“This, then, is how you should pray: Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.” Matthew 6:9-13
THE LORD’S PRAYER - OUR FATHER …. BY LILY, AGE 8
My dad is living up in heaven with Jesus. I know it’s true because that’s what my mom told me, and she doesn’t lie. I went to church dressed up in one of my Sunday dresses, and it wasn’t even a Sunday. It was a Saturday. I knew right then something wasn’t right. Actually, I knew before that day - like when the policeman came to our door and my mom started to cry. There was an accident. Another car hit my dad’s car. He got hurt really bad. Grandma and Grandpa came right over. They started to cry, too. I cried a lot, but mostly because my dad never came home that night.
At the funeral, a lot of people said some really nice things about my dad. I remember some stuff, even though I was only 7 years old. That night mom told me dad was living in heaven - that’s something I’ll never forget. It made me feel better because I was worried since he didn’t come home. She told me that even though he wasn’t here with us, he was safe and still watching over me. He was just a prayer away. That night mom started teaching me the Lord’s Prayer. She said now I have two fathers in heaven - my dad and God, our Father. I wish my dad was still here with me, but I talk to him in my prayers - just like I talk to God in my prayers. Mom says that’s what praying is all about - our way to talk to Jesus. She doesn’t think God will mind if I say “hi” to dad while I’m saying my prayers. Mom says someday I’ll get to be in heaven with my dad, because I’m a special child of God!
FROM THE BIBLE:
“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you.” John 14:1-2
“How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” 1 John 3:16
TABLE TALK WITH THE KIDS
- Have you experienced the death of a family member or close friend? If you feel comfortable, talk about it with your family. Discuss God’s promise of eternal life for believers.
- Re-read 1st John 3:16 above. God, “the Father has lavished (love) on us, that we should be called children of God”. Name two ways you can show God, our Father, your great love for Him.
- Lily learned the Lord’s Prayer as a way to be near her dad (her earthly father) and honor God (her heavenly Father). Use these next few devotionals to help you memorize and understand the meaning of this prayer.
WHAT ABOUT ME? LET’S DIG IN…
According to most sources, the Lord’s Prayer is the best loved and most spoken prayer in the world! There are many different versions, but they all originate from Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount in the book of Matthew. Jesus spoke to the crowd that had gathered about key life lessons, and this passage is referred to as the Lord’s Prayer because Jesus provided it as a pattern for prayer. We should pray not as reciting a wish-list, but as a child might speak to his father - simply, honestly, and with humility for failures and deep needs.
The phrase, “Our Father who art in heaven”, represents the kind of fatherly relationship Jesus longs for. God wants nothing more than a deep and personal relationship with us, His children. He truly is the perfect Dad - loving, wise, consistent in discipline, and capable of meeting all our needs. In all His infinite wisdom, why would we not look upward in prayer for answers to the greatest questions and concerns in our life?
In the wake of tragedy, Lily’s mom turned her focus to God, the Father, as the ultimate source of comfort for her young daughter. Lily not only learned a key passage of scripture, but His prayer allowed her to embrace the memory of her dad while honoring Christ. Lily also learned the significance of her dad’s life in Christ - his faithfulness and Christian beliefs assured Lily of someday being joined with him in heaven. Dear child, “Do not let your hearts be troubled.” (John 14:1)
Next time you begin with “Our Father who art in heaven”, pause and wrap your mind around that singular thought - Our Father. Wow! It feels so good to be assured of His great love - the kind of love only a Father can give!
MEMORY VERSE:
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16