A Lifetime of Prayer
11/03/2017 ..
I didn’t grow up going to church, but I was lucky enough to at least attend a holiday service with my great grandmother. It was a long service and I often found myself fast asleep on my great grandmother’s arm. She was so soft and comfortable. That is until I started to breathe loud and heavy, she would wake me up. It was so hard to stay awake since I had to sit completely still. Trying to follow along with the hymnal was a challenge for an eight-year-old, and I remember hearing all the lovely voices singing. She will never know the glorious impact this holiday attendance at church has given me. It’s where I learned to pray.
One of the things we did in the service every time was recite the Lord’s Prayer. As a little girl I was able to memorize it.
Matthew 6:9-13 New King James Version (NKJV)
In this manner, therefore, 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 this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.
For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
Rick Warren has written a ten-step pathway that will lead you to a deeper, closer relationship with God.
Step 1: I remember how much God loves me.
The Prayer of Connection – “Our Father in heaven”
Step 2: I tell God how much I love him.
The Prayer of Refocusing –“Hallowed be your name.”
Step 3: I offer my life to be used for God’s purposes.
The Prayer of Cooperation – “Your kingdom come.”
Step 4: I give God my pain & sorrow.
The Prayer of Surrender – “Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”
Step 5: I trust God to meet all my needs.
They Prayer of Dependence – “Give us this day our daily bread.”
Step 6: I admit my faults.
The Prayer of Cleansing – “Forgive us our sins.”
Step 7: I release those who have hurt me.
The Prayer of Release – “…as we forgive those who sin against us.”
Step 8: I ask God to guard my heart.
The Prayer of Protection – “Lead us not into temptation.”
Step 9: I depend on God’s power.
They Prayer of Deliverance – “Deliver us from evil.”
Step 10: I praise God for ultimate victory.
The Prayer of Victory – “Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.”
This prayer has been in my mind and heart my whole life. I have studied it many times since I became a Christian. It has taught me that I can tell God what I need. He provides it daily. Somehow I clung to this as a small child. Memorizing this Bible verse buried God’s Word deep in my mind. Anytime I heard it, I could follow along. God gave this to me as a little girl to assure me of his love and care for me. It was reassurance that he was there for me every day of my life. I realize now how God helped guide me along to this time in my life where I am learning from Rick Warren what this prayer means for my everyday life.
Even though I memorized the Lord’s Prayer as a small child, I have a learned a great lesson: memorizing Bible verses as a child has a huge impact on adulthood. Sometimes God shows us a verse that means something special to us. That is when we should memorize it, for Scripture can change the direction of our lives. We can trust God to bring his Word to the forefront of our minds in times of stress or trouble.
Go for it! Start with an easy one. But at least give it a try!