Derek Prime's Thoughts on Prayer - Part 2

(Continued from Part 1, Practical Prayer, by Derek Prime)



The last three petitions in the Lord's Prayer relate to our own needs and interests.

Having given priority to the things that relate to God Himself, we may now pray for ourselves with confidence, because God, through the Lord Jesus' saving work, has become our heavenly Father.

First, we are encouraged to pray for our daily bread: Give us today our daily bread.

This represents all our daily needs: food, clothing, housing, and everything related to our physical and material well-being, and to our daily employment.

Second, as much as we require our daily bread, we need daily forgiveness: Forgive us our debts (trespasses) as we also have forgiven our debtors (those who trespass against us).

This does not mean that we earn God's forgiveness by forgiving others, but the reality of our experience of God's forgiveness proves itself as we practice forgiving others. It is a continuing experience. As He continually forgives us, we continually forgive others. We can't pay Him back for His favor, but we can pay it forward to others, and demonstrate His mercy.

Finally, we need to seek God's help against temptation and our enemy, the devil: And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.

Satan, our great spiritual enemy, is always on the prowl, like a roaring lion, looking for someone to trip up by evil and temptation. We cannot handle it alone.

What it all means for us as we pray...

The Lord's Prayer provides us with a skeleton agenda upon which we may put our urgent needs and concerns. We should pray regularly for:

1. The honor of God's Name in the world
2. The extension of the church and the coming of God's kingdom through the preaching of the gospel
3. The obedience of God's people to God's will, and God's overruling control
of all the events in the world
4. Our daily practical needs and our work
5. Our relationships, both with God and others
6. Our temptations and the spiritual battle in which all Christians are involved

I am putting these 6 items on the weekly pages of my Journal.

This really is turning out to be PRACTICAL -- I think I will feel less overwhelmed when I consider all the things I want to pray for.


And I like the fact that I can put regular activities down on the weekly pages, like a calendar.

On Monday I can put regular Bible studies and on Wednesday I can put Prayer Meeting. I can pray for Sunday services on Saturday, since I am skipping using the Journal on Sunday. (Derek Prime suggests we use the Journal six days a week, praying without it one day, in order to keep us from feeling like we are in a rut).


If you give this kind of Prayer Journal a try and want to share your thoughts, please email them to me.