angelcarols

We seek to be independent of asking anyone for help because in our human sinfulness we think we are "all that." From birth we begin to become more and more independent of those who care for us, eventually striking out on our own. Because of our pride, we believe we are able to handle anything. In the same way that we seek to be independent of others, we also seek to be independent of God. Just as Adam and Eve thought they knew best, we think we can do okay on our own. That is why so often we try to work through challenging situations - to exhaust all options - before going to our knees, instead of starting on our knees. We have heard that "God helps those who help themselves," and that is the crux of the problem. We think we have to work it out to the best of our ability before asking the Lord for help. Instead we should ask Him to lead us. We need to ask God to give us our daily bread as a reminder to ourselves of who and what He is - our creator and provider. We are nothing without Him.

I believe that when we say, "Thy kingdom come," we are both asking for His kingdom to be established on the earth as well as acknowledging that it will be so. Since we are constrained by time and space, for us this will hapen sometime in the future. However, I believe that this work, this establishment of His kingdom, has really already occurred; we just have not experienced it yet. I believe that God, the omnipotent, established His kingdom when Jesus cried out, "It is finished." We ask for the Father's will because His will is true and perfect. We are humbling ourselves and bowing to His authority. This prayer should affect our living by causing us to think, speak, and act in accordance with the Father's will, yielding to Him and supressing our earthly desires.

QUOTE (Pastor Ralph @ Sep 6 2005, 12:11 AM) Q1. What about our lives and words "hallows" the name of our Father? What desecrates and besmirches it? How should we "hallow" the Father when we begin to pray? Our lives and words hallow the name of the Father when we live and speak according to His will: when we walk humbly and use an economy of words with a loving spirit. If people know we are Christians, then they are watching and listening carefully. Everything we say and do becomes a reflection of Him. Sadly, we are sinful human beings. Our thoughts, words, and actions will desecrate and besmirch the name of our Father more often than we intend. We must keep short accounts with our fellow sojourners on this earth as well as with our Father in Heaven by asking forgiveness and repenting (turning from) our sinful ways. We hallow our Father when we pray with a right spirit, humbly acknowledging who He is.

I'm Angela. I'm just beginning the prayer study. I'm discouraged to find no one is beginning this study with me. :-(