“God is great; God is good.  Thank you for our daily food.  Amen!”

That is what little kindergarten children may say before having their cookies and milk.  Some older children say it for grace, too.

Some children also have a bedtime prayer–”Now I lay me down to sleep; I pray the Lord my soul to keep. . .”

Many of us have our form prayers, don’t we?  Those prayers are very helpful when we don’t want to get too close to God–or have Him get too close to us!  Some of us lean on the Lord’s Prayer.  Our Lord Jesus gave us this prayer, so it is perfect–if we really mean every word!

Then again, some of us pray insincerely, just wanting to make a good impression on other people.

According to Jesus, that’s what a certain prideful Pharisee did.  This man looked down his long nose at a nearby publican and thanked God he wasn’t like THAT sinner and others like him.  Then in his so-called prayer he bragged about how “good” he was.

The publican, however, bowed his head humbly.  In anguish he cried, “God be merciful to me a sinner!”

We miss out on the joy of prayer if we are not aware of the power and blessing of it!  And we miss out on the true meaning of being a Christian when we do not regularly and conversationally talk with our Lord.  Personal communication with Him is a sweet privilege!

“Pray without ceasing,” Paul said in 1 Thessalonians 5:17.

How do we do that?  Well, we have to be right with the Lord.  The prophet Amos said, “Can two walk together except they be agreed?”  That’s why we ask God to forgive our sins and  turn us from wrongdoing, so we can be in step with Him.  This may cost us something in worldly pleasure and self-discipline, but the rewards are greater than the cost.  For we are filled with peace and joy when we walk and talk daily with our Lord.

Also, we can speak to Him throughout the day.  We can call quickly and quietly to Him when we need help.  We can discuss with Him our problems and leave them in His capable hands.  We can be lifted to joy by praising and thanking God for His blessings and the beauty it’s of His marvelous creations.

True communication is both speaking and listening.   When we talk with the Lord, we can know He will guide us in the decisions we have to make.  If we trust Him, we will see prayers answered.  We will see Him do “more than we ask or think” (Ephesians 3:20).  God may not always answer the way we want Him to, but He does answer.

If you record your prayer requests in a little booklet, you will experience great joy when the prayers are answered and you can write the answer in red, alongside the date.  Try it!

Jesus told us, “My Father will give you whatever you ask in my name” (John 16:23). This promise is real to me.  Is it real to you?

Lord, Teach me to pray. Amen

Questions: Do you find it difficult to be real with God? Why? What does praying to God mean to you?

About the Author Muriel Larson

Daily audio podcast: A second daily devotional, The Depth of God’s Love for You, today on the Men’s Devotional Blog

The next-to-last phrase in the Lord’s prayer is a petition for protection from Satan: “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.”

Is such a prayer necessary? Would God ever lead us into temptation? James 1:13 says, “When people are tempted they should not say, ‘God is tempting me.’ Evil cannot tempt God, and God himself does not tempt anyone.” If God does not tempt us, then why pray, “Lead us not into temptation”? These words trouble the most sophisticated theologian.

But they don’t trouble a child. And this is a prayer for the child-like heart. This is a prayer for those who look upon God as their Abba. This is a prayer for those who have already talked to their Father about provision for today (“Give us our daily bread.”) and pardon for yesterday (“Forgive us our debts.”). Now the child needs assurance about protection for tomorrow.

The phrase is best understood with a simple illustration. Imagine a father and son walking down an icy street. The father cautions the boy to be careful, but the boy is too excited to slow down. He hits the first patch of ice. Up go the feet and down plops the bottom. Dad comes along and helps him to his feet. The boy apologizes for disregarding the warning and then, tightly holding his father’s big hand, he asks, “Keep me from the slippery spots. Don’t let me fall again.”

The Father is so willing to comply. “The steps of the godly are directed by the Lord. He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will not fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand” (Psalm 37:23–24, TLB). Such is the heart of this petition. It’s a tender request of a child to a father. The last few slips have taught us—the walk is too treacherous to make alone. So we place our small hand in his large one and say, “Please, Abba, keep me from evil.”

From The Great House of God
Copyright (Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2001) Max Lucado
Used by permission

Question: How are you most often tempted? Can you earnestly begin to pray “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.”?

About this Author: Max Lucado

**Do you have unforgiveness in your heart?  http://thelife.com/interactive/share.html

“And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors” (Matthew 6:12 KJV).

I memorized The Lord’s Prayer from the Bible as a child and recited it during church services. I even sang it as a solo at a friend’s celebration. Although I knew it by heart, applying it was another matter.

While my husband and I attended a marriage conference, he did something that upset me. I slipped into bed that night, built an invisible wall between us, and hugged my side of the bed. Our usual friendly chit-chat was replaced with icy silence. Restless and unable to sleep, I prayed, “God, what does my husband need from me?”

“Unconditional love,” came the quick prompting from the Holy Spirit.

“No! He doesn’t deserve it,” I snapped and fumed in silence.

Although I knew the Bible taught I should forgive my husband, I wasn’t ready to do so. I’d rather stay angry awhile longer.

Today’s verse from Matthew is part of Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13), a passage written as a prayer model for us. It includes not only praise and intercession but also confession and forgiveness: “And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.” I like having my sins forgiven, but if my husband or someone else offends me, I am not as quick to forgive. But when I recall God’s forgiveness of my sins, my heart softens.

Later that night, I finally obeyed God’s prompting. I rolled over, gently tapped my husband, and said, “Honey, my attitude was wrong. Will you forgive me?”

“Yes, dear, I’m sorry, too. Will you forgive me?”

The wall crumbled, we hugged and slept peacefully, reminding me once again of the saying, “A happy marriage is the union of two good forgivers.”

~Lord God, thank you for Your forgiveness. When we confess our sins, You are faithful and just to forgive and cleanse us. Help me forgive others the way You have forgiven me. Amen.

Question: Thank God for His forgiveness. Is there someone you need to forgive?

About the Author: http://talk.thelife.com/experience/devotionalforwomen/authors/lydia-e-harris/