Lenten Devotional - Monday, Mar. 15

Day 23 - Monday

March 15

"Pray then in this way:

Our Father in heaven,

    hallowed be your name.

    Your kingdom come.

    Your will be done,

        on earth as it is in heaven.

    Give us this day our daily bread.

    And forgive us our debts,

        as we also have forgiven our debtors.

    And do not bring us to the time of trial,

        but rescue us from the evil one.  Matthew 6:9-13

Simply put, prayer is the most important aspect of our relationship with God. Jesus modeled this for his disciples by getting away from the crowds on a regular basis for time alone with God. If Jesus, the Son of God, needed to pray, how much more is this true for us! Rather than "piling up words," Jesus encouraged his disciples to pray simply and authentically, approaching God with the same confidence as we would a loving parent. The prayer that Jesus taught his disciples, which we call "The Lord's Prayer," is really a pattern for how we can pray. Each line teaches us something about God and our relationship with him. 

Remember: Our Heavenly Father loves us and desires a relationship with us. God invites us into prayer. 

To Do

Today and each day this week, pray the Lord's Prayer out loud. This can be at the beginning or the end of your regular prayer time. Think about each line and its meaning as you offer it to God.