The Lord’s prayer: learning a roadmap for prayer

Prayer series #4

We are wrapping up this series with learning the Lord’s prayer as pathway to pray. We’ve learned that prayer is a way for us to stay securely attached to the Father. We’ve come to understand that our learned attachment styles are a barrier to that connection and can keep us from coming to God in prayer. We’ve discussed the importance of having a time and a place for prayer, that this is how Jesus modeled secure attachment for us. Last week, we learned how to start on the pathway of prayer when we are experiencing pain, disconnection, or enduring hard seasons. Jesus instructed us to start on the pathway by turning to the Father and resting in His love for us.

Today, we are going to learn the rest of the roadmap, or what I like to call the The Lord’s Prayer Pathway. This simple hexagon is a variant of the life shapes that I previously mentioned from 3dmovements.

Your name is Holy

We start prayer with declaring who God is. God is our Father and we are His children.  We remind ourselves of who we are in His presence, how He sees us. We remember that we are fully known and fully loved by Him.  Before we turn the corner into asking,  we also pause to remember: He is HOLY. He is NOT LIKE US. HOLY means “set apart” or separate. This references God’s uniqueness. His perfection. This is the prayer of adoration. We respond to His love for us in worship and thanksgiving.  We take time to declare what we know to be true about Him.  Here’s a few phrases to get you started:  

• You are great and nothing can contain your greatness.
• You are abundant in grace and full of mercy.
• You are worthy of all of my praise and love. 
• There is no one like you, God!
• You are more beautiful than anything I have ever seen.

Kingdom

Your kingdom come. Dallas Willard wrote, “The Kingdom of God is not a future destination; it is a present reality to be lived here and now.” As we pray, we invite His kingdom to come into our everyday lives. Above all else, this is our desire, to experience His kingdom here and now. For me, this prayer becomes: His Kingdom over my personal preferences.  

Provision

Give us each day the food we need.  We ask God to provide for us in tangible ways. Our prayers include asking for Him to take care of us.  Where are our physical needs?  What does our body need? Today, what do we need?   The ask could feel big like a job, a car, a home, groceries/meals, health or healing. It could also feel small like help with connecting with a co-worker or keeping a commitment. Do you need peace, rest, joy, or hope? What concerns are on your mind? This is a moment to ask for him to “give” to you as a generous Father would.

Forgiveness

Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us. Interestingly, Jesus modeled for us to ask for what we need before we ask for forgiveness. This isn’t how I originally learned prayer. Somewhere along the way, I picked up a thought that you had to confess any sin before you could expect for God to hear you ask for anything. You simply weren’t “right” with Him so He wouldn’t respond. I know God to be a loving Father, who wants to be in relationship with me. Jesus Himself didn’t need to ask for forgiveness.  He was perfect.  But He we knew we would need it.

We take time to reflection on what’s happening in our hearts.  “Sin” can feel like a loaded word for you if it was used in manipulative ways in your church story.  But, sin is essentially relational disruption.  Disruption between you and God, you and others.  And, experiencing forgiveness is central to our life with God.   

Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
Point out anything in me that offends you.
Psalm 139: 23-24

God, what is in my heart that I need to confess to you?  Where have I been offensive to you today? Who do I have unresolved conflict with?  Is there someone I have been holding a grudge against?

Guidance

Don’t let us yield to temptation  Other versions say “Lead us not into temptation.”   Where do you need His help?  His guidance? Where are you facing temptation?  Where do you need His wisdom? 

If you are learning how to hear God’s voice, this can even be a moment to be quiet and practice listening prayer.  Pull out your journal and ask: God,  what do you want me to know about (my current situation)?  Journal what impression you have that He is saying to you.

Protection

Deliver us from evil. This portion of the Lord’s Prayer is found in Matthew 6: 13. We have an enemy who is pushing back against us as we pursue the will of the Father.  We know him as the deceiver, the father of lies.  How do you need to experience His protection today? Before we leave the time of prayer, we ask for God’s protection over us. It might sound something like this:

Protect our mind and our hearts to not be misled or drawn away from our identity in Jesus.  

Protect us from the plans of the enemy, who wants to see us derailed from our continuous transformation in Christ.  

Protect our marriages. Our children.  Those we love.

Praying from your true identity.

Let’s revisit the prayer hexagon with the perspective of how we can relate to God from our true identity.   Our posture in prayer shifts as we understand who we are.

The beloved. You come before our Father as a beloved daughter (or son).  He adores you because you are his.  You don’t have to do anything to earn His favor.  He lavishes His love on you because you belong to Him. You are the Beloved.

Heir.  As a daughter (or son), you have a full inheritance. All that He possesses in the Kingdom, you able to ask for. He delights in giving to His sons and daughters. You are an heir in His kingdom.

And because we are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, “Abba, Father.” Now you are no longer a slave but God’s own child.And since you are his child, God has made you his heir.  Galatians 4:6-7 (NLT)

You are taken care of.  God provides for you. He reminds us that we are of greater worth than the birds and the wildflowers. His care over them is evident and He tell us that we are of even greater value and He knows just want we need.

That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? “And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs.
Matthew 6: 25-31

You are forgiven.  Before you even move to a posture of asking, your identity is one who is forgiven.  He gave His life in exchange for ours.  All that we deserved in our sinfulness, all our imperfections, our offenses are already forgiven, because of Jesus.  You can receive forgiveness on a daily basis because your identity is one who is already forgiven!

Follow His voice. You know and follow His voice. He leads you. You are a sheep and He is your good shepherd. John 10: 14-16 reads: “I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me,  just as my Father knows me and I know the Father……they will listen to my voice.”  We can trust that we DO hear His voice when we lean in and listen.

You are under His protection.  You hide in the shadow of His wings.  He is your rock and your refuge.  Psalm 36:7 (ESV): How precious is your steadfast love (hesed), O God! The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings.

The Lord’s Prayer Pathway is just one tool to help you in your prayer life. You can work your way around the hexagon as you pray for your own needs, the needs of others, or even when you gather a group of friends to pray. Start with Father and then move around each section as you feel led. Here’s a downloadable version to print out and keep in your bible or journal or to share with friends!

What has been most helpful to you through the prayer series? What has been something that you learned and have begun to implement in your own prayer life?