LUKE 11:2

He said to them, “When you pray say: “Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come”.

TO PONDER:

My earliest memory of prayer was the routine my parents devised. Firstly, looking at the sky we would sing 'Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star', then my parents would thank God for the sky above and the bounteous earth below and the beautiful gift of their children. Next they would give thanks for what had happened that day, we children were encouraged to give thanks as well, it was usually, as I remember, for parents and food and clothes. My first unprompted prayer was to give thanks for my pet lamb, Jenny Wren. We always finished with the Lord’s Prayer; I think I had it nearly right by the age of five.  

Today we have the first two petitions of the prayer Jesus taught after being asked how to pray.  We pray first to the Father who loves us with a love so pure and great that we cannot understand it.  The Father we meet today responds to prayers with a faithfulness and goodness far beyond the ability of our earthly parents, and wants to give us more than we could possibly ask for, his Holy Spirit.  This God loves with a mercy and fairness that is also beyond human ability. We try to love God and others as God loves us.                                                                                                                                                   God makes us Holy with the gift of the Holy Spirit, when we receive this gift and embrace it, we feel joy and wisdom and a newness of life. We hallow God’s name, this makes a difference in us and those around us.  We need to make the most of this change to bring more people to know God’s great power and love. We need to embrace the unloved, the poor beggar, the single parent struggling to raise a family, it is indeed an endless list but this is what we ask for when we pray, “Your Kingdom come”

Prayer: Merciful Loving God, you have given me the gift of life, the gift of the Holy Spirit, and your word. You sent your son, Jesus, to live and die so that my sins may be forgiven. I thank you for those who first led me to you and taught me to pray. I cannot love as you do, or repay you for all this goodness but I ask for you to give me the courage, with the help of the Holy Spirit, to live my life so that your goodness is reflected in me and I can share this with others who do not yet know of your incomparable love and goodness.  Amen

Today's devotion written by Maureen Macpherson, LifeWay Newcastle