Pray like this: Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Matthew 6:9-10 NLT
Jesus prayed so differently than anything the disciples had ever seen or heard, though they were religious men, raised in the synagogue since birth. They couldn’t get over it. So one day they asked Him, the “expert,” to teach them to pray like He did. So Jesus did. He gave them a simple prayer example, a template of sorts, for them to pray. It was a basic model for their own prayers.
The prayer was incredibly simple. Only 53 words. But it gave them a meaningful, simple way to connect with God and start an intimate and personal relationship. He told them God was not just HIS Father but their Father too, and He told them to address God in that way. Not just “My Father,” but “Our Father.” We have a wonderful Father and a family of His other children.
Praying to God as our Father leads into an intimate, strengthening relationship. He’s a Father we never need to fear. We can come boldly to Him and when we do, we will find mercy and grace to help us in our time of need (Hebrews 4:16). You are a dearly loved child. He wants to hear everything that is on your mind and in your heart.
He’s not just our Father. He is holy, and Jesus instructs us to approach Him with that knowledge. He IS our Father, but we don’t just address Him with a casual, “Hey, Dad!” The full sentence says, “Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy.” We are acknowledging that He is holy other, completely different from us. He is from heaven and we are very earth-bound. He is set apart from anyone or anything else we can ever know. He’s not a heavenly Santa, just wanting to fulfill our requests if we are good enough.
Telling God He is holy places you in a position of humble receptivity. You are owning that you are not wise enough to make your own decisions, and you are ready to align your will with His. Jesus then shows us how to do it. Pray from the heart: “May Your Kingdom come soon. May Your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.” What an invitation for God to work! God hears and starts helping you put your life in the order that He knows is right and good. His Kingdom comes to YOUR heart, you start living out His will in YOUR life, and life gets stronger and better.
- When you pray with this humble confidence, knowing that God is your Father, you become a world-changer, not because you are trying to make the world submit to God, but because YOU are submitting. You are part of His Kingdom coming.