picture in his prayer. Bread represents our needs—what we require to live. How do you determine which of your requests are needs and which are merely desires? How easy do you find it to bring heavy, significant needs to God? 

 

J.D. reflected that remembering how Jesus has forgiven him helps him have more patience toward those who disappoint or hurt him. “No one has ever wronged me more than I’ve wronged God,” he said. To what extent are you aware of your own sinfulness and need for God’s forgiveness?

 

How easily do you forgive? What could it look like for you to consider your own shortcomings when you are confronted with someone sinning against you?

 

Verse 13 starts with the plea that the Father “not bring us into temptation.” J.D. explained that all people, even believers, are burdened with what the Bible calls “the flesh,” which is our sinful tendency to spiral out of godliness and into sin. We can’t blame the devil or others—we are our own worst enemies. When you face temptation, what’s your first reaction? How quick are you to ask God for help to resist temptation? From which behavior or habit can you start asking God to lead you away?

 

The Lord’s Prayer ends with “but deliver us from the evil one”—a clear reminder that evil forces actively work in our world, drawing us away from God while bringing pain and destruction. Prayer reminds us that we are dependent upon God for everything—grace, daily provision, and deliverance from our own propensity toward evil. How do you react to the reality of evil forces? Why is prayer an effective weapon against the evil one? What does it look like for you to use prayer as part of your fight against evil?

 

 

RESPOND

J.D. closed by reminding us that each line of the Lord’s Prayer should be understood in light of the first word—Father. Jesus encourages us to approach God like a little child approaches his or her father. His heart toward us is gentle and loving. He’s just waiting for us to come to him!

 

 

Take extended time, whether that’s thirty minutes or three days, to focus on praying. Work your way through each line of the Lord’s Prayer in a personal manner and rejoice that your heavenly Father is just waiting for you to come to him. He’s ready, he’s powerful, and he’s for you.