PRAYING UNDER HIS REIGN
Matthew 6:9
We have learned to orient our prayers to the Father. Jesus emphasizes that our Father is in heaven. This qualification is significant for how we pray and what we should consider about our prayer requests. While on earth, navigating life in a broken world, there is One who is on His throne in Heaven.
We learn in our time of prayer that we can be at rest in our circumstances on earth because He is seated on His throne in Heaven. He is the Sovereign in Heaven. He is over all things. He sees all things and knows all things transpiring daily. He is in control of all things even when it appears things are out of control around us.
With the circumstances in our life and in this world under His observation and control, there are two important things we must remember and incorporate into our prayers. First, God is going to do all things for His glory. He will make His name great as He does so. Our prayer requests desire to See His name magnified and exalted as He works through our prayers to do great and mighty things. God can bring glory even out of gruesome and despicable things. If you doubt that ponder on the cross of Calvary for a moment and the glorious redemption that enables us even to pray to Him.
Second, God is working all things together for good on this earth in the lives of His children. It can be difficult at times to pray when circumstances in our life are not good. We find ourselves at a loss for words, possibly uncertain what to ask for. But we can at least praise Him in those moments that His powerful hands are working all things together for good. We can thank Him for this assurance. We can ask Him to help us taste and see the goodness He offers and is working through the trials we experience that necessitate our prayers.
We can rest as we pray knowing that we have an intimate relationship with our Father who is seated on His throne in Heaven. Each day we are one step closer to that throne, and along the way, He will be at work for His glory and our good. Praise Him and thank Him today and let our hearts rest in Him.
Pastor Chris Thompson