Page 28 - Living Light Spring 2024

THIS WEEK’S BIBLE INSIGHTS ARE BY:
David Spriggs and are based on Matthew 6:5-15 (NIV)
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO READ MORE ON THIS WEEK’S MAJOR THEME:
Matthew 26:36-44 and Ephesians 3:14-21
5“And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 6But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 7And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
9“This, then, is how you should pray: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, 10your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
11Give us today our daily bread. 12And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’
14For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.”
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Sunday March 31 - An amazing privilege
“This, then, is how you should pray: ‘Our Father in heaven...’” Matthew 6:9
Today is Easter Sunday, the day when our hearts are joyful and our faith radiant as we celebrate the wonderful news that Jesus rose from the dead and is alive for ever more. It is a familiar event that we celebrate every year. But this is no reason to take it for granted – it should always take our breath away!
Similarly, the opening words of the Lord’s Prayer are very familiar; we have probably prayed them since childhood. But, like the resurrection, we should never take this for granted. His disciples would have been amazed that Jesus was encouraging them to understand that the Almighty God is our caring, attentive, loving Father.
Jesus had a very special intimate relationship with God – as the ‘Son of God’ it is understandable that he should call God ‘Father’. Perhaps more accurately we should translate this as ‘Daddy’; in the language Jesus spoke, it is ‘Abba’, which was the intimate, respectful name a child would use of their father. But here he offers us that same relationship. Paul tells us that it is God’s Spirit in us which enables us to call him ‘Abba’ (you can read more about this in Romans 8:12-17). It was the resurrection of Jesus which confirmed that his Father had accepted his sacrifice, which grants us the same privilege of intimacy with God.
Heavenly Father, thank you for raising Jesus from the dead and restoring him to us as our living Saviour. Thank you too that, because of this victory, we can call you Father. Amen.
PRAYER FOR TODAY