Praying Pre-Emptively

“Oh, Lord, hold us back and do not let us take the path into trials.”

That’s what scholar of Near Eastern Studies and professor of New Testament, Joachim Jeremias contends Jesus is teaching us to pray when He said, “And lead us not into temptation…” (Matthew 6:13).

Jesus presumes we are prone to be drawn into situations that exasperate the sufficient troubles of the day. We are, as we said no Sunday, suckers for drama of the soul. The problem is, once we are caught up in the drama, it’s really difficult to be at peace, much less be a peacemaker. So, Jesus teaches us a daily prayer of pre-emptive avoidance:

“We don’t know what we are getting ourselves into today, but you do. We trust you to guide us, leading us not into drama but through the troubles of the day.”

Implied In Prayer

Even the way Jesus models prayer for us helps us to recognize and live in the “new map” his sermon (and subsequent life and teaching) unfold. If the kingdom of heaven is not a place we arrive in the traditional sense, but a reality that we experience and in which we mature, then no wonder Jesus teaches us to pray:

Hallowed be thy name.

Let it come—thy kingdom,

let it be done—thy will.

The phrasing, says Kenneth Bailey, implies both an already-ness to God’s holiness, kingdom, and purposes; alongside an expectation of living depth, more complete experience of all three in real time. So, as we pray these opening words this week, give yourself the space to meditate on what the prayer’s implications for your life and those who you make a life with. Pray and ponder:

Hallowed be thy name.

Let it come—thy kingdom,

let it be done—thy will.

A Footnote in Prayer

Eugene Peterson once wrote,

“in prayer we become what we say...The task is not to get God to do something I think needs done, but to become aware of what God is doing so that I can participate in it.”

In most bible translations, the Jesus’ prayer ends with a footnote. There at the bottom of the page in ultra tiny print, the publishers include a comment like, “some manuscripts add For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever. Amen.”

Whether or not this footnote was original to Matthew or added later, the final phrase brings us back to the point of Jesus’ prayer: awareness that God’s kingdom, power, and glory are the only real, as well as the only ones that last; so God help us, let’s participate!

This week, let’s spend some time mediating on the footnote. Pray the words slowly three times, then let the Spirit lead you into how God’s kingdom, power, and glory are showing forth now and forever.

For Yours is

the Kingdom and

the Power and

the Glory,

Forever.

Amen.

Caught & Released

The way Jesus teaches us to pray, forms us individually and collectively in three relational truths:

• The One to whom we pray is both Creator and Near: “Our Father…in heaven.”

• Our daily and basic living is caught up in “the great sweep of history” of His Story from making holy His name to living free from evil.

• Because we are caught up in His life and action; we are released into our lives and actions.

Kenneth E. Bailey contends that "Each of the six petitions involves an act of God, and each specifies or implies participation on the part of the believer,” the one praying. So this week, let’s pray the implied made specific below, allowing our minds and hearts to formed so that we might live the Truth.

Father, You make Your own name holy, and so I am expected to live a holy life.

Father, You bring Your Kingdom, and so I am to work toward the goal of its fulness.

Father, You fulfill Your will, and so I am to discover and obey it in daily life.

Father, You give the gift of daily bread, and so I am to labor with what you give.

Father, You forgive, and so I am to share what I have been given.

Father, You guide me away from evil, and so I must live a life that follows where You lead.

Starting At the Depths

When a disciple asked Jesus to teach he and his fellow apprentices to pray, he probably expected something similar to what he learned growing up: a route prayer. Maybe Jesus’ prayer would sound different, use different words than the Shema, but ultimately, it would be another collection of words whose force was felt through repetition. Yet, what the disciple wanted, and what Jesus wanted for his followers, was not a fresh version of the same old thing, but something that took us to the depths of “routine religion.”

Jesus desires us not to merely pray memorized words, but to pray in a way that moves us from the shallows into the depths of faith. A move that, ironically enough keeps us firmly grounded in the weeds of daily life (see Matt. 6:19-34). Still, its a movement into depth that begins by emphasizing the heart of our faith: forgiveness:

For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. (Matthew 6:14-15)

So this week, slowly pray the words Jesus taught us below. But this time, as the Holy Spirit leads, let your conversation with God lead linger in depths of embolden phrase. Allow the weight of what has been forgiven you, be an alleviating joy. Allow the weight of what needs forgiving in others, be a prostrating plea.

Now, let’s pray with Jesus Matthew 6:9-13 from The Message:

Our Father in heaven,

Reveal who you are.

Set the world right.

Do what’s best — as above, so below.

Keep us alive with three square meals.

Keep us forgiven with you and forgiving others.

Keep us safe from ourselves and the Devil.

Your in charge!

You can do anything you want!

You’re ablaze with beauty!

Yes. Yes. Yes.

"Lord Teach Us..."

The one time the disciples ask Jesus to teach them something, the one time rather than learning through observation they desire to learn through a lesson, they ask Jesus to teach them…what, do you think? Nope. Teach them to stay steadfast and do the right things? Nope. Teach them to overcome the enemy? Nope. Teach them what to know about God? Nope.

Each of those would have been a good thing to learn. Yet what the disciples asked Jesus to teach them was not a lesson on morality or kingdom advancement or even theology. Instead, they asked “Lord, teach us to pray…” (Luke 11:1). Haven learned from Jesus along their journies for nearly three years, Jesus’ apprentices recognized that what is most important is not what you know, but who. They came to realize that a truly “blessed” life—one morally sound, kingdom strong, and biblically wise—came through relationship, communion, and conversation with God.

The same is true for you and I, so over the next several weeks, we’ll follow the disciples’ lead, asking Jesus to teach us to pray and letting his lesson sink into our hearts and out of our mouths.

This week, take a few minutes to pray Jesus’ prayer three times. After each cycle, give yourself a minute to sit in the relational simplicity of Jesus’ conversation.

Now, let’s pray as Jesus teaches us in Matthew’s precursor to Luke’s version. Matthew 6:9-13 from The Message:

Our Father in heaven,

Reveal who you are.

Set the world right.

Do what’s best — as above, so below.

Keep us alive with three square meals.

Keep us forgiven with you and forgiving others.

Keep us safe from ourselves and the Devil.

Your in charge!

You can do anything you want!

You’re ablaze with beauty!

Yes. Yes. Yes.

Choosing Life

Choose life so that you and your descendants may live, loving the LORD your God, obeying him, and holding fast to him. (Deut. 30:19-20)

The “law,” including its foundational Ten Words, where given not to suffocate life, and certainly not to destroy life. The words were spoken that we might know what life really is, that true and lasting life is possible, if we so choose. This week, let this prayer script (adapted from Nan Doerr & Virginia Owens) be a means of choosing the grace bestowed upon us, choosing life in the love of God and others, in the Way and ways God has given us to live.

Let us pray:

Father, the earth is Yours, for You have made it! We come adoring You!

We trust you with all our hearts, knowing you resist the proud and never forsake those who boast in your mercy.

Give us understanding that we shall keep your law, keep it with all our hearts.

Father, let us know the happiness of those who walk not in the counsel of the wicked, nor linger in the way that is off the mark, but are rooted in life with you, in Your life.

May all the people from east to west, north to south, see in us and join with us in Your Kingdom come and will done on earth as it is in heaven.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God our Father, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us all evermore.

Amen.

The Tension In Between

The near instinctive and universal affirmation of many of the Ten Words speaks to the foundational truth that we are created to desire what God desires, a whole and holy life, even if we are not always consistent nor right in how we go about crafting such an existence. The tension between our desire and what we see, between longing for light and journeying through darkness, is why we pray Psalm 139:23-24 or some variation so often, including today.

So let us ask our good Father to know our hearts in our relations to those we make a life with, and lead us in the clarity of His love for us and them.

Father, we come to You because our sins are forgiven for Jesus’ sake, and we are called Your children because of His love for us.

Father, we come to You because we desire what You desire and want nothing more than to live the fullness of Your life in us.

Father, search us and know our hearts. Show us if there is any dishonor, violence or in-fidelity, any deception or dishonesty towards those in our lives (even the ones we fail to see).

Father, create in us pure hearts, and let the love of Jesus lead us to see clearly the way before us to live whole and holy together.

Because Jesus lives and is pressing back the darkness already, we pray. Amen.

Take A Look

Come now and look upon the works of the LORD, what awesome things he has done on earth. (Psalm 46:9)

Thanks that binds our attitudes and actions to the grace given us is fostered through regular praise to our Father for what we often overlook or take for granted. This week, let this prayer script (adapted from Nan Doerr & Virginia Owens) be a means for letting your heart rest in the grace bestowed upon you and all those in your life, so that your thanks might be felt in our words and deeds.

Let us pray:

Father, the earth is Yours, for You have made it! We come adoring You!

How amazing, merciful Father, that we, Your Church, the very work of Your hands and Love, bound in the unity of the Spirit, show Your power among our neighbors, in our work places, city, and homes.

May joy and gladness be found in us, as You make and Eden out of the wilderness of our lives individually and together.

Father, thank you for caring the for lowly, comforting us, Your children, in every season.

May all the people from east to west, north to south, see in us and join with us in Your Kingdom come and will done on earth as it is in heaven.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God our Father, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us all evermore.

Amen.

Continuing With Thanks

“Wisdom…calls from the highest places…’Lay aside immaturity, and live, and walk in the way of insight.’” (Proverbs 9:1, 3, 6)

Since we desire “to live,” to lead a life that follows the Way into abundance, let us continue with thanks, binding our attitudes and actions to the grace given us. This week, let this prayer script (adapted from Nan Doerr & Virginia Owens) be a means for letting your heart rest in the grace bestowed upon you, so that your thanks might be felt in our words and deeds.

Let us pray:

Father, we come in worship before the beauty of Your holiness. We come in adoration to You.

Give us grace to receive thankfully the fruits of Jesus’ redeeming work, and to follow daily in His holy steps.

For You have said to those who love You, “these I will bring to My holy mountain, and make them joyful in My house of prayer” (Isaiah 56:6-7).

Father, be merciful and bless and us. Spirit, show us the Light of Jesus and guide us in the countenance of grace upon grace.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God our Father, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us all evermore.

Amen.

"with thankfulness in your hearts to God"

How do we live differently? How do we live as ones who “have put off the old self…and have put on the new self”? How do we live, not just better, but whole and holy different? Well, says the apostle Paul, we do those things we people of faith have come to expect: we treat others as God has treated us (Col. 3:12-14), and we let the words and way of Jesus be in our hearts and our lips (Col. 3:16).

Yet, there is one thing that seems to bind our attitudes and actions, that is most transformative for our nature and for the environments we create: “be thankful…with thankfulness in your hearts to God…giving thanks to God the Father through Jesus” (Col. 3:15, 16, 17).

It seems that when it comes to living whole and holy as men and women, wives and husbands, parents and children, employees and employers (Col. 3:18-22), that is, living differently is contingent upon our awareness and acknowlegement of grace. The word “thankful” in the Greek, is more literally translated as “grace-ful,” or one who is grateful for God’s grace.

So this week, let us be grace-ful, giving gratitude for the graces as a means of living differently. With grace-fulness in our hearts to God, we pray:

Father I thank you for ____________ (name five evidences of our Father’s grace in your life this week, whether they be people, circumstances, attitudes, revelations, presence, etc.).

Father, I thank you the grace of Jesus’ life—life given for me and life in which I live—which empowers me to live differently, in harmony with _____ (name your friends, family, co-workers, neighbors, etc.). Father, where the harmony is off, let your grace abound in and through me until the “peace of Christ” is what we all know.

Father, in whatever I do, in word or deed, I do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, fully aware of your grace through Him. Amen.

A Confident Finish

And I am sure of this, that He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. (Philippians 1:6)

The apostle Paul’s confidence in and for the faith family of Philippi’s life in Jesus was not that they where sharp enough to figure out the riddles and rhythms of holiness nor determined enough to fulfill their vision of wholeness. Certainly Paul desired his sisters and brothers in Jesus to mature in their character and aptitude for holiness and wholeness, “to be pure and blameless” when the Kingdom was in unobstructed view (1:9-10). Still, Paul’s joyous certainty was not contingent on the ebbs and flows of his friends faith, but in the surety of the effective and eternal efforts which his friends where caught up in.

So this week, let us pray with a similar confidence for and with one another, partners in the gospel and fellow finishers because of Jesus.

Father, with joy I come before in remembering my sisters and brothers in Jesus, those in our faith family and beyond whose lives are joined to mine in our apprenticeship to our Master. What I am sure of, that Your good work in them, for them, and with them will be worked until they are fully the good You have made them to be, may such surety strengthen their hearts, steady their minds, and satisfy their souls.

Spirit, you are my witness, that I yearn for my faith family with the affection of Christ Jesus. And so I pray, Father, that your love may abound more and more in and through their daily cultivating of life that they may be ever maturing in knowledge of You and discernment of Your ways so that their labors may be participation in everything that is excellent, and so that they may be holy and whole in Your Kingdom come and will done on earth as it is in heaven.

May their lives, and mine, bear the fruit of ones who relate rightly to You, themselves, others, and earth; through Jesus Christ and to Your glory and praise.

This I pray, with confident joy. Amen.

Fear and Delight

Living in the whole and holy repeating rhythm of Sabbath and work helps us keep the Third Word, that is, not to take for granted the character and actions of God by which we live. A day of delighting in God (and the others whom He has made us to dwell among) so that we might, in everything that we do, work with “sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord” (Col. 3:22). That is, that we might live in the awe and wonder of God’s ever present shaping care. Today, let us pray as if we are ones in step with the Fourth Word, praying Psalm 34 on behalf of one another, neighbor, co-worker, or family that they too might experience what we have (and do) experience.

1 I bless God every chance I get;
my lungs expand with his praise.

2 I live and breathe God;
if things aren’t going well, hear this and be happy:

3 Join me in spreading the news;
together let’s get the word out.

4 God met me more than halfway,
he freed me from my anxious fears.

5 Look at him; give him your warmest smile.
Never hide your feelings from him.

6 When I was desperate, I called out,
and God got me out of a tight spot.

7 God’s angel sets up a circle
of protection around us while we pray.

8 Open your mouth and taste, open your eyes and see—
    how good God is.
Blessed are you who run to him.

9 Worship God if you want the best;
worship opens doors to all his goodness.

10 Young lions on the prowl get hungry,
but God-seekers are full of God.

11 Come, children, listen closely;
I’ll give you a lesson in God worship.

12 Who out there has a lust for life?
Can’t wait each day to come upon beauty?

13 Guard your tongue from profanity,
and no more lying through your teeth.

14 Turn your back on sin; do something good.
Embrace peace—don’t let it get away!

15 God keeps an eye on his friends,
his ears pick up every moan and groan.

16 God won’t put up with rebels;
he’ll cull them from the pack.

17 Is anyone crying for help? God is listening,
ready to rescue you.

18 If your heart is broken, you’ll find God right there;
if you’re kicked in the gut, he’ll help you catch your breath.

19 Disciples so often get into trouble;
still, God is there every time.

20 He’s your bodyguard, shielding every bone;
not even a finger gets broken.

21 The wicked commit slow suicide;
they waste their lives hating the good.

22 God pays for each slave’s freedom;
no one who runs to him loses out.

One More Time

Somethings are just worth repeating!

“O LORD, you have searched me and known me!”

This is the cry of the Psalmist in Psalm 139:1, a declaration that precedes the process of self-discovery that follows. A discovery that “self” is known before it knows, and knows only in relation to the One who knew first and last and forever. It is from our place in the same process that we can pray the following prayer for ourselves and for our sisters and brothers today.

Lord, my God and my loving Father, you have made me to know you, to love you, to serve you, and thereby to find and to fulfill my deepest longings in the life you know. I know that you are in all things, and that every path can lead me to you. 

But of them all, there is one especially by which you want me to come to you. Since I will do what you want of me, I pray you, send your Holy Spirit to me: renew my mind, show me what know of me and know for me. In my heart and in my hands, give me the determination to do it, and to do it with all my soul to the end. Jesus, I trust in you and your steadfast love. Amen

From Known to Knowing

“O LORD, you have searched me and known me!”

This is the cry of the Psalmist in Psalm 139:1, a declaration that precedes the process of self-discovery that follows. A discovery that “self” is known before it knows, and knows only in relation to the One who knew first and last and forever. It is from our place in the same process that we can pray the following prayer for ourselves and for our sisters and brothers today.

Lord, my God and my loving Father, you have made me to know you, to love you, to serve you, and thereby to find and to fulfill my deepest longings in the life you know. I know that you are in all things, and that every path can lead me to you. 

But of them all, there is one especially by which you want me to come to you. Since I will do what you want of me, I pray you, send your Holy Spirit to me: renew my mind, show me what know of me and know for me. In my heart and in my hands, give me the determination to do it, and to do it with all my soul to the end. Jesus, I trust in you and your steadfast love. Amen

Worship Where You Are

The author of Hebrews ends the letter saying,

Make sure you don’t take things for granted and go slack in working for the common good; share what you have with others. God takes particular pleasure in acts of worship—a different kind of ‘sacrifice’ — that place in kitchen and workplace and on the streets. (Hebrews 13:16)

And then, the author prays the prayer below for the faith families reading the exhortation to cherish the life they have in Jesus by living it to all that it was made to be in Him. Let’s join in praying this prayer for ourselves and for one another as we worship where we are today and in the days ahead.

May God, who puts all things together,

makes all things whole,

Who made a lasting mark through the sacrifice of Jesus,

the sacrifice of blood that sealed the eternal covenant,

Who led Jesus, our Great Shepherd,

up and alive from the dead,

Now put you together, provide you

with everything you need to please him,

Make us into what gives him most pleasure,

by means of the sacrifices of Jesus, the Messiah.

All glory to Jesus forever and always!

Oh, yes, yes, yes.

(Hebrews 13:20-21)

Not To Forget

Psalm 78 recounts the grace of God and God’s people’s forgetting. As much as we’d like to think we have advanced beyond our faith forefathers and mothers, the truth is, we are just as prone to “forget what God had done and the miracles that he had shown” us (78:11). And the problem with forgetting is that forgetting quickly gets us off rhythm “They did not keep God’s covenant, but refused to walk according to the law” (78:10).

So, this week, as we remember what God has done and continues to do, let us join in this prayer for ourselves and one another. Adapted from a prayer from Eugene Peterson.

Jesus, cure me, cure us, of our amnesia. Put my memory to work in reflecting on all the ways you have saved and blessed. Imprint these memories on our minds so that no trail or pain will arrive unaccompanied by the expectation that you will guard and guide us. Engrave upon my heart your ever-present grace, that we may see your kingdom come and will done in every season. Amen.

What's Next

We are not quite where we want to be, yet. We are certainly on the way there together, but sometimes, if we are honest, knowing we are not yet where we want to be makes the gap between feel daunting. So, when we feel the draw of the future and the drag of the present, what are we to do? Perhaps, we can let such emotions lead us to the source of our fulfillment. Rather than praying for the future, the thing that’s next, we seek communion with the One who’s already where we are going (see Ps. 34).

Will you pray as one feeling the weight of what is next, or as one sharing the burden of your fellow siblings—both are welcomed and needed!

Father, You meet me more than halfway! Where I am going, that's where You've come from!

What have I to fear? Why am I so anxious, so restless, in such a hurry?! It's certainly not because I haven't tasted and seen Your goodness. Oh, how good You are!

So, search me, Father who knows me and loves me. See clearly my heart and its longing for more of You, and lead me along the Way to tomorrow in You.

Through Jesus, I pray. Amen.

Praying Amid Grace

“Cultivate thankfulness,” or more accurately, “acknowledge that God’s grace works well.” That’s Paul exhortation to those who long to bring together the work of Jesus for them and their daily work with Him. Paul’s encouragement is not merely to express gratitude, but to be people who see themselves, their lives, and God as they truly are, and therefore cannot help thankfulness from springing into full bloom.

So today, and in the week that follows, let us pray for and with eyes to see life with God as it really is, full of grace upon grace. Pray with me these words adapted from Eugene Peterson,

Father, help us to see the meaning of our lives, not in the size of our paychecks nor in the list of things we accomplish nor in affirmations of others, but in the enteral purposes you have set for us in Jesus Christ. Father, as our days and years add up, Spirit help us to grow in gratitude for life lived in Your affection. As we grow older day by day, entering again and again the rhythm of life’s long journey, give us a good memory of your acts of guidance and deliverance and ready tongues for witness and praise. Let us close our eyes each evening, and see clearly the good work of Your grace in our daily living. Through Jesus we pray, amen.

Entering Through Gratitude

“Let the peace of Christ keep you in tune with each other, in rhythm with God. None of this going off and doing your own thing. And cultivate thankfulness, acknowledge God’s grace works well.” (Colossians 3:15)

We enter the Sabbath through the gate of gratitude, through the acknowledgment of the effective work of God’s grace toward us and all. As your week concludes and your Sabbath begins, let us join in this prayer, adapted from Michael Adams.

Heavenly Father, 
You are not a stranger to turmoil;
You are not a stranger to pain;
You are not a stranger to suffering;
You are not a stranger to the emotions or experiences that we have here on this earth.

We thank you for sending Jesus-- 
for the gift of salvation and deliverance.
We thank you for Jesus coming to save our souls
Taking on the pains and the suffering of flesh for our sake

We are in awe that he was bruised, battered, blasphemed, 
assaulted, and abused
all that we might have fellowship with you, Father.
And access to your throne with both humility and boldness

You are not a stranger, and you know our every need.
And so we give your praise for your gifts
The Great Comforter to embrace us when pain is present.
The Helper, who comes when grief is too much to overcome.
The Counselor, who gives us the peace that passes all understanding.

Thank you for your continued presence which reminds us
of your compassion, your love, your grace, and your mercy toward us.

Thank you for loving us. And thank you for making a rest and the Way into your rest through Jesus.

Amen