Author: petebeck3

Pete Beck III ministered as a pastor and Bible teacher in Burlington for over 34 years. He is married to Martha, with whom he has four children, ten beautiful grandchildren, and four amazing great grandchildren. He ministers in his local church as a Bible teacher and counselor. He has published two books - Seeing God's Smile and Promise of the Father - as well as a wide variety of Bible-related articles which he has compiled into books in PDF form.

Creator, Sustainer, End

The other day I was thinking about someone I have tried to help over the years. I gave this person things of value that I never saw him use. I suppose he sold or gave them away. I thought to myself that I don’t want to give him anything else because he did not appreciate my gift. He “squandered” something valuable to me that I was willing to share. Immediately a thought entered my mind, probably from the Holy Spirit.

God gives all people the most precious thing we know – life, and most of us don’t appreciate it and squander it. We think we will never die. We imagine we are accountable to no one for how we live. We do our own thing with this thing called life, and then it’s over.

The Bible says that Jesus is the Alpha and Omega, the first and last, and the beginning and the end. (Revelation 22:13) This means that God gave us life (created us), sustains our lives each moment, and one day will call us to return our lives back to him, stand before him in judgment, and receive from him our final reward and eternal habitation.

Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come and the years draw near of which you will say, “I have no pleasure in them”; 2 before the sun and the light and the moon and the stars are darkened and the clouds return after the rain, 3 in the day when the keepers of the house tremble, and the strong men are bent, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those who look through the windows are dimmed, 4 and the doors on the street are shut—when the sound of the grinding is low, and one rises up at the sound of a bird, and all the daughters of song are brought low— 5 they are afraid also of what is high, and terrors are in the way; the almond tree blossoms, the grasshopper drags itself along, and desire fails, because man is going to his eternal home, and the mourners go about the streets— 6 before the silver cord is snapped, or the golden bowl is broken, or the pitcher is shattered at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern, 7 and the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it. 8 Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher; all is vanity. Ecclesiastes 12:1-8 (ESV)

Because of sin, death entered God’s fabulous creation. It was the natural / supernatural consequence of disconnecting ourselves from Life’s Source, our Creator / Sustainer.

The dying process weans us away from the glamour of this world. As we age and die, the things that formerly brought joy and meaning to our existence fade. God wants us to become more and more enamored with eternal things. He wants to finally become our main and only focus, as he should be. Death, in this respect, is a blessing. It is a gateway into eternity and manifest presence of God. It is the goal of life to stand before God and enjoy his love and person forevermore!

Because of sin, death became part of the human condition and will be our last experience as physical pre-resurrected beings.

Solomon said that it is better to consider death than go to a party! 

A good name is better than precious ointment, and the day of death than the day of birth. 2  It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting, for this is the end of all mankind, and the living will lay it to heart. 3  Sorrow is better than laughter, for by sadness of face the heart is made glad. 4  The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth. Ecclesiastes 7:1-4 (ESV)

Most people put off thinking about death and the hereafter as long as possible, but this is actually quite foolish. Eternity looms in front of us. It may get here sooner than we think, and it lasts a long, long forever. My cousin’s husband just died unexpectedly. He was relatively young, apparently in great health, full of life, and expecting to live much longer. But now his appointment with death and the hereafter has been finalized. He is right now in his eternity. No more second chances. No more opportunities to squander. The first part of his existence is complete. Now he will enjoy or endure the eternal consequences.  He was a follower of Christ; so, he is experiencing joy inexpressible right now. But what about us? How will we fare when our appointment comes calling?

And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, Hebrews 9:27 (NKJV)

God wants us to consider and be thankful for the gift of life. He wants us to be grateful and appreciate his sustaining our lives each day. With each breath we take, we are experiencing God’s grace. And when it is time to turn these lives back in to God, he wants us to do so freely and eagerly, knowing that what lies ahead far surpasses anything we have yet experienced. If we lose our lives, we will gain them!

Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25  For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. Matthew 16:24-25 (ESV)

God wants us to hold onto life with an open hand, not a clenched fist. For us to do this, we must be like Jesus, who at the point of death said: “Father, into thy hands I commit my spirit.” (Luke 23:46) I am told that this was part of a children’s prayer said at bedtime each night. How poignant! As a little child, we should entrust our dying and death into God’s hands, our Keeper and Shepherd, our Creator, Sustainer, and Final Destination.

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Prayer when Facing Death

Unless we die suddenly and unexpectedly, this is a prayer we will all need to pray someday. Perhaps you know someone right now who could use encouragement and strength as he or she faces death. Whether this is for you, the reader, or someone you care about, please take these words to heart.

Death is the final enemy, the last struggle, and the threshold into a greater reality. Jesus promised us that, if we believe in him, we will actually never die! Dying is not death.

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, 26  and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” John 11:25-26 (ESV)

Martha, Lazarus’ sister, responded to Jesus that she believed, but she was only thinking of the distant future, which is what most of us do. We postpone the inevitable as long as we can, missing out on the glorious reality that Jesus is the Resurrection right now! Eternal life is right now and will never end! Physical death ends the body and soul life we have known and loved, but our spirits will seamlessly transition immediately into God’s presence, and one day our bodies will also be resurrected!

“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. 2  In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. 4  And you know the way to where I am going.” 5  Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” 6  Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. John 14:1-6 (ESV)

Physical death will bring us to the point of our greatest weakness, when we will have to rely 100% on our Savior and his promises. Either he is truly the Lord of life and death, or we are in big trouble. But the Bible clearly teaches us that God is sovereignly and ultimately in charge of our lives while we are breathing oxygen and our physical deaths, as well as our transition into his manifest presence. The problem is that we, in a similar way as Martha above, have doubts lurking in our hearts. We believe, but not as surely and strongly as we should. This is where we need the help of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus said that the Spirit lives inside and through us and will never, ever leave or forsake us. Most assuredly he will not bail on us when we are facing and experiencing physical death.

And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, 17  even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you. 18  “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. John 14:16-18 (ESV)

Many people fear being abandoned at death. The popular concept of ghosts is that they are disembodied spirits wandering hopelessly in a kind of tormented limbo-like existence. Jesus made it clear that no such thing will ever happen to us. One can only imagine what “ghosts” really are, but most likely they are demonic spirits posing as ghosts to deceive and enslave gullible humans.

Believers are joined to the Spirit of God by an indissoluble fusion – spirit to spirit.

But he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him. 1 Corinthians 6:17 (ESV)

This amazing union with God through the Spirit is a most precious secret of the New Covenant. It is what makes us children of God. It is why we have eternal life. It is the reason we are able to fellowship and communicate with our God. In fact, the Bible tells us that even while we are still living in these physical bodies, we are actually seated right now in the heavens in the spirit with Christ.

If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2  Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. 3  For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4  When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Colossians 3:1-4 (ESV)

When our bodies die, our spirits will instantly be in heaven, which is where we are right now joined to Christ.

I know this is probably taxing your brain. Don’t try to figure this out. Simply believe. You are right now in heaven in Christ. His Spirit is joined to your spirit. You and I are one with our God. He lives in us and through us, and we in him. This will never change. It is true whether our physical bodies are alive or if they temporarily die. (Don’t forget we will be resurrected!)

Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. 20  In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. John 14:19-20 (ESV)

The question is, do we really believe this? Is it settled in our hearts?

Death is an enemy. It is not part of God’s original design. It brings the first part of our existence as a human being to an end, but it is a conquered enemy that has lost its sting because our Lord rose from the dead and is the Resurrection living inside of us.

We all have the promise that Jesus will personally raise us from the dead.

And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. 40  For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.” John 6:39-40 (ESV)

Paul was granted the amazing experience of going to heaven while he was still living in his physical body. (2 Corinthians 12:2-4) What he saw there convinced him that death is not to be feared. He wrote that death is actually gain.

For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. 22  If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. 23  I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. Philippians 1:21-23 (ESV)

Paul experienced no ambivalence regarding death. He was eager to pass through the portal of physical death into God’s glorious presence.

So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, 7  for we walk by faith, not by sight. 8  Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. 2 Corinthians 5:6-8 (ESV)

God wants to work in us a similar desire to pass into the heavenly realms. No, we are not in hurry to leave behind our loved ones and what we know, but we can have a genuine joyful expectation of what lies ahead on the other side of physical death. Jesus certainly lived (and died) that way. He was earnestly yearning to return to his Father and the heavenly glory that he had left behind.

You heard me say to you, ‘I am going away, and I will come to you.’ If you loved me, you would have rejoiced, because I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. John 14:28 (ESV)

Perhaps our greatest challenge is that we haven’t yet glimpsed what is on the other side. This is where we need help from the Holy Spirit, who is able to give us revelation about the hidden things of God.

But, as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him”— 10  these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. 1 Corinthians 2:9-10 (ESV)

The prayer that follows asks the Holy Spirit to open our eyes to the glorious realities of eternal life in God’s presence that will continue from now to eternity. Physical death is merely a “bump in the road,” a gateway into glory, the door into an eternity spent with God!

Prayer

Lord, I am facing death and really need your help. Thank you for being patient with me. You know my struggles to truly believe. You struggled yourself in the Garden of Gethsemane, but you maintained your confidence in your heavenly Father and your determination to bring glory to him through life and death. That is what I want, too. Holy Spirit, you are the one called alongside to help me. Thank you that you will never abandon me. You will walk this walk with me and through me. I ask you now to strengthen me in my inner being, in my spirit, with your strength and power. (Ephesians 3:14-19) I ask you to reveal to me personally what I need to know from your word and through opening my spiritual understanding, so that I can gloriously, peacefully, joyfully, and lovingly pass through death into your manifest presence. Into your hands I commit my spirit. You gave me life, have sustained me all my days on earth, and will continue to be my Life and Source for eternity. Jesus, I believe you will be there for me when I take my last breath. You will welcome me into my new heavenly home, introduce me to your Abba, and reveal to me your fabulous glory! Help me to look forward to this as I should. Help me to be an example to all those who know me and observe my life. I want my death to bring glory to your name. I want to show others how to trust you in death; so that, when their time comes, they will be helped by remembering how you helped me. Glorify yourself through my life and through my death. I surrender to your will and care. In life and death I am more than a conqueror through you! Amen.

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38  For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39  nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:37-39 (ESV)
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Prayer for Wisdom

And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,  10 so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.  11 May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy,  12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.  13 He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son,  14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.  Colossians 1:9-14 (ESV)

Life comes at us and requires that we make decisions that many times are beyond our ability to know what to do. This is by God’s design. It has been that way since the creation so that we can learn to rely on God instead of our own minds and ability to reason.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.  6 In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.  7 Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil.  Proverbs 3:5-7 (ESV)

God has given us an amazing ability to reflect, analyze, and synthesize, but not to always be able to foresee the consequences of our actions or what is coming in the future. These limitations require us to seek the Lord and ask for His wisdom, which He is most willing to impart to us. James wrote:

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.  James 1:5 (ESV)

With this in mind, we should pray daily for an impartation of divine wisdom for what the day may hold for us. Below is a sample prayer. You can customize it to fit your situation and personality.

Prayer

Father, I acknowledge that I am dependent upon You and Your wisdom. I thank you that You created me this way so that I can learn to draw near to You each day and receive Your abundant supply. I ask you for wisdom and insight for this day. Help me to know what to do in every situation. Help me not to rely on my own understanding alone. Rather, let me judge and decide by what the Holy Spirit shows me. Thank You in advance for giving me all that I need. Amen!

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Prayer when Life Is Painful and We Do Not Understand

Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. 27 And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. 28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. Romans 8:26-28 (ESV) 

Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (ESV)

Insight

When life becomes exceedingly painful, our minds often cannot comprehend the reasons behind our circumstances. There is a time for us to cease to rely on our own understanding a lean upon the Lord from the heart.

Trust in the LORD with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6 (NASB)

God is sovereign over all creation, time, and circumstances. We can safely rely on him to protect us in every situation and be with us in all circumstances. King David learned that God was with him in “the valley of the shadow of death,” which gave him confidence to “fear no evil.”

When our hearts and minds are overwhelmed with sorrow, fear, confusion, or anger, we can take a “leap of faith” based on the truth of God’s Word by thanking God for our present situation and asking him to work things out for his glory. This is not to say that the situation is good, in itself, but that our good God will work things for our good.

When we proclaim this truth aloud with thanksgiving, it breaks chains of fear and doubt. In addition, we can ask God to not only work things out for our good, but also for his glory. When we pray like this, we cannot help but pray according to his will, and he will surely hear and answer our prayers. The person who prays like this will become an overcomer.

I believe that the devotional prayer language in “tongues” is available to us today. 1 Corinthians 14 teaches us that when we pray in tongues (in the spirit) we pray in a real language under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and give thanks well; despite not understanding what we are saying. But God does understand.

Romans 8:26 tells us that the Spirit “helps” us, which literally means “takes hold with us against” our infirmities and weaknesses. When we pray in the spirit, the Holy Spirit prays through us, and in partnership with us, prayers that exactly conform to God’s will.

If you wish to learn more, please read my book, Promise of the Father, which is all about the baptism and gifts of the Spirit. My first book, Seeing God's Smile (When Life Is Difficult) can also help you understand how to cope with the painful and confusing events of life. Simply click on the "Book" tab on the menu at the top of the page.

Prayer

Lord, I do not understand why you have allowed these circumstance into my life. (Be specific.) However, I believe that you are Lord of every area of my life and over all creation. I believe your promise that you are working all my circumstances for my good, even though it cannot see how right now. I ask you to glorify yourself through my life and situation. Let my attitude be an example to others and a glory to you. Thank you, Lord, for making me an overcomer. Thank you, Lord, for giving me faith and strength to endure. I thank you in advance for answering my prayer. (If God begins to reveal to you his will in your situation, begin to proclaim that prophetically by faith. Doing so can be part of the process of being set free.) Amen.

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Prayer for Victory

And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. 29 For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn, with many brothers and sisters. 30 And having chosen them, he called them to come to him. And he gave them right standing with himself, and he promised them his glory. 31 What can we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? 32 Since God did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t God, who gave us Christ, also give us everything else? 33 Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? Will God? No! He is the one who has given us right standing with himself. 34 Who then will condemn us? Will Christ Jesus? No, for he is the one who died for us and was raised to life for us and is sitting at the place of highest honor next to God, pleading for us. 35 Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or are hungry or cold or in danger or threatened with death? 36 (Even the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.”) 37 No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. 38 And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from his love. Death can’t, and life can’t. The angels can’t, and the demons can’t. Our fears for today, our worries about tomorrow, and even the powers of hell can’t keep God’s love away. 39 Whether we are high above the sky or in the deepest ocean, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:28-39 (NLT)

Insight

When things look bleak or scary to us, it is vital that we remind ourselves that God is still in control and has given us overwhelming victory. We can face the worst that life can bring at us with peace if we have faith. Here is a way to personalize the above passage and convert it into a prayer.

Prayer

Abba Father, I praise you and believe that you are working all things, ALL THINGS, for good in my life because I love you and am called according to your purpose. I surrender myself once more to your will and plan for my life. May I bring you glory and pleasure by trusting and praising you at all times. Praise you, Father, because you chose me before you created the world, and you appointed me to be transformed into the image of your Son, which you are accomplishing each day. Thank you, Father, that you made me a part of your family, and you reconciled me to yourself and gave me a right standing before you through the right standing of your Son, and you have appointed me to share in Jesus’ glory.

Father, I ask you to give me a greater revelation of your greatness and glory; so that, I can believe with all my heart that you are far greater than everything that may come against me in this life. Since you are for me, no one of any significance can ever successfully come against me. Help me to truly believe that you love me so much that you will not withhold any good thing from me. Your generosity was proved at the cross. You are generous to the utmost! Thank you, Father, that you defend me against every condemning voice and against every enemy that would try to bring me down in defeat. Instead you have made me into an overwhelming conqueror through Jesus. Thank you that I will never be separated from your magnificent love. Let my faith rise to the level of your promises; so that, I can experience everything Jesus won for me. Amen!

For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. 1 John 5:4 (ESV)
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Prayer for Unity

And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. 14 As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; 15 but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love. Ephesians 4:11-16 (NASB)

Insight

God designed the church to be an effective net to catch and haul fish into the kingdom of God. Jesus made this direct analogy in Matthew 13:47. The passage above from Ephesians contains net imagery, too. The Greek word that is translated “equipping” in verse twelve, literally means “mending”. Whenever disunity erupts in a church, it creates a big hole in the net. Any fish caught via the gospel will not want to remain where there is strife, accusation, criticism and general disunity. Strife opens the door to all kinds of evil, but unity always results in increased blessing from God.

Paul gives us some important keys to unity which I will list below. We should use these to guide us in our prayer.

Prayer Guide

  • Unity of Faith – Strife tears down faith and ministers discouragement. Ask God to give us unity of faith and encouraged hearts.
  • Work of Service – When we focus on the work of the Great Commission, it helps us avoid being sucked into the unity destroying schemes of the devil. Pray that God will keep our focus on reaching the lost with the gospel.
  • Building Up – Pray that God will help us to speak encouraging words and that He will stop those who criticize and find fault. Pray that God will put praise in our mouths and faith in our hearts.
  • Knowledge of the Son or God and Maturity – Disunity can only flourish where there is an insufficient revelation of Christ and immaturity reigns. Pray that God will give each of us a greater revelation of Christ and help us to walk in spiritual maturity instead of holding offenses and spreading disunity.
  • Winds of Doctrine and Deceitful Scheming – Disunity is created and fertilized by false teaching and deliberate scheming by those who wish to harm the church. Pray that God will let truth prevail and nullify any schemes of the devil set against us.
  • Building Up Itself in Love – The church can either destroy itself by fault finding or build itself up in love. Pray for grace for the church to build itself up through every person contributing what God has uniquely given them to do. The church net has the ability through God’s grace to mend itself. Broken threads need to be retied. Relationships need healing. Commitments need reaffirming. Ask God that the church will  speak the truth in love.
  • Clarity – We want to see a huge harvest of souls in the coming days; so, it is a great time to mend our nets now. It would be better to have a smaller net with no holes than a larger one that is unable to hold the fish it catches. Pray that those who may be in the “valley of decision” regarding their relationship with the church can make a firm decision either to stay as a fully committed part of the net or move on to where they can be such somewhere else. Undecidedness plays havoc with church unity and morale. “A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways.” (James 1:8)
  • Fruitfulness – After fishing all night and catching nothing, the disciples, weary and discouraged, were commanded by our Lord to let down their nets one more time. After a brief period of resistance, they obeyed and made a miraculous haul of fish. That is what we need Jesus to do for us now as a church. Pray that God will give us a huge catch!
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Prayer for Unfailing Faith

But I have pleaded in prayer for you, Simon, that your faith should not fail. So when you have repented and turned to me again, strengthen and build up your brothers. Luke 22:32 (NLT)

Jesus promised his followers that we will have tribulation as long as we live in this world, but he also told us that we have a key to victory over it all, our faith in God! When we encounter difficulties and trials, it provides us with a wonderful opportunity to be receive God’s grace and care. Anyone can get by when times are good, but when we are able to thrive in the midst of extreme adversity, people will sit up and take notice. When we or anyone we know is in the middle of a test, we should pray, as did Jesus, for unfailing faith.

Faith is one mark of a true disciple. Real faith actually grows stronger when it is tested. God’s grace is only fully realized when we need it, and, as was the case with the Apostle Peter, when we experience the grace of God upholding us in the midst of pressures and testing, we will afterward be able to encourage others to be strong, too. Below is a sample prayer for unfailing faith.

Prayer

Jesus, please give me and (my friend, family member, etc.) grace to stand strong in this present difficulty. I believe you allow these things in our lives to teach us to trust in You alone. Lord, please give us unfailing faith; so, we can be faithful to you and your Word, encourage others, and bring glory to your name. Lord, I surrender my life to you afresh and trust you for the results. Amen!

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Prayer to Understand and Apply the Lord’s Prayer to Our Lives

And He said to them,“When you pray, say: ‘Father, hallowed be Your name.Your kingdom come.3  ‘Give us each day our daily bread. 4  ‘And forgive us our sins, For we ourselves also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation.'” Luke 11:2-4 (NASB)

The Lord’s prayer in Luke Chapter Eleven lays out what Jesus thought were the essential parts of our daily lives. The simplest outline of this prayer hits upon the following four points.

Purpose

Our first priority in life is to be in right relationship with God, hold him in reverential awe and love, seek his glory, and pursue the advancement of his kingdom. By calling him “Father,” we acknowledge that we have benefited from Christ’s finished work on the cross and his resurrection, which paved the way for us to experience the new birth and become part of God’s family. To make God’s name holy means we do not take him or our relationship with him lightly. Jesus is not our “boyfriend” or our servant. He is Lord of Lords, and Abba Father is greater still. Being his child does not incite us to hold him in the contempt of familiarity. To “hallow” his name means we seek God’s glory. We do not seek to bring him down to our level; instead, we devote ourselves to bringing him glory through all we do. God’s glory is our ultimate priority, and one way we glorify him is by prioritizing what is important to him – the advancement of his kingdom.

‘Your kingdom come. Your will be done,On earth as it is in heaven.Matthew 6:10 (NASB)

Putting God’s kingdom first requires us to act accordingly. We must make the changes to our daily lifestyle that will enable us to be obedient. As Christ’s disciples, it is our responsibility to make the Great Commission our life mission. The first part of the Lord’s prayer requires us to acknowledge that Jesus is the Lord and live accordingly.

Provision

If I had written the Lord’s Prayer, I would have been more spiritual than Jesus by not placing our plea for daily sustenance before asking for forgiveness. That is because I am a religious person at heart, just like you. We like to impress people with our spirituality, but Jesus did not have our hang ups. He unashamedly placed the need for food ahead of the prayer for forgiveness. God cares about the everyday needs of people. I have heard other religious people say that they hate to ask God for personal needs because he is “so busy” and has much more important things with which to concern himself. Such a statement reveals that the person who said it does not have a very high estimation of God, his love, his power, and his desire to help us. It also reveals that such a person probably is not really God’s child. What parent would refuse to feed his hungry child, if it were in his power to do it? When we are unsure of God’s power and his heart toward us, we are afraid to ask for things, or we think he will not bother with us. God delights to provide for his children. He is a good Father, and his heart is disposed to bless us.

Pardon

To forgive is to release someone from the debt owed to us. We all owed God a debt for which we had no means to pay. That is why Jesus came to die on the cross as God’s lamb. He was the perfect sacrifice, who took our punishment and pain to make it possible for us to be released from the guilt and condemnation associated with our sin. When a person places his or her trust in Jesus and what he did for us as Savior, he or she comes into a right relationship with Abba Father and has all the privileges and responsibilities of being God’s child. One of the most important of those responsibilities is to pardon all those who offend or “owe” us anything. Jesus is the king of “pay it forward,” and he requires us to pass on the blessing  of pardon that he gave to us.

Protection

Lastly, Jesus tells us to ask for God’s protection against evil and temptation. In Matthew’s version of the Lord’s prayer, Jesus expands upon this theme.

‘And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Matthew 6:13 (NASB)

Human beings are weak, thanks to a built in residual connection to the old order of things through our bodies. As Jesus said:

Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Matthew 26:41 (ESV)

This last part of the Lord’s prayer emphasizes that we are unable to stand against evil without God’s help. The world is a hostile place, especially for followers of Christ. Paul warned us that everyone who lives as a true disciple, who boldly shares the gospel and makes disciples, will suffer persecution. (2 Timothy 3:12) In addition, the world system, our own sin nature, and the devil conspire against us to tempt us to depart from our determination to put God and his kingdom first. We all face temptation to live selfishly and independently from God. Immorality and lust are rampant, tempting us to abandon our holiness to God and purity. Life’s many distractions seek to pull us away from pursuing the Great Commission. If Satan was able to lure Adam and Eve away from their devotion to God, how much more are we susceptible to his temptations, since we have a sin nature! It is only because of the indwelling Spirit and God’s protection that we can survive and thrive in such an environment. Jesus does not want us ever to take that for granted.

Prayer

Each day as we look to God in prayer, let us remember the four main points of the Lord’s prayer. Here is a condensed version of this already short prayer.

Father God, let me live today with your glory and purpose always in mind. Order my steps so that I do not waste a single minute of this day. Thank you that you care about me. I trust you to provide everything I need, just as you provided forgiveness to me. I likewise pardon others. Lastly, God I acknowledge that I am totally dependent on your protection from evil, sin, and temptation. Thank you for sending your Spirit to live your Son’s life through me. Amen.

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Prayer to Be Able to Hear God’s Voice

In sacrifice and offering you have not delighted, but you have given me an open ear. Burnt offering and sin offering you have not required. Psalm 40:6 (ESV)

The ability to hear the Lord’s voice is a gift. Jesus promised that all his sheep will hear his voice.

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. John 10:27 (ESV)

It is important for us to cultivate our ability to hear the Lord’s voice. God is speaking, but are we listening? Have we allowed too much clutter in our lives? Have we put other things ahead of being obedient and surrendered to Jesus? Have we allowed our hearts to become embittered or hardened? If so, it is necessary to repent, ask forgiveness, and ask the Lord to soften our hearts and open our spiritual ears again.

The Lord GOD has given Me the tongue of disciples, That I may know how to sustain the weary one with a word. He awakens Me morning by morning, He awakens My ear to listen as a disciple. Isaiah 50:4 (NASB)

Once we hear his voice in our hearts, it is important that we obey. Otherwise, hearing him will result in greater judgment for us.

Remember what it says: “Today when you hear his voice, don’t harden your hearts as Israel did when they rebelled.” Hebrews 3:15 (NLT)

Prayer

Lord, I want to be able to hear your voice clearly. I believe that you are speaking to me, as you said you would. Forgive me for not patiently waiting in your presence and listening as I should. Please clear my heart and mind of sin, competing voices, and clutter. Help me be obedient when you speak to my heart. Let me be a blessing to others and a conduit of encouragement. Thank you in advance for softening my heart and opening my ears. Amen.

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Prayer to Forgive and Have Patience with People

Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” 22 Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven. Matthew 18:21-22 (ESV)

Forgiveness is sometimes more of a challenge than we might expect. Let me give you a couple of examples. If I believe someone has forgotten to pay me back $100 I loaned them years ago, I may forgive them the debt without ever bringing it up to them. However, if I overhear them telling another person how I am a weak person and an easy mark, and how funny it is that I never asked for my money back, I will likely have difficulty with forgiving that transgression. Likewise, if someone acts harshly towards me, I may forgive them because I can mark it off to their having a bad day, perhaps. But if this harshness happens every week over several years, what will I do then?

Confrontation will likely be necessary in both of the above cases, but what if that produces no repentance? We are left with the choice of releasing the person from the debt of offense or holding on to a desire for payback. To forgive is to release someone from the debt they owe us, whether it be financial or some other kind.

Apparently the challenge of forgiving the habitual offender is behind Jesus’ command in the above passage that we should forgive without limits. We sometimes think we have reached “the end of our rope” with people, but that is where the fruit of the Spirit can really grow in our lives. Long-suffering or patience can only be manifested when it is needed, or as Graham Cooke teaches, “The fruit of the Spirit can only grow in poor soil.”

If we loose patience with others and cease to offer forgiveness to them because of their recurring sins, we, in effect, tell God that we want Him to do the same to us; and, that is not a deal that is in our best interests. Remember the parable of the unforgiving servant. (Matthew 18:23-35) He was turned over to the tormentors for not showing mercy in the way it was given to him. Forgiveness is not easy. If it were, no one would struggle with obeying God in this area. Forgiveness is very costly. It cost Jesus His life, and it costs us our pride and desire for revenge. Only humble people can forgive. Below is a prayer for God’s help in the matter.

Prayer

Father, forgive me for the pride that makes me think I have the right to refuse to forgive others! I acknowledge that I am a sinner and in continual need of your mercy towards me. Keep me from becoming hard-hearted and arrogant. Give me compassion towards others and a greater understanding of your loving mercy towards us all. Jesus already paid the price to satisfy your demand for justice; so, I can let people go from mine. You are the only Judge who matters, and you will make sure that everything is handled correctly and justice delivered. That is not my concern. Holy Spirit, I ask you to develop the fruit of long-suffering in my life. Amen!

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