v2-3 So when you give to the poor...
v5 When you pray...
v16 Whenever you fast...
v14-15 For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.
wow! is my forgiveness from God dependent on my forgiveness of others? surely not. does Jesus know what they did to me? i think he does.
v19 Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth...
i store up ALL THE TIME. i like stuff.
v24 No one can serve two masters... You cannot serve God and wealth
v31 Do not worry then, saying, "What will we eat?" or "What will we drink?" or "What will we wear for clothing?"
i dare you to seriously pray this model prayer that Jesus laid out - and mean it. it's not a prayer that many western christians pray. would you seriously pray that only your needs are met day to day? would you pray that God's forgiveness of you be based on your forgiveness of others? would you not only pray it today but for this semester?
i believe there are christians who seriously pray this prayer. i believe there are students here that do seriously try to live for Jesus. i believe there are true disciples walking among us. but... when i think of western christians... i tend to think that we pray more like this
Our Father who is in heaven,
Holy is Your name.
Your kingdom come for me
Your will be done (when it matches mine),
on earth as in heaven.
Give us all our needs and our wants,
don't make us wait.
And forgive us our sins,
as those who have sinned against us get what they deserve.
And don't lead us into temptation, pain or poverty,
but deliver us from the evil one.
For your kingdom is one of power, wealth, comfort and glory forever.
Amen.
would you pray the Lord's prayer for your life and not your own prayer? i dare you.
guess i didn't do too good of a job shutting up this time :)
1 comment:
It is not going to be easy to let go of what we believe Jesus wants with our lives and what He actually wants. It's hard to live our lives in complete honor of Him, to give Him all the praise and not try to keep it for ourselves. I know that when I'm helping others or doing a good deed I want to be noticed for it and that is something I struggle with overcoming.
I also think about how comfortably I live and have everything provided for me right now. Should I be this comfortable? Where is the struggle? Where am I storing my treasure? I hope that it's not in all the "stuff" that I have way to much of. I agree with Dean in wondering about western Christians because we are not asked to step out our comfort zone too often and when we are we tend to be childish and either ignore it or question God.
I also think about how much stress and worry I see some Christians going through, but if we were really trusting Him and making the Kingdom our primary concern then everything else wouldn't matter. It would melt away in the awesomeness of God.
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