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Biblical Pattern for Prayer:
“But Moses’ hands became heavy; so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it. And Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun” Exodus 17:12 (NKJV).
The Lord’s Prayer has been prayed by countless people, but Jesus intended it to be a pattern for praying, not simply a recitation. When we use it as a model and consider what each line represents, our prayers become more meaningful.
From the beginning to the end of this prayer, God is the focus. Is He central in your prayers as well? While the Israelites engaged in physical combat, a spiritual battle was simultaneously being waged nearby. Moses was praying, he grew up weary in the midst of a critical situation. If this can happen to one of God’s greatest leaders, it shouldn’t come as a surprise when we feel defeated or discouraged. As battles loom, we oftentimes lose heart because our eyes are focused on the circumtances. We allow the enemy to skew our perspective of the conflict, which makes barriers before us seem unlikely to give way. We may may even stop praying because it seems apparent there’s no solution, no way out, no hope of victory. We’re just too tired and disappointmed. The Lord wanted to encourage His followers to be tireless in prayer, which requires faith, without which it is impossible to please God. But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him” Hebrews 11:6 (NKJV). Let’s remember that the enemy rejoices when we give up, but defeat is never our only option, so if we could see the situation through God’s eyes, we would see a completely different landscape. We may need to pray strenuously, as if we’re tunneling through a mountain, but when we do, our faith and perseverance will grow. So keep praying, and let the Word of God encourage you personally. You’ll hear His assurance as He fight for you.
“For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy; giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light” Colossians 1:9-12 (NKJV).