Our Father in heaven…

I'm going to keep this so simple today. When I woke up this morning, I didn't know what to pray. My mind was flooded immediately with pressing issues and pain, so I prayed what I already knew: the Lord’s Prayer.

If you're struggling to pray, start this sacred moment with the prayer that Jesus taught us to pray. In fact, I'd invite you right now to pray it with me out loud:

“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. (Matthew 6:9-13, NIV)

In the Lord's Prayer, Jesus shares a master class on this topic in just 52 words. The theologian J.I. Packer once said this of it: "what it means to be a Christian is nowhere clearer than here."

Let me give you my summary of this precious prayer that I hope will encourage you to pray it again and again!

We have a Holy Father, and our deepest desire should be that His kingdom would come and His will would be done right where we are, as it is in heaven. He can be trusted to provide all that we need. He forgives, and we should do the same. He can protect us from the temptation to believe that our prayers and faith aren't enough right now, and He's more than powerful enough to silence our enemy and our accuser.

Take a moment, pray it again. Let it settle into your soul. And even though it's not a part of the official prayer from scripture, don't be afraid to add that exciting tagline that was added historically so many years ago:

“For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.”

Never forget, my friend, you are a miracle.