My Lord's Prayer

The last few weeks at church we have been focusing on Luke chapter 11 and more specifically the Lord's prayer. The first week we studied the prayer itself and then the subsequent weeks we really broke it out into application. Today at church we actually wrote out a heartfelt personal rendition of the prayer. I would like to encourage anyone and everyone to try this exercise. With that said, here is my heart in the Lord's prayer:

"Our Heavenly Father, my head, my source, my creator, my authority, my stability, You who have begotten Christ in me; holy, righteous, unblemished, just and worthy of all praise is Your awe-inspiring and all powerful Name.

"May Your governing, comforting, and life-giving kingdom gain influence and power in our fallen earth so that we may come to know more intimately the perfect will You exercise in heaven. Bring Your purposes into our lives so that we may be instruments in ushering in the vast dimensions of Your reign more fully.

"Within this framework may I define my priorities and needs for today. May You infuse with passion those needs that contribute to my living and serving Your kingdom and may I have the strength to overcome and differentiate between what I truly need and what I merely desire. Provide for my needs today in the same manner a father would provide for, clothe, feed, and comfort those that belong to him; not desiring that any of his offspring go without or suffer unnecessarily.

"Search my heart, O God. Reveal to me through the conviction of Your Holy Spirit any sin that is within me. I confess this corruption in the divine nature You are attempting to form in me and I pray that You would cleanse and purge this unsightly blemish from my life. Through the power of the blood of Jesus Christ I ask for forgiveness for these sins. Refine me, O God, for Your intents and purposes.

"May I not then be hypocritical in my actions. May I display to others the character of Jesus Christ in forgiving them any wrong done to me just as You have forgiven me even though I was undeserving. May the effect You have on me emanate onto others.

"Help me to discern Your paths for my life, not stumbling in the wrong directions. Help me by the power of Your Word to overcome and pass by all temptations that may beset me along the way. Lead me past those temptations, O Father, and do not let me fall into them."

Go ahead and give it a try! I hope you end up being as blessed as I was by this endeavor in personalizing my relationship and communication with my Father.