Friday, March 21, 2014

As a follower of Jesus my LORD, I am convinced that far too many “Christians” spend far too little time praising our LORD and far too much time petitioning Him. They pray when all seems hopeless. After exhausting all other options - they pray. And God in His mercy and His love is faithful to answer such prayers, but I wonder…

How many prayers begin with - Oh God, I need….. Oh God, help me…. Instead of “Our Father who art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy Name.”

As a follower of Jesus my LORD, I am also convinced that we as believers do not really understand the power, strength, peace and joy that is ours as children of God. We fail to comprehend the magnitude of His power and live in the valley more often than on the mountain tops. We focus on problems instead of praises. We see temporal, He sees eternal. We see defeat, He sees victory. He wants relationship, we want resolution - NOW!

I pray we will become completely committed, sold out followers of Jesus our Saviour and our LORD. Regardless of what we see or hear, regardless of what happens in our life or in the life of those we love, regardless of circumstances, it is my prayer that we will trust Him, love Him, appreciate Him, revere Him and live each day standing on the promises of God.

“Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus... let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful." Hebrews 10:19-23

2 comments:

  1. Amen...well said Ali. I really like how A. W. Pink breaks down the Lord's prayer, specifically 'hallowed be Thy name' - "Hallowed be Thy name." How easy it is to utter these words without any thought of their solemn import! In seeking to ponder them, four questions are naturally raised in our minds. First, what is meant by the word hallowed? Second, what is signified by God’s name? Third, what is the import of "hallowed be Thy name?" Fourth, why does this petition come first? the words "hallowed be Thy name" signify the pious desire that God’s matchless name might be reverenced, adored, and glorified, and that God might cause it to be held in the utmost respect and honor, that its fame might spread abroad and be magnified.
    Second, the name of God stands for God Himself, calling to the mind of the believer all that He is.
    Hereby we pray that God Himself sanctify His name—that He cause it, by His providence and grace, to be known and adored through the preaching of His Law and Gospel. Furthermore, we pray that His name might be sanctified and magnified in and by us. Not that we can add anything to God’s essential holiness, but we can and should promote the manifestative glory of His holiness. That is why we are exhorted thus: "Give unto the Lord the glory due unto His name" (Ps. 96:8). We do not have the power within ourselves to hallow the name of our God. Yet Christ instructs us, by putting an imperative, passive verb in our mouths, to command our Father, saying, "Let Thy name be hallowed!"
    For us to hallow or sanctify His name means that we give God the supreme place, that we set Him above all else in our thoughts, affections, and lives. An awe of His majesty and holiness should so fill our hearts that our whole inner beings bow in entire and willing subjection to Him. For this we must pray, striving to obtain right views and a deeper knowledge of Him, that we may worship Him aright and serve Him acceptably." Pink, from http://www.pbministries.org/books/pink/Lords_Prayer/pray_02.htm

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  2. Yes, we must realize He is God-we are not.

    Well said lyn, thanks.

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