Theology Thursday
Q. 100. What doth the preface of the Lord’s Prayer teach us?
A. The preface of the Lord’s Prayer, which is, Our Father which art in heaven, teacheth us to draw near to God with all holy reverence and confidence, as children to a father, able and ready to help us; and that we should pray with and for others.
Our Father in Heaven. There are few passages that capture so much with so few words. The next few Thursdays will see us dig deep into the Lord’s Prayer as Jesus teaches His followers a structure for how to pray. He begins with a bang, let’s consider each word/concept… backwards.
In Heaven
We pray to the God who lives in heaven. He is the almighty and all-knowing God. He is the God who created the heavens and earth and to whom the earth is like a footstool. There is no request that is outside of His power. He ensures that birds are fed, plants continue to grow and the sun rises each morning.
Father
Yet this Almighty and immeasurable God… is the God who allows us to call Him Father. If we trust in Jesus then we have been adopted into the family of God and we approach His throne in prayer not as a foreigner or rebel, but as a dearly loved son or daughter. It really is remarkable that He would listen to humans (we don’t hear the request of ants) and particularly to sinners.
Our
We are not a one child family. We are members of the biggest family on earth. Today, yesterday, throughout history and until the earth ends, we will not be alone in our prayers. Instead, we will be one of millions and even billions of people praying, some of whom will even be praying for you.
Put it all together.
It’s important to recognise who and what we pray to. We do not pray to some force in the universe but to a person, the Father, the first member of the Trinity. His ‘Fatherhood’ helps us understand what it is to speak to Him. And yet, He is not like our earthly Fathers, He is the Almighty.
This is the privilege of prayer. Given to God’s people to call on their Heavenly Father. For what though? What are we to ask of Him? For chocolates and ice cream? For new pens and pencils? We’ll see what we should ask across the next few Thursdays as we walk through the Lord’s Prayer.
Today:
Pray:
Passages: Psalm 95:6, Ephesians 3:12 & 20, Matthew 7:9-11, Romans 8:15, 1 Timothy 2:1-2
A. The preface of the Lord’s Prayer, which is, Our Father which art in heaven, teacheth us to draw near to God with all holy reverence and confidence, as children to a father, able and ready to help us; and that we should pray with and for others.
Our Father in Heaven. There are few passages that capture so much with so few words. The next few Thursdays will see us dig deep into the Lord’s Prayer as Jesus teaches His followers a structure for how to pray. He begins with a bang, let’s consider each word/concept… backwards.
In Heaven
We pray to the God who lives in heaven. He is the almighty and all-knowing God. He is the God who created the heavens and earth and to whom the earth is like a footstool. There is no request that is outside of His power. He ensures that birds are fed, plants continue to grow and the sun rises each morning.
Father
Yet this Almighty and immeasurable God… is the God who allows us to call Him Father. If we trust in Jesus then we have been adopted into the family of God and we approach His throne in prayer not as a foreigner or rebel, but as a dearly loved son or daughter. It really is remarkable that He would listen to humans (we don’t hear the request of ants) and particularly to sinners.
Our
We are not a one child family. We are members of the biggest family on earth. Today, yesterday, throughout history and until the earth ends, we will not be alone in our prayers. Instead, we will be one of millions and even billions of people praying, some of whom will even be praying for you.
Put it all together.
It’s important to recognise who and what we pray to. We do not pray to some force in the universe but to a person, the Father, the first member of the Trinity. His ‘Fatherhood’ helps us understand what it is to speak to Him. And yet, He is not like our earthly Fathers, He is the Almighty.
This is the privilege of prayer. Given to God’s people to call on their Heavenly Father. For what though? What are we to ask of Him? For chocolates and ice cream? For new pens and pencils? We’ll see what we should ask across the next few Thursdays as we walk through the Lord’s Prayer.
Today:
- Do you know the Lord’s prayer?
- Do you see God as your Father in Heaven?
- Are you encouraged by the thought of others praying for you?
Pray:
- Praise the Father that He is our heavenly Father.
- Give thanks for Jesus who gives us the right to pray as God’s adopted children.
- Ask God for His Holy Spirit to help you and others look to their heavenly Father in prayer.
Passages: Psalm 95:6, Ephesians 3:12 & 20, Matthew 7:9-11, Romans 8:15, 1 Timothy 2:1-2
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