Our Father!

For Sunday, June 20, 2021

Matthew 6:9 NLT, Jesus speaking: “Pray like this: Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy.”

Nowadays praying to God is second nature for some of us; for others, not so much. The Apostles would see Jesus praying to the Lord, but didn’t fully understand. At the time, people would come before a priest at the Temple, and the priest would then carry their petitions before the Lord. People just didn’t pray to God directly, so this was new.

The Apostles conjectured that if their mentor Jesus prayed, it must be a good thing to do. They wanted in on it! “Master, teach us to pray!” Jesus tells them to think of God as a good father – that kind of relationship.

Prayer can be private; prayer needn’t be complicated. Eugene Peterson write in the Message Bible, “The world is full of so-called prayer warriors who are prayer-ignorant. They’re full of formulas and programs and advice, peddling techniques for getting what you want from God. Don’t fall for that nonsense. This is your Father you are dealing with, and he knows better than you what you need. With a God like this loving you, you can pray very simply: Our Father in heaven...”

Having the best Father ever gives us hope!

Happy Father’s Day!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship, 3249 30th Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55406