I recently read a book on prayer written by a dear friend, Brooks McElhenny. He gave me a copy a few weeks ago when we were attending a conference together. While this book isn’t long, it’s powerful! By design, it\u2019s a short devotional book focused on prayer. In his introduction, Brooks shares that his purpose in writing the book was simply to help others grow in their relationship with God by experiencing a deeper connection with Him through prayer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The book,\u00a0Learning to Pray Again<\/a><\/em><\/strong>, centers on the familiar prayer we often refer to as \u201cthe Lord\u2019s Prayer,\u201d recorded in both Matthew 6 and Luke 11. In Luke\u2019s account, we find Jesus praying when one of His disciples approaches Him with a simple yet profound request:<\/p>\n\n\n\n “Lord, teach us to pray.”<\/em> (Luke 11:1, NIV)<\/p>\n\n\n\n As you’ll recall, these were Jewish men who were already familiar with the prayers and traditions of their faith. From childhood, they had been taught to pray. In many ways, prayer was woven into the rhythm of their daily lives. So, when they asked Jesus to teach them to pray, it wasn’t because they were unfamiliar with prayer. It’s possible they were simply looking for a new prayer to recite, or maybe a better way to approach God. Maybe that just wanted some new words to make their prayers more effective.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Whatever the case, Jesus offered them something far greater than another prayer to memorize or recite. He gave them a pattern to follow, one that revealed the heart and purpose of prayer. Through His teaching, Jesus showed His disciples that prayer wasn’t about finding the perfect words to say, it was about coming before Him as their Heavenly Father and developing a deeper, more personal relationship with Him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In Matthew’s account, Jesus begins this way, <\/p>\n\n\n\n “Our Father<\/span> in heaven…”<\/em> (Matthew 6:9, NIV).<\/p>\n\n\n\n As Brooks begins his book, he draws our attention to the very first word of this prayer: \u201cOur.\u201d<\/strong> It\u2019s such a small word, one we might easily overlook. Yet, it carries profound significance. When Jesus taught His disciples to pray \u201cOur Father,\u201d<\/strong>He was reminding them that our relationship with God was never intended to be lived out in isolation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Think about that for a moment. As believers in Christ, we belong to a spiritual family, connected not simply by shared beliefs or experiences, but by our relationship with the same Heavenly Father. He isn’t just my<\/em> Father. He’s our<\/em> Father!<\/p>\n\n\n\n As my friend so thoughtfully reminds us in his book, that little word \u201cour\u201d<\/em> speaks to our identity as members of the Body of Christ. The Apostle Paul expressed it this way:<\/p>\n\n\n\n “Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.” <\/em>(1 Corinthians 12:27, NIV)<\/p>\n\n\n\n One of the dangers of modern Christianity is our tendency to define our faith almost exclusively in personal terms. We speak of my faith, my relationship with God, my spiritual journey,<\/em> and my walk with Christ.<\/em> And don’t misunderstand me, our faith is deeply personal. But while our faith is personal, it was never intended to be lived in isolation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Through Christ, we’ve been brought into something much greater than ourselves. His grace has not only forgiven our sins and reconciled us to God, but has also welcomed us into His family. We’ve been adopted as sons and daughters, joined together as brothers and sisters, and given a place within the Body of Christ.<\/p>\n\n\n\n THE POINT: We belong to God, and because we belong to Him, we also belong to one another.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n There’s something incredibly comforting about that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Life has a way of making us feel alone. Even when we’re surrounded by people, we can still feel very much alone. Yet, when we come before God in prayer and say\u00a0\u201cOur Father,\u201d<\/strong>\u00a0we’re immediately reminded that we’re part of something bigger than ourselves. We actually belong to a family — a family of faith.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So, the next time you pause to pray, linger on the words:\u00a0\u201cOur Father.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Let them remind you that you are deeply loved by God, that you’ve been welcomed into His family, and that there’s a place for you at His table. And you’re not the only one seated there! You’re surrounded by countless brothers and sisters who, just like you, are learning to trust Him, follow Him, and grow in their relationship with Christ.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I hope you’ll find comfort and strength in that truth today. Whatever you may be facing, remember that you were never meant to walk through life alone. You have a Heavenly Father who loves you and a spiritual family to which you belong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We are the Church. We are family!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Today’s Prayer:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Heavenly Father, thank You for loving me and welcoming me into Your family. I’m grateful that I don’t have to walk through life alone. Help me to remember that I belong to You and that You’ve surrounded me with a family of faith. When I feel alone or discouraged, remind me of Your presence and the wonderful privilege of being on this journey of faith together with others. And teach me to grow closer to You through prayer. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n A special word of thanks to my friend, Brooks McElhenny, for sharing his devotional, <\/em>Learning to Pray Again: A Devotional Journey Through the Lord’s Prayer<\/em><\/a><\/strong>.<\/a> I encourage you to check out his book — you can find it on Amazon<\/strong> today. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" I recently read a book on prayer written by a dear friend, Brooks McElhenny. 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