THE WHERE OF PRAYER

Where is God? 'Our Father in heaven...'

"In heaven?" Yes, but the understanding of this word in the bible is "the heavens," which means as far as the expanse of the universe AND as close as the air we breathe. This is the meaning of HEAVEN that Jesus teaches in this prayer. When you say, ‘Our Father who is in the heavens,’ you’re not saying, ‘Our Father from a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away.’

You’re saying, ‘Our Father who is everywhere.
‘Our Father who is present throughout the universe.’

AND
‘Our Father who is all around me.’
‘Our Father who is right here, right now.’
‘Our Father who is closer than the air I breathe.’

And because God is so close, I’m never alone. And because God is so close, ANY TIME I come to pray, I need to remember that I am speaking to the Father who is right here WITH ME ALWAYS.

THE 'WHAT' OF PRAYER

What do we pray for? The first thing Jesus tells us to pray for is that God's name would be 'hallowed.' This word means, "to attach appropriate value to something. Give it the honor that it is due. Recognize its worth."

Hallowed be Your name, Father! In other words, ‘may the whole world come to value, treasure and honor Your name God. May people see the greatness of Your name and come to know YOU!’

One of the great mysteries of God is how He has allowed the greatness of His name on this earth to be tied to the character and conduct of His people; you and me. His PLAN was that we would be a reflection of the character of God in the eyes of a watching world. THAT is God’s plan to make His name great.

And the world is watching. We are Christ's ambassadors (2 Cor 5:20). People are supposed to see our good deeds and praise God's name when they see us in action (Jesus in Matthew 5:16). Recent political movements which attempt to hijack the name of God for their good actually profane the name of God and drive people away from the light Christians are intended to put on display.

To make God's name hallowed, we shine our light, we do the good deeds of blessing others.

OUR ASSIGNMENT THIS WEEK: ask God, 'where can I make Your name great this week?'