Week 3 | Day 1 THE LORD’S PRAYER Matthew 6:5-18 | Luke 11:1-13

Sadly, prayer is often treated like a spiritual vending machine—insert a few words, press the right buttons, and hope God gives us what we want. But when Jesus gave the Lord’s Prayer, He wasn’t handing us a script to recite mindlessly; He was offering a pattern for an intimate, ongoing relationship with our Father. In the Lord’s Prayer, God was inviting us into a new level of intimacy. Instead of calling out to the God above, He was inviting us to draw near and dear to Him. He was teaching us that prayer is more than meeting needs and showing the way, but that it was about relationship and being a part of something greater than yourself. Like a loving parent, God doesn’t just want to hear from us when we’re desperate or in need. He wants to share in the joy of our lives, to walk with us, to be invited into every moment. Prayer is the primary means of this communication. It’s not about manipulating God to do our will; it’s about knowing Him, being known by Him, and surrendering to His good and perfect will.

APPLICATION

1. Re-center Your Prayers

Before asking for anything today, begin with worship: acknowledge God as Father, praise His name, and consciously surrender your will to His.

2. Trade Your Wishlist for His Will

When you catch yourself praying, “Lord, do what I want,” pause and pray instead, “Lord, do what You want—in me, through me, around me, and even in spite of me.”

3. Bring Needs, not Just Wants and Wishes

Ask God specifically for “daily bread”—the wisdom, strength, and provision you truly need to honor Him today, not just the comforts you’d like to have.

4. Talk Honestly to God about Your Weaknesses and Struggles

Confess sin honestly before God, then ask, “Lord, who do I need to forgive as You have forgiven me?” Take a concrete step toward that person.

5. Invite God into Everything

Throughout the day, whisper simple prayers: “Father, be in this conversation… this decision… this temptation… this joy.” Treat Him as an involved Father, not a distant emergency contact.

PRAYER

Lord, thank You for inviting me into a real, personal relationship with You. Forgive me for the times I’ve treated prayer like a wishlist instead of worship, like a way to get my will done instead of seeking Yours. Today, I honor Your name. Let Your kingdom come and will be done in my life—my thoughts, my decisions, my relationships. Provide what I truly need to honor You, and show me where I need to confess, repent, and forgive. Lead me away from temptation and deliver me from the schemes of the enemy. Be not a bystander in my life, but the center of it. Amen.