- We’re given prayer instruction to not use vain repetition. There’s no need to same the same words/phrases over and over again. That’s a pagan, heathen thing to do, not what God asks of us.
- We’re given a model prayer. We’re not told to repeat it, but told it’s an example for us of how to pray. The Scripture says to pray in this manner, not with these words.
- The model prayer starts with calling God father, acknowledging your relationship.
- That is followed by reverence to Him. Your name is holy, God. God’s name is His character, nature, and authority. He is holy and set apart from all else that is in heaven or earth. He is great and highly exalted over all.
- We pray for our lives to look the way He intended, with us obeying His will and living in His kingdom, under His kingship.
- We ask for what we need for today, acknowledging it from His hand.
- We pray for protection and deliverance.
- We acknowledge again His greatness!
- I skipped one part because the Scripture brings it up after the prayer.
- We ask for forgiveness and offer forgiveness, acknowledging that if we’re shown mercy we need to show others mercy.
- There is a warning that we won’t be forgiven if we don’t forgive.
- It’s okay if it feels impossible to forgive someone who has not apologized. Salvation is impossible for man, but possible with God.
- Make the choice to forgive as just an act of the will and ask God to do the rest, to help with the feelings and the forgetting.
- We don’t keep bringing it up. If it comes to mind, we repeat that we’ve forgiven, that we won’t hold a debt over anyone’s head because God wiped out our debt.
- We do it out of reverence to God and what He’s done for us.
