Pray Without Ceasing

Week 4 Lenten Devotions

Lent Day 22: Saturday March 13

Theme for the Week: The Lord’s Prayer as a Way to Ask for Help

Passage for the Day: 1 Thessalonians 5:16-19

¹⁶ Rejoice always, ¹⁷ pray without ceasing, ¹⁸ give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. ¹⁹ Do not quench the Spirit.

Reflection:

In Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians, he give us a “tall order”. Rejoice always, pray without ceasing. Was Paul kidding? Did he really think this was possible? Some days it seems like even a little rejoicing is difficult. How is it possible to rejoice always, particularly when I am in pain or worried about something, or things just don’t seem to be going my way?

I think the rejoicing always, the praying without ceasing and the giving thanks in all situations are tied together. This group of three distinct actions all influence one another. If I am in constant communication with God in prayer, it will influence my outlook on life (e.g. my willingness to be joyful) and my capability to be thankful. On the other hand, if I can find something to be thankful about, then I want to pray to God in thanks, and if I am thankful, I am a whole lot more likely to be joyful. If the “always” and the “unceasing” seem difficult, I can start simply. I can find one thing to rejoice about even if I seem to be in the middle of a raw deal. If I can find one thing that gives me joy, then I can pray to God in thanks for that one thing. That may well jump start the cycle and get me off to a much happier, thankful day.

The last part of this passage is also tied to these three interlocking actions. “Do not quench the Spirit”! If I get myself off on a “woe is me” attitude, I am can get so focused on me and my problems that I will never hear the Spirit. If on the other hand, I am busy finding something to be joyful about, thanking God for that one thing, and spending time in prayer, the Spirit will have a much better chance of finding an entry into my life. When the Holy Spirit is working with me, I will also have a much better chance of sticking with prayer, joy and thanks.

Prayer Themes:

Thank God for the all the things in my life that give me joy. Pray that God will help me to find things to be joyful about. Pray for help in thanking God and praying regularly. Pray for those who are finding it difficult to pray.

Your Kingdom Come!

Week 4 Lenten Devotions

Lent Day 20: Thursday March 11

Theme for the Week: The Lord’s Prayer as a Way to Ask for Help

Passage for the Day: Luke 11:1-4

¹He (Jesus) was praying in a certain place, and after he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.” ² He said to them, “When you pray, say:

Father, hallowed be your name.

Your kingdom come.

³Give us each day our daily bread.

⁴And forgive us our sins,

for we ourselves forgive everyone indebted to us.

And do not bring us to the time of trial.”

Reflection:

Jesus’ disciples asked him to teach them how to pray. If the disciples had to ask for help learning how to pray, then it is not surprising that we need help learning to pray. The Lord’s prayer provides a helpful structure for prayer. This familiar prayer can be a good way to open or close our time with God. If we use it as an opening to our prayer time, it helps to center and focus us on being present with God.

One of the phrases in the Lord’s Prayer that captures my attention is “Your kingdom come.” What does it mean when I tell God in prayer that I want God’s kingdom to come? God certainly does not need my permission or my help to make the kingdom come. But by praying this petition, I acknowledge that God is in charge and that I am looking forward to a time when the world will be as God wants it. In praying this petition, we say that we are looking forward to a time when peace and justice will prevail, when all will be well-fed, well-housed and well-provided for and when resources will be shared equitably. We are looking toward that proverbial time when every person under his or her vine and fig tree will live in peace and unafraid, the time when swords will be turned into plowshares and the time when we will learn and desire war no more. When we pray this petition, we are praying intently for the time when God’s rule will win out over human wants, desires and demands. As Martin Luther reminds us in the Large Catechism, when we pray, “your kingdom come”, we are praying that God’s kingdom might come to us. We are asking that we have a chance to experience God’s rule here on earth and that we will be able to be participants in God’s wondrous rule in eternity.

Prayer Themes: Pray that I may be faithful in my prayer life and fully present when I reach out to God in prayer. Pray that God’s Kingdom may come to me; that I might be able to be part of God’s Kingdom here on earth and that I will be a part of God’s eternal Kingdom. Pray for God’s peace, justice, mercy and equitable distribution of resources.

Lord Teach Us to Pray

Week 4 Lenten Devotions

Lent Day 19: Wednesday March 10

Theme for the Week: The Lord’s Prayer as a Way to Ask for Help

This week we will be reflecting on the Lord’s Prayer and prayer in general. The Ten Commandments have shown us the ways in which have alienated ourselves from God and the people around us. The Apostles’ Creed has shown us the help that is available by the grace of God. The Lord’s Prayer tells us how to ask for help. When I am teaching students about the Lord’s Prayer, I sometimes tell them that the Lord’s Prayer is the 1-800 number for God!

Passage for the Day: Matthew 6:6-14

⁶ But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. ⁷ “When you are praying, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard because of their many words. ⁸ Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. ⁹ “Pray then in this way:

Our Father in heaven,

hallowed be your name.

¹⁰ Your kingdom come.

Your will be done,

on earth as it is in heaven.

¹¹ Give us this day our daily bread.

¹² And forgive us our debts,

as we also have forgiven our debtors.

¹³ And do not bring us to the time of trial,

but rescue us from the evil one.

¹⁴ For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you; ¹⁵ but if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Reflection:

The Lord’s Prayer is given to us in two different forms in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. Today we will reflect on the longer version found in Matthew. Tomorrow we will look at the version found in Luke. The introduction to the prayer gives us an interesting command. Do not heap up heap up empty phrases, thinking that you will be heard because of your many words. Sometimes when we pray we feel like we have to use fancy language or “churchy” language, as if that were the only language God could understand. God wants to hear from us, and God wants us to pray in a way that we understand what we are saying. Familiar prayers such as the Lord’s Prayer give us a structure and the comfort of words that are etched into our hearts, minds and souls. However, God also listens to the words that come from deep within our beings. God hears the desperate cry, “Lord help me”, as well as the simple response, “Thank you Lord for ...” . God wants us to pray, asking for help, guidance or rescue from a tough situation. God also wants us to listen, giving the Spirit time and space to work in our lives.

Prayer Themes: Ask God for help in learning to pray regularly and to listen for the Spirit. Pray that God will deepen my relationship with the Holy One. Pray for all those who do not know how to pray, and for those who have no one to pray for them or to teach them how to pray.