TVCC Students,
Summer seems to be flying by! We cannot believe that we are already in the middle of July! Last night we went through and unpacked the Lord's prayer recorded in Matthew. It was so powerful to intensely study this prayer of our Lord and meditate on the truths that Jesus is teaching us in this passage. Here is a recap...
~Matthew 6:9: Jesus is giving us an example of how to pray. Who better to learn from than the One who came from the Father and is now back with the Father?
*The first line that Jesus gives us to pray starts with "Our Father." What are the implications that come with addressing the Lord of Glory as "Our Father?"
1. As our Father, we have direct access to God. Just as a child can have his father's attention at almost any moment because of the immeasurable love that the father has for the child, so we, too, have complete access to our heavenly Father. We are His children through faith in the blood of Jesus. He wants what is best for us and is always available to listen to our hearts as any loving father would be. He wants us to come to Him as His children and pour out our hearts to Him continually.
Q: What is your relationship with the Lord like? Do you have a great Father/child relationship with Him where you converse often with Him- sharing your heart with Him? If not, we encourage you to spend undistracted time with Him in prayer- pouring out your heart to Him because He cares for you!
2. As our Father, we also at times receive the discipline that we need from the Lord. Any loving Father disciplines His children because He cares for them and wants what is best for them (Hebrews 12). The same is true of the Lord. While He does earnestly desire that we pour out our hearts and requests to Him, He will at times tell us "No" and even discipline us for our own good and for His glory. We must remember that just as parents have more wisdom and insight than their children and are thus called to make decisions that will keep their children and family safe, so too the Lord IS WISDOM and does everything to draw us close to Him and let His name be magnified. Let us trust in His Fatherly leadership in our lives.
Q: Do you trust the Lord as your Father to lead your life? Are you continually asking for Him to lead you and discipline you that you would grow in His image and continually be glorifying to Him?
*After Jesus uses the phrase "Our Father," He continues with the phrase, "who is in heaven." This phrase may seem small and insignificant but there is so much behind it. This phrase is to remind believers that this earth is not their home and we are not yet fully united with the Lord who is in heaven. Our home is with our Father in heaven... this place is just temporary... one that we are enduring until we are united with Him for eternity.
Q: Have you actually been living lately like this place is your eternal home or have you been living with heaven in mind, knowing that we are just here for a short time and will be with Him in heaven forever? What changes do you need to make in your life to live with a more eternal mindset?
*Next Jesus uses the amazing phrase "hallowed be Your name." This was how Jesus lived. This is how we are called to live. Jesus came to do the Father's will and to trust Him fully in what He called Jesus to do. Life here is not about making a name for ourselves but we are called to follow the example of Jesus and serve others for the glory of the Father (Philippians 2).
Q: Are you living in such a way that you are trying to make your name great or are you living in a way that says that you want the Lord's name to be exalted? What changes do you feel the Lord calling you to make that His name might be more glorified in your life?
~Matthew 6:10: Jesus continues with "Your kingdom come, Your will be done." This is similar to the phrase before it but reminds us that it is not our own will that we are to be concerned with, Just as a father has more wisdom than his children, so our Father has more wisdom than us and knows what is best for His glory and our good. Even if at times He calls us to be uncomfortable or more, we must trust that His will is best and He does everything to bring about the glory of His kingdom.
Q: In what areas of your life are you trying to force your will and not the Lord's? We encourage you to have a time of prayer where you surrender again your whole life to the will of the Lord knowing that His will is best.
~Matthew 6:11: Jesus encourages us to ask the Lord for daily bread. This, too, is such a loaded phrase. It reminds us of a few things. We get hungry and cannot sustain ourselves. Without the grace of God we cannot even draw breath into our own lungs. It is God's grace that sustains us all. Without the Lord we are miserable, wretched, poor, blind and naked (Revelation 3). We need to continually remember that He sustains us daily. He is not just the beginning of our salvation but He is the One who brings to completion the work that He begins in us (Philippians 1).
Q: Are you coming to the Lord to be filled daily or are you trying to sustain yourself on what the world has to offer? What does it look like for you to come daily to the Lord and find your sustenance in Him?
~Matthew 6:12: Next Jesus calls us to ask forgiveness from the Lord and encourages us to be a forgiving people. He knew that we would fail to fully live the lives that the Lord was calling us to live and wants to remind us here that we can continually come to the Father and receive forgiveness as our right standing with the Lord is based on the work of Christ- not us! Praise Jesus for that!! We will fail but we are seen as righteous in the eyes of the Father because of the work of Christ on the cross on our behalf. We are called in Philippians to forget what lies behind and press on. Confess our shortcomings to the Father and then walk in His forgiveness!
Q: Are you burdened with guilt or are you walking in the forgiveness of Christ? What things in your life are you letting keep your burdened with guilt? We encourage you to repent of those shortcomings and failures and then walk in complete forgiveness that is yours through Christ!
Q: How are you doing at forgiving others as you have been forgiven? Do you have any unforgiveness in your life that you need to repent of? We encourage you to be at peace with others as far as it depends on you.
~Matthew 6:13: Lastly Jesus encourages us to ask that we not be led into temptation but delivered from evil. Jesus knew that this world is full of temptation and evil. We need to be continually delivered by the Lord. Again, the Lord does not just save us and leave us to fend for ourselves. Our deliverance by Him is a continual one. We need to continually be communicating with our Lord and trusting Him to lead us.
Q: Are you continually asking the Lord to lead you away from sin and temptation? Are you asking the Lord to lead you in ways that will encourage your sanctification and His glory? We encourage you to make this a continual prayer. He is our Rescuer! We need Him continually!
Dear students,
The theme of this whole prayer is one of surrender and trust. Do we believe that God's way is best? Do we fully trust the Lord with our lives? What changes do we need to make that show that we genuinely trust that He is our perfect Father that knows what is best for our good and His glory? A.W. Tozer says that the safest place we can be is a place where we have entrusted everything to Him. This is so true. let us hold nothing back this week but continually be offering up our lives to Him. We love you and are praying for you, that you would enjoy intimacy with Lord as this is His desire for you.
With hope,
Sonny and Casi
