What do you think of when you picture becoming more like Jesus? Does your mind go to teaching people, serving the marginalized, bringing healing and hope, or even performing miracles? Those are all wonderful things Jesus did, but it is easy to forget that all of Jesus’ doings flowed out of being with the Father.
The disciples noticed the reliance of Jesus. They were particularly moved by the way He prayed. In Luke 11, we are told that the disciples witnessed Jesus praying and had a heartfelt request of him: “Lord teach us to pray” (Luke 11:1).
It seems this type of request is one that Jesus is eager to answer. He responds with one of the most famous sections of scripture that has become known to people all over the world as “The Lord’s Prayer”. Many of you could recite it by memory even as you are reading this.
I believe what Jesus wanted for His original disciples, as well as all of us who call ourselves disciples today, goes beyond His exact words. He wants us to learn His posture and emulate His heart. I believe Jesus shows us that if we are surrendered to the Kingdom of God and live in dependence on Him, it will transform our lives as well as the people around us.
Jesus wants us to learn His posture and emulate His heart.
This July we will be bringing this same request to Jesus: “Lord teach us to pray.” For four weeks, we will look at the Lord’s Prayer and how it prompts us to transform the way we commune with our Heavenly Father.
On July 6th, Peter will be talking about the concept of “Our Father who is in heaven.” How would it transform our prayer life if we really viewed God as a gracious father? We will also be participating in Communion as a church family that day.
July 13th, Kelly will be bringing our focus to “Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” Our ultimate goal is not to expand our kingdom but to amplify God’s kingdom in a tangible way.
July 20th, I will be speaking on the phrase “Give us today our daily bread.” Do you really believe that God wants to give you what you need on a daily basis? How would our lives look different if we prayed this with confidence?
Finally, on July 27th, Sherwin Damdar will be leading us through the lines, “Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us.” Forgiveness is basic to the Christian life, but it is often easier said than done.
Because we don’t want this to be in theory only, on weeks 2-4, we will have times at the end of the service for others to pray over you. We don’t just want to learn about prayer; we actually want to experience the power of prayer in our congregation. Additionally, we will be offering prayer journals to help you engage with each sermon and in the weeks between. Reserve yours here and pick it up in the lobby this Sunday, July 6th.
Some of you might want to do a little research on the Lord’s Prayer ahead of this series. I highly encourage you to watch this short video from the Bible Project. It will only take six minutes of your time and it is time well spent!
I’m praying that God meets with us in unique ways as we imitate the life of Jesus together this summer!
John
