H O P E
"Hope is the ability to see the world as God intended it to be."
To hope is to be human.
Humans have an incredible ability to be able to imagine what could be and what we HOPE will happen. But so often our hopes are not met and we can either begin to feel fearful that the worst will always happen or we can stop hoping altogether.
Is hope just a distraction from the inevitable or could it be
that we are hoping for the wrong things?
Prayer | The Lord's Prayer
For Jesus, prayer was central to life with his heavenly Father. We read that Jesus “often withdrew into lonely places and prayed.” (Luke 5v16) And for Jesus, it seems he genuinely enjoyed and almost depended on his Father’s company. That could be why his closest disciples asked him to teach them how to pray. (Luke 11v1) Jesus’ answer was “the Lord’s prayer,” which may not have been so much a specific prayer to recite as it was a template to follow when we pray.
Prayer can often be a weak point in many of our lives. Some of us don’t really enjoy prayer. We can get into a cycle of feeling guilty about how little we pray and not wanting to pray because of that guilt. When we finally do make time to pray, we often don’t know what to say or we’re so distracted we can’t focus.
This month we will focus on the Lord’s prayer to not only help us make prayer part of our daily rhythms but to help us learn to slow down and discover how vital prayer is to our souls. Set a modest goal - daily is ideal, but if that’s too much, shoot for three times a week, for 10-15 minutes, or something that feels a little challenging, but doable. The main point this month is to get into the rhythm of daily prayer and setting aside time to spend with our heavenly Father.
Helpful Guidelines
Personal prayer is just that, personal. However, if you are relatively new to prayer as a spiritual practice, below are just a few suggestions you may find helpful.
Remove Distractions
Put away phones, TV, etc., and get into a comfortable, but alert position.
Breathe
Begin to quiet your inner voice through breathing exercises. Take long, deep, slow breaths (if you want, count 4 seconds in, 4 seconds wait, 4 seconds out, repeat). Inhale through your nose, exhale through your mouth.
Pray
When you feel like you’re ready, move from breathing to praying. Spend time in conversation with God by praying aloud or silently.
Listen & Reflect
Play instrumental music to help you focus in this time. Feel free to use our “Prayer & Reflection” playlist.
Now, slowly and deliberately pray through the Lord’s prayer, like this…
"Our Father..."
Take a moment and think about the idea of God as your Father, with good intentions toward you. Think of God as the perfection of father and the source of love, truth, and life.
"In Heaven..."
Take some time to think about the idea of God as spirit. (John 4v24) As you breathe in and out, imagine God’s presence all around you and within you.
"Hallowed be your name..."
Spend a few minutes just sitting with the Father in joyful, grateful, worship. You might want to sit in silence for a few moments. Or sing a song. Or list all the ways you have seen God’s divine hand at work in your life.
"Your Kingdom come, Your will be done..."
Spend a few minutes asking to be able to see God’s will in:
Your life
Your family
Your school
Your workplace
Your neighborhood
Your community
You may not see or sense anything or you may have people or circumstances come to mind as you pray. End this time by asking God how you might be involved in bringing about God’s kingdom to earth.
"Give us each day our daily bread..."
Spend a few minutes praying for specific needs in your life and for people that God brings to mind. You may want to start a prayer journal as you daily pray this specific section of the Lord’s prayer.
"Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors..."
Spend a few minutes asking God for forgiveness for specific areas in your life. This may occasionally turn into an extended time of confession. Release any bitterness or anger towards others that you may be holding on to. If you are willing, you may want to ask God for ways to pursue reconciliation with particular people.
"And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil."
Every day we are all faced with opportunities to choose our ways or God’s ways. Spend some time praying for an ongoing awareness of God’s power and presence in your life giving you the ability to overcome your selfish desires and the lies of satan.
Close your time by thanking God for hearing you and acknowledging God as the authority in your life.
Recommended Reading
To continue to refine our understanding of hope, here are some books we recommend.
Searching for hope in the midst of hopelessness & apathy
Searching for hope in the midst of pain & suffering
Hope
If you have questions about hope or how hope relates to something you're going through, we'd love to hear from you and/or talk through any questions you might have.
