I've heard it said that prayer is simply talking with God. While I agree with that point of view, I also believe that there is a little more to it than that. God does want us to communicate with Him. Yet, God also has empowered His followers into a realm of personal prayer where we speak and walk in Kingdom authority on Earth. Jesus was recorded throughout the gospels withdrawing to the garden or out to the wilderness and regularly praying. When the disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray in Luke 11, Jesus replied by giving them the Lord's prayer as an example or template of how to pray.

          Luke 11:1-11:  And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples. And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Your kingdom come, Your will be done, as in heaven, so in earth. Give us day by day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil. And he said unto them, Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight, and say unto him, Friend, lend me three loaves; For a friend of mine in his journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him? And he from within shall answer and say, Trouble me not: the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give thee. I say unto you, Though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needs. And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For every one that asks receives and he that seeks finds and to him that knocks it shall be opened. If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father; will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent?

          Rather than taking this text so literally that it becomes the only way we pray, perhaps we can learn the principles Jesus offers and learn how to unleash the power and life God intends for us to experience into our prayers! Instead of copying word for word the Lord's Prayer, try looking at it as a set of lesson steps. For now I want to briefly look at how the last part of verse 2 can apply to us on a personal level.

          Why would Jesus tell us to pray for the will of God to be done if there was no need on earth for God's church to pray such? Why pray for God's kingdom to come? I mean if God has it all under His control anyway, then why pray at all Right? Could it line up with the statement that Jesus made to the disciples in Luke 9:1-2 that He has given us all authority over unclean spirits and to cure sickness? I believe so, but I also believe that God has made it part of His plan for us to have responsibility over His kingdom's business while we are here! We, as Christians, have more power on earth than we often realize. Through prayer we can actually enforce God's will on earth as well as establish His kingdom.

          We must learn to pray as individuals and as the church in corporate prayer meetings if we are to see God's will happen for our generation. As we do we will see the awesomeness of God's plan unfold right in our own homes, families, churches, cities and countries.