Lent Day 22

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Lent Day 22
Wednesday, March 11, 2015
 Jeff Lampl

           "He continued to pray just as he had always done."   Daniel 6:10

 

Begin 
Silence, Stillness, and Centering before God (2 minutes) 

Scripture Reading: Matthew 6:9-13

Our Father in heaven,
    may your name be kept holy.
¹⁰ May your Kingdom come soon.
May your will be done on earth,
    as it is in heaven.
¹¹ Give us today the food we need,^[a]
12 and forgive us our sins,
    as we have forgiven those who sin against us.
¹³ And don’t let us yield to temptation,^[b]
    but rescue us from the evil one

Devotional

What is called the “Lord’s Prayer” is in a sense a misnomer.    It is better called the “disciples’ Prayer” because it is we who pray it, whereas John 17 is the prayer that Jesus himself prayed.   

This prayer is hugely important because Jesus provides us with a prayer outline that covers all of life.  So much so that if one were to stop at each word phrase or line and pray those contemplatively the prayer would never get finished! 

Most importantly, however, so it seems to me at least, is that the prayer cuts to the most important thing in life.   It points to God’s project for planet earth which he began in Genesis one and two, had been interrupted in Genesis three and restarted in Genesis 12 with Abraham.   It is the project of bringing heaven to earth where human beings will be God’s partners in running God’s brand new creation, “on earth as in heaven”

This is my reason for existence, and yours.   This gives me my marching orders for today.   It is in these words that I know my purpose for my family, my friends, the community in which God has placed me and the workplace that God has given me.    What is that purpose?   I am to be an agent of God bringing something of heaven to the people among whom God has placed me.   

Therefore this phrase is so much more than a purpose statement, it’s a prayer, a request, because I can’t pull that off on my own!   I’m simply too selfish, too tired, too defeated, too whatever.   I need God.   And when I pray that prayer and receive help to carry it out only to discover that something of God’s world was indeed experienced in the little world of others that I inhabit, then wow, praise God.  I’ve tasted a tiny fraction of my purpose on earth. 

Prayer

“Lord, as I enter my day today, please remind me that I am there by your choice for a reason.   Please help me to bring a taste of your Grace, a morsel of the love of heaven itself, to those whom I encounter today.   May your will be done in me.   May a little bit of your will be done in my world today as it is done in heaven”

Questions to Consider

How might God want to use you in your workplace or home as his choice to bring a little bit of heaven to those you meet today?

Conclude with Silence (2 minutes)

Download the entire devotional for free
http://www.emotionallyhealthy.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/dailyoffice.pdf

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