Praying...for the glory of God

This summer I have undertaken an intense study of the Lord's Prayer inspired by a powerful message Pastor Jason Hubbard presented on Fathers Day. It changed me.

Tonite I was reading thru a sermon by John Piper and found this on mature prayer. I challenge you to ponder it with me. Enjoy!

We all know the difference between immature prayer and mature, God-centered prayer. We know we are in a different atmosphere—a higher one—when we hear someone pray with the priorities that Jesus teaches. It sounds something like this:

"Father, we long to see you honored more and more in our church and our city. Cause your name to be hallowed among us. Magnify your worth and your glory in our midst. And let your kingdom come. Take up your kingly rule more and more fully over our church and our lives and our families and our city. And hasten the day of Christ's final appearing. Meet our physical needs we pray, so that we can press on with joy in the work you call us to for your name's sake. Forgive us, O Lord, where we have sinned and fallen short of your glory. And keep us from entangling temptations that will trip us up and bring reproach upon your name. Through Jesus Christ we pray. Amen."

There are a thousand ways to say that. My plea is not that you use my words, but that you have Jesus' priorities and that you express them in your praying, namely, that the Father's name be hallowed and that his kingdom come.

If this feels foreign to you, if you never plead for the name of God to be hallowed or the kingdom of God to come, don't be content today to stay stuck at that immature level of praying. Instead say in a fresh, new way to God this week: Father, hallow your name IN MY LIFE, IN MY PRAYING this year as never before.

The promise that will encourage you in following Jesus' direction on this first point comes from Ezekiel 36:23, "I will vindicate the holiness of my great name . . . and the nations will know that I am the Lord, says the Lord God, when through you I vindicate my holiness before their eyes." God's name WILL be vindicated among all the nations as true and glorious. But he has decreed that we will have a hand in this triumph through prayer.

So make the glory of God the center of your prayers. Pray again and again, with as many different words as you can think of, "Father, let your name be hallowed and let your kingdom come!"