Prayer Through the Lens of Relationship

The Lord’s Prayer, maybe the most well-known prayer of the church, is Jesus’ response to the disciples’ request, “Teach us how to pray…”

The anchor Jesus used at the beginning of this prayer is set in the foundation of relationship: a declared relationship with the Father - our Father and the Father of Jesus. Relationship takes primacy and sets the tone for the prayer. What is requested, why it is requested, and how it is requested are all shaped by relationship. Understanding our relationship with our Heavenly Father keeps our prayers pointed in the right direction and helps shape our motives. Relationship in prayer and its meaning runs deep. Jesus brought relationship with the Eternal Father from a mystical plane and made it eminently practical.

“Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.” Reconciliation and maintaining healthy relationships through forgiveness are core aspects of how we think and act in relation to our prayer life and prayer ministry. How to pray includes asking God to help us work to keep our relationships with others in the right place. The command of Matthew 5:23,24 is turned into a prayer. Consider your relationships in your prayers…this is how to pray.

This is a proactive prayer, a way of living in a world that is easily offended, a way of relationship in the midst of brokenness. Where is Jesus inviting you to forgive and to let go of an offense?