A note as we begin:
Friends, this is a challenging season we're in. We want to address some of the racial injustice and unrest around our nation.

We strongly condemn racism in any form. We don’t do this because we feel bad; we do this because our Scriptures condemn it, they call for justice and declare that ALL are created as the Imago Dei. Our Savior went to a cross to demonstrate God’s love for PEOPLE, without exclusion. Jesus shows us the most excellent way to live == and love is that way.

We stand against abusive brutality. We stand against looting, violence or unnecessary harm of any kind. We stand WITH the oppressed & over looked. We kneel before our Heavenly Father and seek His will to be done here on earth as it is in heaven…that His ways would become our ways.
We mourn with those that mourn.

We’re looking for a way forward friends – that way is NOT found in the Left or the Right, the Black, Brown or White; it is only found in the way of Jesus.

We commit to being people who promote the way of Jesus – because it’s his way alone that will lead to the hope, healing and help that we most definitely need in this moment and what our world needs most.

As we are blessed to be spending the summer in a series on prayer - we want to lean in and learn and have it shape us moving forward.

John Starke (The Possibility of Prayer) *RECOMMENDED BOOK

"We live in an age of efficiency. We judge our use of time by what we accomplish or produce. Anything we do that seems inefficient or unhurried is a waste of time. “I didn’t get anything done today.” If that’s how we evaluate our use of time, is it any wonder we rarely justify the time for prayer, much less any meaningful spiritual exercise? A life with God calls for unhurried time that is driven not by accomplishments or tasks but by love and communion. Nothing is earned or achieved in prayer. God gives everything as a gift to those of us who are still and vulnerable enough to receive it."

-Henri Nouwen

“Prayer is the central piece of the Christian life…the only necessary thing.”

Prayer was vitally important to Jesus – he modeled it well and often…because for Jesus: PRAYER WAS PERSONAL. Relational. (far more than some transactional interchange with God)

Prayer is me, as ONE who IS limited – leaning into, listening to, learning from, resting in and anchoring myself to the ONE who is Unlimited!

Jesus says when you come to pray you are to say, “Our Father.”

That single word sums up the entire basic relationship of the Christian faith: when we come to the Creator of the universe, we are to address him as “Father.” = Father in the language of the day meant: ABBA; “daddy” (close, intimate term – that’s what set Jesus’ prayers apart, how intimate his connection was – how intimate we’re invited to have prayer be for us) there is great power in remembering that God wants to be known as a father. And good fathers do not turn their children away.

In the Old Testament, God is addressed as Father only 7 times.
=In every case, it is the entire nation of Israel speaking to God that way. As far as we know, there was never a time when Abraham or Moses or David or Daniel went to the quietness of their room, fell on their knees, and dared to speak to God that way.

When you turn to the New Testament, however, 275 times or more we are told directly or indirectly that when we bow before the sovereign majesty of the universe the word that should come easily to our lips is Father.

– v. 9 our Father…IN HEAVEN

We’re to look up to God. We can have an incredible loving closeness to our Heavenly Father – and be refreshed by WHO WE ARE…but in the same vein, we have a proper recognition of who WE ARE NOT= we are not the one in charge! He's BIG, we're little.

hallowed be your name

→ the verb hallowed…means to sanctify, to magnify, to glorify – to revere.
We tend to take this statement as a statement of fact – but it is a request…
it’s Jesus telling us to pray: “Lord, make your name be sanctified” -- you are so holy –– God, let your name get the spotlight, the credit, the attention, the focus.

Remember in the BIBLE → a person’s name carried a ton of meaning: it was equivalent to his or her person…when you heard someone use your name, you learned a bit of who they were, what they were like.

== as you look through the O.T. the Hebrew Jehovah Names of God – to understand hallowing – understanding God and His Name – what’s fully captured when we call God FATHER.
(God’s name is beautiful!!!)

some examples:
Jehovah-Nissi = God Almighty / All Sufficient
Jehovah-Rophe = God who Heals
Jehovah-Shalom = God who is Peace
Jehovah-Jireh = God who Provides
Jehovah-M’Kadesh – God who Sanctifies

Hallowed → God, your name is set apart from any other name – your name is different. *see Isaiah 45:5 "I am the Lord, and there is no other;
apart from me there is no God."

Thanks for tuning in with us. We are praying that your prayer life will grow this summer friends. Join us again next weekend as we unpack part 2 of The Lord's Prayer together.

*REMINDER: if you want to watch online service, just go to www.elementscitychurch.org and click the WATCH button to join us Sundays at 5pm online.