Good Morning Humble, Surrendered, Faithful Children of Our Father in Heaven! Hallowed be His name! May His Kingdom come and will be done. Amen! after learning more about what Jesus taught about the end of times, we listened to a great version of the Lord's Prayer (below) and then we prayed it too. Be still and know as you humbly approach His throne of grace and begin your time with Daddy, Abba, Father in stillness, listening for His heart and wisdom and then just worship as you repent of sins, receive His eternal forgiveness, and prepare for the day with His marching orders and His presence guiding you. He calls you by name and reminds you that you are His and then He will reveal what's the next step into this day of promise. After being still and praying through the song, meditate on the Connection blogs prayerfully and then approach surrendered, humble and in His care. He has great plans for you and He will show you the way when you ask and invite Him to. Start there and then end the day in praise as you recall all the answered prayers, how He used you and that His Kingdom was near and His will was done. Amen! Check out Our Daily Bread and Upper Room devotionals too. What's God saying to you? Where is He leading? Ask for a willing heart, moving feet with Him and open arms of love as you reflect Him and His good ways . Amen! I'm praying for you. Start with the peace of His presence and follow His peace --always, humble, faithful child! Shalom shalom!
“Our Father who is in heaven, hallowed be Your name.”
Christ could have instructed us to use any of the multiple names of God as we approach God’s Throne. But, He instructs us to use the words “our Father.” We are approaching the One who has adopted us by His grace into His family. Who sent His Son to rescue us. The One who loves us perfectly. The One who cares for us more than the greatest father on earth. It is an endearing, non-threatening term as we come before God. It is intended to help us realize that we are standing before Him as His beloved son or daughter.
Pause right now, and look up to God and speak these words slowly before the Throne: “My Father!” and simply rest in all that means.
If you want to make contact with God, and if you want to feel His everlasting arms about you, put your hand upon your mouth for a moment as you enter in … Stop for a moment and remind yourself of what you are about to do. Do you know that the essence of true prayer is found in the two words “Our Father.” I suggest that if you can say from your heart whatever your condition, “My Father” in a sense your prayer is already answered.
But Christ did not stop there. We are to pray “Our Father, who is in heaven.” This is not just any Father. Your Father is the One who is above all. He is perfect in all His ways. He is all-powerful and all-knowing. He knows every star by name. He created every cell in your body. He owns everything. There is nothing that is not at His disposal. He is the source of every provision and the giver and guarantor of every promise. He is your heavenly Father with all the resources of heaven and earth at His disposal.
As we meditate on the privilege of calling God our Father, a gratitude should rise in our hearts. We should begin to realize who He is, what He has done, and that He now invites us in to talk with Him. I cannot imagine instantly praying a list of requests at such a moment. If we have genuinely entered in, our first response will be worship. “Hallowed be Your name.”
God’s names are inexhaustible. That’s why the Bible (and our heart when we meditate on Him) is filled with a multitude of names. These are given to help us understand His nature, but also to verbalize our praise in prayer. As you enter in before the Throne, pause and spend time adoring Him. Thank Him for His great names and rehearse what you are seeing in His presence. Thank Him for who He is, but also for what He has done. If you have approached the Throne rightly, you will be overwhelmed with gratitude. Don’t rush this moment in prayer. It will set the tone for the rest of your praying. Let a vision of God fill your soul and direct your praise. Don’t move forward in petitions until you have hallowed Him in praise!
Holy Father, I praise You because Your name is above all others! You created me and have loved me fully and completely as Your beloved child. Help me to come before Your throne with humility and gratefulness. Slow me down so that I can focus on Your promises, Your peace, Your provision and Your presence.
---Adapted from Simply Prayer by Bill Elliff. This book is available at prayerleader.com.
Prayer Points
Pray that you will be diligent in teaching Christ through the way you live your life and the way you speak to others.
Ask God to help you be an excellent model for the generations coming up behind you.
Pray that God removes any distractions to wholesome love among your family and friends. Ask that all ungodly priorities and self-interests will be wiped away so that love can abound
Prayer Points taken from Patterns for Prayer by Alvin VanderGriend. This book is available at prayerleader.com. Use the code CONPSP3 at checkout to receive an additional 10% discount.
A pilot and his two daughters took off from Soldotna, Alaska, on a sightseeing trip. Their small plane, however, never made it to its destination. After several local pilots began searching for the missing aircraft, one named Terry Godes finally spied its nearly submerged wreckage on a partially frozen lake. The three family members were standing on its wings as they had been for hours. Thankfully, the trio was soon rescued by the National Guard. Godes humbly sacrificed his time and resources for others—leading to lives being saved. In humility, he said of his efforts, “I was just the guy that saw the plane first.”
King David sacrificed much for the people of Israel, including battling to save them from their enemies (1 Chronicles 14:8-17). Then he heard from the prophet Nathan that through his bloodline a throne would be “established forever,” as fulfilled in Christ (17:14; see Luke 1:30-33). He replied in humility, “Who am I, Lord God, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far?” (1 Chronicles 17:16). He knew that his life was established by God and His will (v. 19) and that He had ultimately done the work of rescue and redemption for David and his people (vv. 20-22).
Jesus “humbled himself” and made the ultimate sacrifice for us (Philippians 2:8). As He helps us, let’s humbly sacrifice our lives for others.
By Tom Felten
REFLECT & PRAY
Why is humility before God so important? What will it mean for you to humbly sacrifice for others?
Loving God, please help me to humbly sacrifice for You and others.
SCRIPTURE INSIGHT
The books of Samuel, Kings, and Chronicles offer two approaches to Israel’s kingdom story. In 1 and 2 Samuel and 1 and 2 Kings, the focus is on the kings and prophets of Israel—from Saul to the final kings of the divided kingdom era. By contrast, 1 and 2 Chronicles focus on the kings of Judah and the priesthood and development of the temple. The writer of 1 Chronicles—which Jewish tradition says was Ezra the priest—considers David’s prayer (1 Chronicles 17:16-22; see 2 Samuel 7:18-29). The prayer has a priestly tone to it, with its emphasis on Yahweh as the covenant-keeping God of Israel. David humbly sacrificed for the people of Israel, but he acknowledged that God is the one who has redeemed His people: “You made your people Israel your very own forever, and you, Lord , have become their God” (1 Chronicles 17:22). , as we reflect on the ultimate sacrifice that Jesus made for us, we can humbly respond in sacrifice to Him and others.
Bill Crowder
UR: Balm for the Brokenhearted (Think anbout how the thorn in your flesh is sent to humble you and keep you there! and PTL!)
The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. - Psalm 34:18 (NIV)
The weeks leading up to the anniversary of my mother’s death are filled with memories. My mother’s laughter, the way her eyes sparkled with kindness, the sound of her voice, and her comforting embrace are vivid in my mind. Yet the pain of her absence feels as fresh as the day she passed away. Each memory is a bittersweet reminder of the love that endures in her absence.
One evening, as I struggled with the weight of my sorrow, I opened my Bible and came across Psalm 34:18. It felt like a personal reminder that God is intimately aware of my pain. This verse assured me that my broken heart is not beyond God’s reach; God is present, ready to heal and restore.
I find comfort in knowing that God is near. God understands my pain and is my constant source of strength. Even in the valley of grief, there is hope and light. My mother’s memory lives on, and her spirit is a testament to the enduring love that binds us.
Grief, though heavy, is a testament to the depth of our love. And God’s comforting presence is a beacon of hope, guiding us through our sorrow and into God’s everlasting peace.
's Prayer
Heavenly Father, as we grieve, comfort us with your promise to be close to the brokenhearted. Strengthen our spirit, and remind us of your hope and peace. Amen.
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