Sermon Series - Lent - Prayer with Devotions

Prayer - to live among God’s faithful people

When we pray, we enter into conversation with God.  It is a time in which we can share what is in our hearts, minds, and things outside of our control.  Prayer is a conversation that can be done as an individual, or in a community.  When in community,  one person is leading a community in prayer, or where all are speaking the same prayer.  There is never a right or wrong time to pray. There is never a right or wrong place to pray.  

When a person prays, they may wonder what to pray or how to pray.  In this wondering, we find, we are not alone.  It is one of those things we need to be taught and understand.  We need to realize why we are praying in the a way we pray.  Jesus’ own disciples needed help with prayer.  So, Jesus helped them by giving them a prayer to pray.  The Lord’s Prayer.  It is one of those all inclusive prayers, that says so much for us in faith, and it covers so much within our life,  We need to stop and remember what the words and meanings of this Prayer are all about.  It is for this reason, Martin Luther placed the Lord’s Prayer into the Small Catechism along with the meanings.  The Small Catechism is a great place to return to often. (Yes, even after Confirmation is over.)  

The other times that we often pray and learn to pray is at the dinner table and evening prayers.  

At dinner we may pray: Come Lord Jesus be our guest, and let these gifts to us be blessed. Amen.

Perhaps you sing your prayer: Be present at our Table Lord, Be here and everywhere adored, These mercies bless and grant that we, May feast in paradise with thee. Amen.

At night we may pray: Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep; if I die before I wake, I pray for Lord my soul to take.

Yet when we pray, we must remember the other side of a conversation is to be quiet and listen.  Therefore we should meditate on God’s Word,  and listen  for God to speak to us.  We hear God’s voice through the Holy Spirit and other faithful people around us.  As we live and grow in our faith, prayer is something that can bring us comfort and peace in times of trouble and doubt.  It can remind us of God’s presence with us and unite us to one another through our prayers.

Prayer is not a fireside chat.  It is often a cry of the heart. It is the speech of passion.  It is the occasion when our doubts and hopes, our fears and faith mingle together as we pour out what bothers us and for what we long.  The speech of the heart is not always quiet, affirming, or nurturing.  It is sometimes full of anguish.  It cries for answers.  It looks for relief.  It is born of hope not anger.  It is born of pain not bitterness.  Not any or every prayer that can heal.  It is the prayer of the heart, the prayer of openness, the prayer that cries out to the Lord that brings relief, peace, and healing.  We see this in scripture in Psalms 51:10-13 and Psalm 55:16-17.  

Scripture for: Thursday: Jonah 2:1-10 Friday: Acts 1:14 Saturday: Matthew 4:1-11 Sunday: John 17:20-23 Monday: 2 Chronicles 6:14-42 Tuesday: Nehemiah 1:5-11 Wednesday: Psalm 51:10-13

Question for: Thursday: What do you pray the most for? Friday: When do you pray? Saturday: How do you include others within your prayer? Sunday: When you pray, how do you also listen for God’s answer? Monday: What was the first prayer that you were taught? Tuesday:There are many prayers in the Bible, whose do you enjoy? Why? Wednesday: In church, why do we pray for the church, the world, and all people?