When we pray, we ought to trust that God, like a loving father, is much wiser than
we are and that in the end he does what he knows is best.

–       John M Frame

I don’t know about you, but I am a person who like things a certain way…MY WAY!  It is not that I always think my way is the best way, your way might work too.  It is really that my way is the way I prefer to do things – load the dishwasher, fold the laundry, clean the house, pack my suitcase, get from point A to point B – you get the idea.  I think the truth is I am a creature of habit and have gotten used to doing things the “right” way.  Sound familiar?

I think all of us like to feel a sense of control over our lives every now and then.  Sometimes it is the little things, like the music we listen to in the car.  Other times it is the bigger things, like what’s for dinner or where we will go on vacation.  More often than not I feel there are times when we have no control – the weather, the results of our test, the price of gasoline or a gallon of milk.  But we do have control over how we react in those moments!

The Lord’s Prayer helps put all things in perspective.  Our phrase this week – Your Kingdom come, Your will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven.  It is a reminder that we are not in control, God is (which I think is a good thing!)  In praying these words, we are not trying to bend God’s will to ours, but rather bending our will toward God’s.  When you think about it that way it really does change how we pray.  Imagine how life would be if we let go of our need for control and instead trusted that God has all things managed.  (*Sigh*)

Set the world right; Do what’s best — as above, so below.

Matthew 6:10, MSG

Friends, let us not hold so tightly to our schedules, ideals, or ways of doing things that we miss what God is doing…on Earth as in Heaven.

Blessings,
Pastor Jenni

Our Prayer Experiment: Daily pray the Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13). 
Speak it out loud, slowly, deliberately and from the heart.

This week’s Prayer Experiment:  Focus your prayers on this phrase: “Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”  Reflect: How can you see God’s kingdom in action? How can you bring about God’s kingdom on Earth? Practice: As you go about your day, take notice of the acts of kindness and generosity you experience (God’s Kingdom).  At the end of the day think about how you can experience more of God’s kingdom tomorrow.