Citizens & Saints - The Overflow DevoSample

FATHER YOU ARE ALL WE NEED

Dietrich Bonhoeffer writes that, “the richness of God’s word ought to determine our prayers not the poverty of our hearts.”

God’s word is the water that our quickly dried souls so desperately need. Yet, so often we seek to satisfy that need with pleasures and fixes that only lead us into sin. The focus of our worship moves from God to something lessor. Then out of that depletion we come before God with hearts that have been fooled into believing they are well. Thankfully God’s word illuminates our hearts to see them as God sees them: deeply needy.

When the disciples asked Jesus how to pray in Matthew 6, he taught them what we know today as ‘The Lord’s Prayer’. Jesus is teaching us through that prayer that without guidance in our prayers, we will tarry. Without the treasuring of his word, we will become like the pharisees who spoke eloquently but were void of any godly transformative substance. ’The Lord’s Prayer’ gives us an intentional way to go before God to talk to him both with his words, all of scripture for that matter, and also with our own.

God wants us to make requests. He wants us to confess our sin. He wants us to praise him. We are free to come before God as we are. ‘The Lord’s Prayer’ helps us to do that while leading us down the path of unhindered communication with God.

Take some time today to pray slowly through ‘The Lord’s Prayer,’ speaking additional requests or praises as you feel led, remembering that in him you have been given everything you could ever need. Pray knowing God hears you, will respond appropriately and He loves you. To know that means we can confidently say, “thank you, Father you are all we need.” May God’s word be your guiding light into continual life-giving dialog with him.