Description
I love singing God's Words back to Him. That's why Matt Maher's song "The Lord's Prayer (It's Yours)" is on my playlist! But the real joy for me was diving into Scripture inspired by this song. There's a lot we can learn from Jesus' teaching on how to pray; let's use this song to remind us of all we've learned.
Follow me to Matthew 6 as we explore the context and the words of the Lord's Prayer more fully.
In this episode, I discuss the following:
Taking a B.I.T.E. out of Scripture – this week's Bible Interaction Tool Exercises include: Read in context Use your imagination Consult various translations Consult an outside resource Start with God Consider the opposite The Episode Guide for this week's podcast The two places in Scripture the Lord's Prayer is recorded - Matthew 6:9-13 and Luke 11:2-4 Approaching God's Word with an open heart to what it actually says, laying aside previous teaching or tradition Studying the Lord's Prayer in the context of the entire Sermon on the Mount and in the immediate context of Jesus' teaching on prayer Imagining yourself at the feet of Jesus as He is sharing these truths Two categories of people who prayed in a manner not consistent with how they should pray - Matthew 6:5-8 Reading Matthew 6:9 in various translations to understand Christ's instruction to "pray like this," not necessarily "pray these words" A book on prayer that leads us through Scripture's teaching on how to pray - "Lord, Teach Me to Pray in 28 Days" by Kay Arthur - Amazon Paid Link The topics this model prayer leads us through: Worship Allegiance Submission Petition and provision Confession and forgiveness Watchfulness and deliverance Back to worship
Put yourself on that mountain at the feet of Jesus. Recognize that you come to His teaching with the influence of teachers, or priests, or pastors, or “insert the name of someone you love and respect” who have come before and taught you much about what Jesus is teaching in this sermon. Be astonished at HIS teaching.
Additional Resources
Lyrics to "The Lord's Prayer (It's Yours)" by Matt Maher - NewReleaseToday.com "Lord, Teach Me to Pray in 28 Days" by Kay Arthur - Amazon Paid Link Things Unseen Podcast Episode by Sinclair Ferguson - Lead Us Not Into Temptation My new favorite Bible Study Software - Logos Bible Software Affiliate Link
This Week's Challenge
Read or listen to Matthew 5-7 several times this week. When you have some time to interact with the text, study Matthew 6:5-15 to see Jesus' teaching on prayer. Then take the model prayer He shares and try to identify the topics. Maybe you'll come up with a different word for the topic than I shared—one you feel better represents that section of the model, and that's great. Pray to God daily using this model. I know it may feel clunky at first, and you may even want to write out your prayer each day. Don't forget to begin and end in worship, and I can't wait to hear about how your prayer life will be transformed.
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