But wait . . . there's more!

Greetings from tornado-watch, rain-soaked North Carolina!

Listen to this podcast here:  https://www.pastorwoman.net/podcast/episode/298a363e/but-wait-there...

From somewhere in Viet Nam, I got an email saying, "Great briefing!!! But, what happened to “Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil”? [Remember - I am blessed to hear from folks 'round the world]

Fair enough. In "Power for Today," the last Morning Briefing, https://conta.cc/3Hfy9qs, I presented a prayer that anyone could pray on any given day from anywhere in the world!

My reader was very much correct! While the prayer I offered was a good one, I did not complete the prayer Jesus taught his disciples to pray, found in Matthew's and Luke's gospels.1 The disciples saw Jesus pray so often--they knew the priority he placed on it, the connection it gave him to the Father; they wanted what he had. (Do you? hmmm...)

It is not surprising then that once when Jesus was praying in a certain place, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.” And he said to them, “When you pray, say:2

Our Father who art in Heaven, Hallowed be your name.

Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our sins

as we forgive those who sin against us.

We left off right there - adding our modern-day vernacular and specific concerns and requests, but let's finish it.

You see, Jesus taught that our prayer ought include, Lead us not into temptation. That prompts the question, 'from whence does temptation come?' We live in a fallen world that actually encourages us to indulge ourselves at every turn, no matter if that means compromising on our values. 'God, won't you help us see the temptations that come our way, including the ones born out of our own self-centered thinking? And then, Lord, will you deliver us from evil?

First comes the desire to honor God with all of who we are - and so we begin our days in prayer. In our morning prayers, we spend time in the presence of our Maker, he who is our Savior and Shepherd, seeking his guidance, blessing, strength and favor in our lives. We thank him for the gift of life, the breath in our lungs, his blessed Word, and eternity forever with him--what a perspective, Friend, no matter what the day ahead of you holds!

And then as Jesus did, we recognize who holds the world in his hands--For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory forever.

To expound on these last words, I encourage you to memorize this powerful scripture so as to be able to pray its words in the middle of the night. [I just did and it has been so meaningful and impactful for me] 'Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever! Amen.3

Start each day in the quiet, asking God to lead you in all you think, say and do. Prayer is a gift connecting us with the love and power of an all-wise God. It is my prayer for you that you will discover God as never before in the year 2024.

Oh, and I don't know about you, but there are things in my life that can only be fixed, only be remedied, by the miraculous hand of God--things like changing someone's heart... you know, things that only God can do! Whatever you do, don't stop praying! And listen-- brand new song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpbZqMJ-B44

Pray - access the power of God.

Amen.

Christine

PastorWoman.net

1-Matthew 6.9–13 and Luke 11.1–4

2-Luke 11.2

3-Ephesians 3.20-21