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.
Our motivation to spend time with God should be to get to know Him not to get something from Him. God wants an intimate relationship with us–the kind we would share with a very close friend. He wants to know our joys and share our struggles and sorrows. He wants to help us mature spiritually and come away from our time together feeling encouraged and energized. He wants us to be blessed by our relationship with Him.
We should make our primary pursuit His will and His character. He should be the first place we go with our desires and motivations. God has a plan for our lives. We should be actively seeking His will, for only with God’s help can we accomplish what God has called us to do.
“From beginning to end, the Savior’s pattern of conversation is centered on God: His authority, holiness, power, wisdom, purpose, provision, forgiveness, and goodness. When we focus on the Lord and meditate on His ways, we begin to love Him, listen to Him, and sense His presence, and He speaks to us in awesome ways.”¹
[Read Psalms 76-90]
Psalm 84:1-2 How lovely is your dwelling place,
O Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
I long, yes, I faint with longing
to enter the courts of the Lord.
With my whole being, body and soul,
I will show joyfully to the living God.
Father God,
Thank You for giving us a prayer guide to follow so that we can enjoy genuine communion with You. I pray that I will apply it to my heart and commit myself to knowing You in a more profound, intimate way. May I experience the powerful privilege of walking in Your presence, moment by moment, every day. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
¹Charles F. Stanley, “The Ultimate Conversation” (New York, NY, Howard Books, 2012) p. 150
