Lord, Teach Us to Pray
Scripture: Luke 11:1-13 (NIV)
Parables are stories that a teacher would use to illustrate the idea or concept being taught. There are quite a few ways that this passage in Scripture can be misunderstood. One of those ways is to think of God as a genie who will give you three wishes, but you can’t wish for more wishes, and you can’t wish for another genie with three more wishes. We are invited into a relationship with God which is intimate and filled with love. Our prayers, including the Lord’s Prayer, are not magic words. They are precious to us. Jesus teaches the disciples the kinds of things that are appropriate to pray for. More than that, he teaches them and us the kind of heart that we need to bring to our prayer relationship with God.
A real faith is one which says, these are the things I need and the things I desire, but I know with absolute certainty that, regardless of what I have or lack, I belong, body and soul, to my God who loves me extravagantly. This extravagant love, which God showers on us, leads us to love others extravagantly and to move out of our comfort zone and to change the world. Do you know and experience God’s love? Are you ready to change the world, or at least that part of it that’s within your sphere of influence?
Lord, teach us to pray!
Richest blessings,
Rev. John Cheek
July 24, 2022 – Worship Service Bulletin
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