The Bridge RSM

When Jesus taught His disciples to pray, He taught them to pray for God's will to be done on earth as it is in Heaven. He didn't teach them to simply ask for the desires of their hearts or that God would do their bidding. He taught to pray for God's will. In prayer, we come to a place of seeking alignment with the Father. We invite Him to shape our hearts, days, and influence to bring His Kingdom to shape our present reality; not the other way around. When we do this, He will do greater things than we could have possibly imagined as He moves history toward the renewal of all things.

Would you describe yourself as "knowing God"? Maybe you've known Him for a long time. Maybe you're just getting acquainted. Maybe you're simply interested in knowing Him. Wherever you're at, we are invited deeper into a relationship with the One who's positioned us as "Our Father". He desires intimacy and familiarity. And yet there is a beautiful tension in Scripture. He's also meant to be revered above any other. He is, after all, God Almighty. As we begin a series on The Lord's Prayer found in Matthew 6, we wrestle out the tension in the first two lines given by Jesus: "Our Father in Heaven, hallowed be Your name." There's a gift in the exploration of who God is and how He relates to us as His creatures. Will you step in and embrace learning to know Him more?

Have you ever felt intimidated by prayer? Ever wondered where to begin? You're not alone! You're not alone in your experience or in your practice. We've all felt that way. We've all had to begin to learn to come to God in prayer. And He even offers His own help! We have a teacher in Jesus and a helper in the Holy Spirit to help us train in coming to the Father in prayer.

Have you ever felt unworthy to come to God in prayer? Maybe the picture of Father God doesn't evoke a positive image. Maybe you just recognize the sin in your life. Maybe you're too busy striving for righteousness that you don't feel like you've done enough yet. Wherever you find yourself, we have a God that reaches across the divide and pulls us in. He always goes first to declare that we are His, He loves and accepts us, that we have access to Him, and that He excitedly awaits our coming to Him in prayer. Will you come to Him today? He's longing for you.

Have you ever felt silly talking to someone you can't see? prayer can sometimes feel awkward, especially because God doesn't often speak audibly in the way we're used to. As we learn to recognize His voice, this gets easier, but it takes time. We learn to distinguish His voice uniquely through time spent with Him in prayer, worship, and Scripture and in community. In the in-between space of this learning though can be awkwardness. Be encouraged by the community of faith! As we come before Him in earnestness He will respond. He desires intimate relationship with His creation and with you personally.