Consider with me about the Model Prayer of Jesus, the one we call the Lord's Prayer in Matthew 6 and Luke 11. Jesus gave us this prayer as an outline and pattern that we should build our prayer life around. It doesn't hurt for us to recite this model, but to only recite it without applying the precepts in our personal prayers - makes it just a recitation of redundancy.
Both places we can see that Jesus was not teaching us to just say these words. In the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 6:9, we see Jesus say - Therefore, you should pray like this:...." And in Luke 11:1 we see the disciples coming to Jesus and asking Him to teach them to pray. He then gives this pattern for us to us to develop our own personal prayers to the Father.
The disciples had clearly seen the import that Jesus had placed upon prayer, and wanted to be able to pray - to speak to God - just as He did. Jesus understood the need to speak with the Father - to have communion with God - to connect with God in a personal way. We often miss the importance of this spiritual discipline in our lives.
Do you feel like your spiritual journey has stagnated? You pray - but it is only rote words that you speak over and over again? Do you fell that there should be much more in your relationship with God the Father?
God wants our fellowship, He desires our connection with Him, and has given us the pattern of thoughts to use in speaking with Him. Let us reflect upon the phrases and their directives of maturing faith they provide. But, most of all, let us not just read these words, let us muse over them and even more importantly - let us apply them to our lives.
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