The Lord's Prayer - Our Father...

The Pre-Amble

For the last year or two, I've been trying to pattern my morning prayers after the Lord's Prayer.  I find that the structure allows me to be more consistent (if sometimes somewhat repetitive at times) in the discipline of prayer.  I've realized that there's nothing wrong with being consistent and somewhat repetitive.  Jesus related in his parable about the persistent widow who kept asking for the same thing over and over until she got it.  So here's the beginning of what I hope will be a series of blog posts about my meditations based on the Lord's Prayer.

Our Father who Art in Heaven...

I believe I'm a something of a softy at heart.  I enjoy watching YouTube videos of people with cochlear implants getting them turned on for the first time, children with really bad vision getting corrective glasses for the first time, soldiers surprising their families after being away deployed for a long time, AND most importantly with point I'm trying to make here, foster children getting adopted by their foster families.  A number of people in very close relationship to me had messed up families growing up (including my Dad who was a ward of the government for most of his childhood years).  The joy these children have when they realized they've been adopted is quite an experience and hits me deep.

John says in 1John 3:1 "Behold what manner of love the Father has given unto us, that we might be called children of God."  God is always growing His family, and He's inviting everyone to join!  God wants to be in a father/child relationship with each of us.  And He is a perfect father who gives good gifts to His children.  Listen to Jesus here in Matthew 7:11...  "If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!"

Image by Sasin Tipchai from Pixabay

...Hallowed be Your Name

The Bible actually focuses a lot on God's names.  Often there are phrases like 'bless the name of the Lord', 'for your namesake' and, like above 'hallowed be Your Name.'  Names carry an enormous significance in the Bible.  Many of the different names of God in the Bible came from different people's experiences with God and actual 'revelations' they had of who God is.  Essentially they're saying 'I experienced the living God in this way...'  

As I consider the kaleidoscope of all the different names of God from the Bible, I find God is ready and more than able to meet my needs for living, anywhere, anytime.  God the Seer, God of ages, God the healer, God my peace, God with me, God of all comfort, God the provider, God my hope and protector, etc.

So what are some of the names of God that I remember and I'm specifically thankful for?

• El Roi
• Jehovah Shalom
• Elohim Shomri
• Jehovah Jireh
• Emmanuel 
• Jehovah Rapha