After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
Matthew 6:9-13
In the Lords Prayer, Jesus instructs us how to pray. Notice that he says to pray in this manner, not to pray the exact words. In fact, just to be clear, Jesus warns us not to pray with vain repetitions in verse 7. The basic outline for prayer is that we begin by praying directly to our Father. If we can go straight to the source, why would we bother with going through a middle man such as a priest or saints? We’ll talk more about that later. Next, Jesus instructs us to recognize God’s holiness, hollowed be thy name. Then, we recognize his sovereignty, thy will be done. Once we’ve done that, then we may ask for provision, give us this day. I’m guilty of skipping straight to asking for provision or help, especially when it’s a pressing matter, but it’s important to make a conscious effort to recognize who you’re speaking to. Finally, we need to keep a short account with God by asking him to forgive us and to give us his heart so we can forgive others. And finally, we ask for strength to overcome the temptations of life which we all face.
Can we go to Mary to mediate between us and the Father? The Bible is crystal clear on this issue. 1 Timothy 2:5 says “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” Mary was surely a very virtuous woman, to be chosen as the vessel which God would use to send his son to earth, but no where in scripture can we find instructions to pray to her. I realize that Jesus first miracle was done at his mother’s request, but that is not justification for defying 1 Timothy 2:5 by praying to her.
Likewise, no where in scripture can we find justification nor instruction to pray to saints. On the contrary, God strictly forbids speaking to the dead. At the end of his reign, King Saul was in a terrible mess and desperately needed the counsel of Samuel, the prophet who had died some time earlier. Saul’s solution was to visit a medium who summoned Samuel from the grave. Samuel came up to deliver a message to Saul, but it wasn’t what he wanted to hear. Samuel told him that he would soon be joining him in the grave.
So Saul died for his transgression which he committed against the LORD, even against the word of the LORD, which he kept not, and also for asking counsel of one that had a familiar spirit, to enquire of it; And enquired not of the LORD: therefore he slew him, and turned the kingdom unto David the son of Jesse. 1 Chronicle 10:13-14
Jesus gave us specific instructions on how to pray. In this day and age, we certainly need our prayers to be heard, so my hope is that you’ll continue to study the Bible and learn more about being an effective prayer warrior.
Come back every Sunday for a new Prepper Bible Study! The most important prep of all is knowing GOD. Jesus said “what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world yet loses his own soul?” Prepper translation: “What good will it do you to survive the coming economic collapse, nuclear war or even a zombie apocalypse if you don’t know you will go to heaven when you die.” A recent study found that 10 out of 10 people die! On that day we will meet our Maker. It only makes sense to be prepared for that day. Click here to learn more about knowing GOD.
Have a blessed day and happy prepping!
Mark
