I’ll never forget years ago seeing this Video by Tim Hawkins where there is a clip of his comedy show titled “The Food Prayer”.   While the video quality isn’t great, it’s worth a listen if you need a laugh.  It perfectly illustrates how sometimes we just don’t know what to pray.  Some of the things we find ourselves saying so regularly don’t make a whole lot of sense.  Thank the Lord that He gave us a model of how to pray in Matthew 6:9-13.

Pray then like this:

“Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.^[a]
10 Your kingdom come,
your will be done,^[b]
    on earth as it is in heaven.
¹¹ Give us this day our daily bread,^[c]
12 and forgive us our debts,
    as we also have forgiven our debtors.
¹³ And lead us not into temptation,
    but deliver us from evil.^[d]

So much is said in such a short prayer.  While we could take much time to dissect each line and word of this passage, I think three things stand out that should inform how we pray and what we should pray.

1. God is Deserving of Honor and Glory – As we approach “Our Father”, we immediately recognize who we are in relationship to Him. We are sons and daughters, under the authority of their father.  At the same time that statement didn’t end there, because He is “Our Father in heaven”.  He’s not like our earthly father, imperfect and flawed…He is in heaven in all His perfection.  As we approach the next line, “hallowed be your name”, we recognize God is worthy of our honor and respect.  He deserved all the glory we can heap on Him.  A name or title represents who someone is.  When you speak the name of God, do not do so lightly, as it represents His character – Holiness, Love, Justice, Grace, etc.  As we start to pray, it’s all about starting with the right attitude and approach to God. 
2. Everything Is About God’s Plan – Who’s Kingdom Come? Who’s Will Be Done?  You get it, it’s God’s plan and God’s will.  The question becomes, is what we’re praying for getting us closer to the return of Jesus?  We should be preoccupied with the return of Jesus.  Certain things have to happen in order for Christ to return and set up His kingdom.  One of those things is tied up in the Great Commission.  This is why it’s so important to pray for the lost and a courage and boldness to share the gospel!  Each day we live in a world where it’s very evident that everything isn’t the way God designed it and desired it to be.  That’s why we pray for His will and His plan to be done “on earth as it is in heaven”.  We should pray with faith that God’s will is done.  We should pray for ourselves to align our own prayers and actions with God’s will.  We should pray for God to use us in all circumstances to accomplish His will.  God is no doubt sovereign but he allows us to exercise our will here on this earth at this time.  Don’t be confused into thinking we have no choice and that God’s will is going to just take place.  God is in control but he is permitting things to take place that will ultimately lead to the return of His kingdom.  God’s will is taking place in the lives of those that pray for and seek to live out His will. 
3. Our Requests Recognize God For Who He Is - Once you frame your prayer in God deserves all Glory and Everything is about His Plan; that helps as we move forward with requests/petitions. Even in requests it’s all about recognizing God for who He is!  Starting with “Give us this day our daily bread” we see a recognition of God as provider.  He’s promised to provide for all of our needs so our requests should center around our needs.  It’s important to think about what we really “need”.  Do we need the latest piece of technology?  Do we need new clothes when we already have a closet full?    The we move on to “forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors” which points us towards God as forgiving and gracious.  God has given provision for forgiveness through the work of His Son.  Forgiveness is conditional on you forgiving others.  This isn’t to say that the only way to salvation is by forgiving others.  We’re talking about how believers should pray.  If someone sins against you, and you don’t forgive them, you can’t have forgiveness from God – No point in asking God to forgive you if you won’t forgive others.  Do you have people in your life that you have not forgiven?  The focus here is on God’s provision, His work, and His forgiveness.  The last thing we encounter is, “lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one”.  God is in control and when we seek Him, He will lead us.  Our desire should be for God as our leader to help guide us, to protect us from the temptation to sin.  As we pray for God’s leadership we find that, through the Spirit, God gives us His power to overcome temptation.  It all comes back to what God is able to do, we make requests of the Lord based on who He is and what He is able to do.

I don’t know what’s weighing on your heart, what you’re spending time praying for in recent weeks, but it all starts and ends with God.  God is deserving of honor and glory and any prayer that doesn’t recognize that goes horribly wrong quickly.  Everything is about God’s Plan so any prayer that approaches the Lord with our own plans is missing the mark.  Finally, even in the things we request, they’re based on who God is, what God is able to do.  How do you pray?

Take this opportunity to find out more about the artists that are coming to FBCW this Sunday, December 15, for the Very Merry Christmas Tour!  NewSong, Mac Powell & the Family Reunion, and Citizen Way will be bringing the holiday cheer and not only that...they'll be bringing a strong message of the gospel for your friends and neighbors this Christmas season!  If you have someone you'd like to invite, make sure to share this with them via email or on your social media profiles!  Tickets are available here: www.itickets.com/events/439677.html

Here’s some more information about the artists:

NewSong

With a career spanning more than 30 years, 19 albums, 20 #1 Christian radio singles, a GRAMMY® Award-nomination and induction into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame, among numerous other achievements, NewSong is among the most respected artists and mentors in Christian music today.

Billy Goodwin explains the group's faith journey, "The commitment that we made was, 'God, we'll do this as long as Your hand is on it, as long as we see You working.'" He went on to say "God is faithful even when things look impossible."

Their unparalleled ministry has been highlighted by such defining songs as “Arise, My Love,” “The Christmas Shoes” and “Rescue,” among numerous others. Founders and hosts of the blockbuster Winter Jam Tour Spectacular, which annually ranks among the top first-quarter tours in the world, NewSong has helped provide a powerful platform for the Gospel in major arenas around the country since 1995.

Carswell concludes, "God's the one orchestrating this whole thing, and He's blessed us more and more as the years have gone by. It's a remarkable thing to see how it all works out, and we'll just keep riding the waves to see what God wants to do next.” (http://goamusic.com/newsong)

Mac Powell & the Family Reunion

Mac Powell grew up in a small town in Alabama. His love for music began at an early age as both of his parents would sing and play guitar around the house. Mac soon began to sing in the local country church by day, and listen to his Dad's record collection by night.

When Mac was a sophomore in high school, he moved to Atlanta, GA where his passion for music and faith found an outlet in the band THIRD DAY. Over the past 25 years THIRD DAY has helped transform Christian music and built a devoted fan base while traveling the world many times over, selling 10 million albums, earning 4 Grammy awards, 1 American Music Award, 24 Dove Awards, and by being inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame.

Along the way, Mac has been honored to perform in front of millions of fans around the world and play music with some of the best musicians in the industry. Many of these acquaintances both onstage and in the crowd have turned from friends into true family members, and now it’s time for a good old fashioned Family Reunion!

MAC POWELL and the FAMILY REUNION officially started in early 2018 as the next chapter of Mac's musical journey. The Family Reunion is a band that has developed over the past several years from the musical “brothers" that have been recording and playing live with Mac in support of his first 2 independent solo projects.

The Southern roots - American rock collections are foot-stompin', hand clappin' tunes that clearly pay tribute to the early musical inspirations from his childhood. The live show is a blend of classic and sing along Gospel, Country, and American Rock songs, combined with some Mac's favorite THIRD DAY numbers that he has written, and his latest original tunes. (https://www.macpowellandthefamilyreunion.com/about)

Citizen Way

From starting CITIZEN WAY at Judson University in Chicago in 2004 to becoming a voice of hope heard throughout the world, the mission of CITIZEN WAY - lead singer/guitarist Ben Calhoun, drummer David Blascoe and guitarist/background vocalist Daniel Olsson – has never wavered. 

“We want to be like Billy Graham with a guitar, sharing the good news of Jesus, as we turn our amps to 11,” Ben says. The members of CITIZEN WAY consider themselves “musicianaries,” or musicians with a missionary-like calling. “It’s not just music for music’s sake; it’s music with a message,” David says. “We write and sing about the things that we do because of the impact they’ve had on our lives, and we want to share that.

While Ben is the primary songwriter, each member of the trio offers a unique contribution to the final sound. “Since we’re all so different with different musical tastes, we’ve learned how to incorporate those into our music,” Daniel says. David’s hip hop background is evident in the music’s beats, while Daniel brings his impressive guitar/songwriting skills to the band’s music. Ben taught Daniel how to write songs and play guitar when he was just 11. The group often jokes that Daniel has since surpassed him. “He’s truly one of the best and the brightest, and such an incredible performer,” Ben says.

With so much history together, it’s no surprise that the trio gels well together both on and off the stage. They’re great friends whose chemistry between them – both musically and personally – is impossible to miss. “Since we’re all buddies, we find each other’s strengths and how it all works together during a show,” Daniel says. Having friends as bandmates makes what can often be a tough job rewarding. “This is a really awesome way to live out the calling on our lives,” Ben says. “As hard as it is to be away from our families, we've found that walking with Jesus and inviting people into the family of God through our strengths makes it worth it".  (https://www.citizen-way.com/about)