Monday January 10th

—Read Matthew 6: 9-13 ESV

Often in my life, spiritual fog settles on me, obscuring my vision and muting my hearing. During these times, my headspace just can’t seem to wrap around God’s Word. My prayers not only seem to hit the ceiling but echo back to me, empty and dead. The enemy, the devious accuser, is aware of and preys heavily on my weaknesses—exacerbating each of them.

When the fog is thick and the enemy whispers loud, the Spirit leads me to this prayer of Jesus’—the Lord’s Prayer, as we sometimes call it. Returning to this prayer helps break up the fog, cut the echo, and push back the accusations. When I can’t find the words and just can’t stand the silence, then I take the Lord’s example and pray it in as many ways as I can. More than a few of my journals have pages of the Lord’s Prayer copied word for word and prayed in my own vernacular.

This week, we will look at Jesus’ prayer.

Everyday.

I challenge you to begin your day reading this prayer. Sound boring, mundane, and repetitive?

Wait until the end of the week to decide.

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.

Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.