The Lord's Prayer: Part 3

Story

Have you ever been so hungry that you thought you were starving but were too afraid to ask your mom or dad for something to eat? No, of course not! You simply let your needs be known and asked. Well, that’s exactly what God wants us to do with Him! He has all that we need, and He simply wants us to ask. Like any loving father, God wants us to come to Him, speak with Him, and ask Him for the things we need. The Bible tells us that God even takes care of the birds in the air and so we don’t have to worry! He will give us not just food to eat, but clothes to wear, shelter, friends, and everything else we need every day. But remember, God’s love for us sets an example of how we should love others. Does that mean we need to make sure everyone has something to eat? No! But what it does mean is that we shouldn’t hold any negative feelings towards someone, and we need to forgive people when they’ve hurt us.

When Jesus taught His disciples The Lord’s Prayer, He finished it by saying, “Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one” (Matthew 6:11–13 NIV).

Think

Before you think about asking God for things you need, you first need to make sure your heart is pure and that you are not being unforgiving towards anyone. God doesn’t want anything to interfere or get in the way of His love. This is why it’s important we ask God every day to forgive us for our mistakes and help us to forgive those who have hurt us. Then, we can truly receive all that God has for us. Isn’t that incredible? Furthermore, Jesus teaches we also need to ask our Father in heaven to help us not to sin when we are tempted to do something wrong! God is faithful and, if we ask Him, He will rescue us and keep us from doing bad things.

Do Something

Start a prayer journal. Write down everything you ask God for and, most importantly, when He answers your prayer, go back and record it! This will always be a reminder to you of God’s faithfulness. Is there anyone who has hurt your feelings that you need to forgive? Ask Jesus to help you forgive them, and then write them a letter, make them a card, or simply call them on the phone. If God forgives us when we act ugly or disobey our parents, surely we can forgive our friends or family when they wrong us! God desires for us all to live at peace with one another.

Pray

Dear Father in heaven, thank You for listening to me. Please provide everything I need today. Forgive me for my mistakes and help me to forgive anyone who has hurt me, just like You forgive me of all of my sins. Help me to make good choices and keep me from bad things that don’t honor You. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.