A’s Heavenly Downloads

I’ve been pondering the Lord’s Prayer on and off over the last few months.

A few weeks ago, I spent some time reading and studying Luke chapter 7, verses 1-13 where Jesus teaches his disciples to pray.  The passage is copied below:

 

Jesus’ Teaching on Prayer

One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.”

He said to them, “When you pray, say:

“‘Father, hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread. Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation.

Then Jesus said to them, “Suppose you have a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread;  a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have no food to offer him.’  And suppose the one inside answers, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is already locked, and my children and I are in bed. I can’t get up and give you anything.’  I tell you, even though he will not get up and give you the bread because of friendship, yet because of your shameless audacity he will surely get up and give you as much as you need.

“So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. “Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

The following words, and phrases stood out  in particular from verses 2, 3, 4, 8 and 13:

• Father (verse 2)
• hallowed be your name,
  your kingdom come (verse 2)
• Give us each day our daily bread (verse 3)
• for we also forgive everyone who sins against us (verse 4)
• because of your shameless audacity he will surely get up and give you as much as you need (verse 8)
• how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” (verse 13)

 

Before I expand on what I found these verses were saying to me, I would like to invite you to first pause and ponder the following as I did:

What do these passages tell you about God? About people? Is there anything that stands out that you feel you should apply to your life?

As you consider these questions, ask God to speak to you and reveal through his Holy Spirit what he would want to take away from the scripture.

To be continued…

God bless. 🙏