Contemplating the Lord’s Prayer
When the disciples asked Jesus to teach them how to pray, Jesus offered this prayer as instruction on how apprentices of Jesus should pray. For some of us, what has been known as the Lord’s prayer has been an integral part of our formation and apprenticeship of Jesus but for many “praying like this” as Jesus instructed hasn’t really been a part of our spiritual journey.
Matthew’s gospel places the Lord’s Prayer almost exactly in the middle of the most radical and counter-cultural sermon of all time, Jesus’ sermon on the mount. One of the many beautiful things about Jesus is the reality that he spoke like no one before him and no one since him. His instructions on prayer found in Matthew 6:5-15 are no exception to this. This prayer has been held in high regard by God’s people throughout church history. It’s powerful, and it’s well worth our time and energy to learn it, memorize it, and to pray and contemplate upon it regularly.
Over the next four weeks:
Set aside 10-15 minutes each day (minimum of 5 days per week) and contemplatively pray through the Lord’s Prayer. Feel free to use the following format and questions as a guide for your contemplation. Feel free to adapt in any ways that would be helpful for you. Pause in contemplative silence between each line reflecting upon its content and offering prayers accordingly. This practice is less about “getting it right” and learning how to pray like Jesus instructs His followers to pray while prioritizing being with God.
“OUR FATHER”
God invites us into a trusting relationship not as some distant ruler, but as a near and present loving Father.
Reflect on your relationship with your earthly father. In what ways has your relationship or lack thereof influenced your relationship with God as Father?
In what ways might your image of fatherhood need to be redeemed by God?
Where in your life does God feel near to you today? Where does he feel distant today?
Ask the Holy Spirit to mend this brokenness, and heal these wounds so that you can receive the perfect love of God the Father today.
“IN HEAVEN”
Our God isn’t just near to us, at the same time He is transcendent, sovereign and all powerful.
What are the areas of your life where God seems powerless to help, to heal and to transform?
What seems out of control in your life? What are the things you are finding it difficult to trust God with today in your life or in the life of others?
Pause here, consider His power and receive it. Release your control to Him and invite Him into these places within your life in trust.
“HALLOWED BE YOUR NAME”
God’s name is perfect, precious, holy, righteous, and worthy of all Glory.
In what ways are you trying to make your name more known and prove it more holy than His?
How might you be trying to receive glory for the blessings and the gifts of God in your life instead of offering praise to Him for them?
Pause here, offer praise to God and gratitude for the blessings and gifts you are receiving from Him in this season of life.
“YOUR KINGDOM COME, YOUR WILL BE DONE, ON EARTH AS IT IN HEAVEN”
The earth is full of sin, injustice, disorder, and despair, but heaven isn’t! Heaven is full of rest, hope, joy and the physical Presence of God…. We ask, Lord, that the things of Your Kingdom would come to bear on our world and on our hearts!
In what ways are you spending your time, talents & treasures to bring about your Kingdom and your will, instead of Christ’s?
What may God be inviting you to surrender so that His Kingdom comes and His will be done on earth as it is in heaven?
Pause here, repent of and surrender to God the ways you’ve been stringing to build your Kingdom and not His.
“GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY BREAD”
God supernaturally provides for His children. He promises to meet all of our needs and provides us with the air to breathe, hangs to work, brains to think and so much more. He invites us to depend on Him for all that we need, and for all that His children need.
In what ways have you grown to depend more on yourself for daily provision, instead of God?
In what ways have you withheld provision from someone in need because you feel as if you’ve worked for what you have, and they haven’t?
Pause here, repent of your self-sufficiency and selfishness and offer gratitude for the ways God has provided for you.
“AND FORGIVE US OUR DEBTS, AS WE ALSO HAVE FORGIVEN OUR DEBTORS”
In Christ, we have been totally forgiven and totally relieved from all of our debts in relationship with God. Because we have been forgiven by God through Christ we can now forgive others in Christ.
What are the things you do not feel like you’ve been forgiven of by God?
Who are you holding forgiveness from right now in your life? What do you need from God or from them to offer forgiveness to them?
Pause here, ask God to teach you how to receive His forgiveness in these areas where you find it difficult in receiving it. Ask God to teach you how to forgive those whom you are finding it difficult to forgive.
“AND LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION, BUT DELIVER US FROM EVIL”
Hebrews 4:15-16 tells us that we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, and yet is without sin. We can draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, where we may receive mercy and find grace to help in our times of need.
What temptations are you facing right now? What evil is before you?
In what ways are you relying on your own strength and not Christ’s to overcome temptation, evil, and the evil one, satan?
Pause here, repent of your self-sufficiency and invite God to be your strength in the areas of weakness and temptation you are experiencing today.
MONTHLY SCRIPTURE READING PLAN
This Scripture reading Plan works alongside the Prayer Practice. It includes passages selected to coincide with the Prayer Practices of each month and the discussions you’ll be having within your Community Group.
For June, we’ll be revisiting the Lord’s Prayer each week for a minimum of 5 days per week. The passages and the reflection guide will be found on the app home tab throughout this month.
June · Being With God · Contemplating the Lord’s Prayer
June 6th - June 12th
The Lord’s Prayer · Matthew 6:9-13
June 13th - June 19th
The Lord’s Prayer · Matthew 6:9-13
June 20th - June 26th
The Lord’s Prayer · Matthew 6:9-13
June 27th - July 3rd
The Lord’s Prayer · Matthew 6:9-13
WEEKLY DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
The hope is not that you answer every single question every single week. Some weeks you may practice the type of prayer together using the assigned practice for the month. Other weeks you may simply discuss the journey as a whole and the ways God is working within the participants of your Community Group through this prayer practice. Some weeks you may use the discussion questions to help guide your conversations as you gather with your Community Group each week. You do not have to use the questions exactly how they are given or in the order they are given. Select some for your discussions as you see fit and need. EXAMPLE LITURGY FOR GROUP GATHERINGS
June Discussion Questions:
June 6th - June 12th
What is the state and nature of your life with God in prayer, right now? Be honest.
What is one way you’d like to grow in prayer over the course of this next Community Group term through this Groups Prayer Practice?
The Lord’s Prayer begins with the phrase, “Our Father”.
Reflect on your relationship with your earthly father. In what ways has your relationship or lack thereof contributed to your relationship with God as Father?
In what ways might your image of fatherhood need to be redeemed for you to relate to God as Father in healthy, and healing ways?
Where in your life does God currently feel near? Where in your life does God currently feel distant?
June 13th - June 19th
The Lord’s Prayer continues with the phrase, “In Heaven”.
What are you currently asking God to do for you and for others right now?
What are the areas of your life where God seems powerless or unwilling to help, to heal and to transform?
What seems out of control in your life right now?
How might God be inviting you to trust Him at a deeper level with these things that seem out of control, or where God seems powerless or unwilling to help?
The Lord’s Prayer continues with the phrase, “Hallowed be your name”.
In what ways are you trying to make your name more known and prove your name more Holy than God's name?
How are you receiving the praise and glory for God’s blessings and gifts instead of offering it to Him?
What role does gratitude play in your relationship with God?
June 20th - June 26th
The Lord’s Prayer continues with the phrase, “Your Kingdom Come, Your will be Done, on Earth as it is in Heaven”.
In what ways are you spending your time, talent, treasures to bring about your Kingdom and your will, instead of His?
What may God be inviting you to surrender so that His Kingdom comes and His will is done on earth as it is in heaven?
What would it look like to surrender these things?
The Lord’s Prayer continues with the phrase, “Give us this day our daily bread”.
In what ways have you grown to depend more on yourself rather than God for your daily provision?
How might your practice of Gratitude or the lack thereof expose this at a deeper level?
In what ways have you withheld provision from someone in need because you worked for what you have, and they haven’t from your perspective?
How might this expose from where you more honestly believe your provision comes from?
June 27th - July 3rd
The Lord’s Prayer continues with the phrase, “And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.”
What do you feel like God hasn’t or isn’t willing to forgive you for?
What stands in the way of you receiving God’s forgiveness offered to us in Christ?
Who are you withholding forgiveness from right now in your life?
What do you need to offer them forgiveness?
The Lord’s Prayer wraps up with the phrase, “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.”
What temptations are you facing right now? What evil is before you currently in this season of life?
In what ways are you relying on your own strengths and not Christ’s to overcome temptation, evil, and the evil one Satan?
How might Christ’s strength be made perfect in your weakness?
What have you learned about God, yourself, aach Other throughout this month’s prayer practice?