This, then, is how you should pray: “Our Father in Heaven,….”
A Psalm of David.
Psalms: 103
Bless the Lord, O my soul;
And all that is within me, bless His holy name!
2 Bless the Lord, O my soul,
And forget not all His benefits:
3 Who forgives all your iniquities,
Who heals all your diseases,
4 Who redeems your life from destruction,
Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies,
5 Who satisfies your mouth with good things,
So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
Psalms 103:11-13
11 For as the heavens are high above the earth,
So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him;
12 As far as the east is from the west,
So far has He removed our transgressions from us.
13 As a father pities his children,
So the Lord pities those who fear Him.
Psalms 103:11-13
19 The Lord has established His throne in heaven,
And His kingdom rules over all.
20 Bless the Lord, you His angels,
Who excel in strength, who do His word,
Heeding the voice of His word.
21 Bless the Lord, all you His hosts,
You[c]ministers of His, who do His pleasure.
22 Bless the Lord, all His works,
In all places of His dominion.
Backdrop
David is described in the Bible as “Chosen by God for his Pure Heart”. Historically he was the 2nd King of the United Kingdom of Israel. He was a Shepherd, a Musician, Armor Bearer, Warrior, and King. It is estimated he authored over 75 of the Psalms that are found in the Bible. He was not perfect, he was also an Adulterer and a Murderer. What’s amazing is that we worship a God that uses the imperfect (each of us) to create the Perfect (The Bible).
Psalms 103 is described as the Hallelujah Prayer.
My Takeaway
The one thing that has been consistent in my Growth in Christ is that I continuously recognize the need for a growth in my Prayer Life. My Wife’s Grandfather was a Marine with the 2nd Marine Division. He was one of the first 5,000 Marines on the beach at Iwo Jima. He was a true Warrior. Most importantly, he was a Prayer Warrior. Every time we met he never failed to mention that he prayed for me by name, Daily. My Grandmother was also a Prayer Warrior. It was hard to engage in conversation with my Grandmother without her mentioning Prayer. My question is, where are the Prayer Warriors of today?
One only has to look at the decline in the number of regular attendees to understand that as a Church, we are hurting. Something is missing from Day’s of the past. Perhaps that something is the lack of Prayer Warriors in today’s congregations.
Matthew 6:9 is the beginning of the most famous prayer in the Bible. Jesus never says this is what you should pray. He says this is how you should pray. In Psalms 103 David says we are to praise his holy name. As you read through the prayer David says we are to forget not all his benefits. Each of us has our own testimony. No two testimonies are alike. What we all have in common as Christians is that Christ has had an impact on our lives. Failure to acknowledge that Impact is the failure to acknowledge that our God is all powerful. It’s failure to acknowledge that each of us is in a unique relationship with our Father.
What I love about our God is that he does not define us by our Transgressions. He establishes our Identity as his Son and Daughter. He loves us as a Father loves his Children. To my knowledge, the only time I went to my earthly father with a list of what I needed was when I was a young child and it was Christmas. I knew my Father loved me, I knew he would take care of me and protect me. I knew when he scolded me, he did so out of Love. Even when I messed up, I had a Dad that loved me because I was his Son. Even to this day when I truly need something, it is Dad that I go too.
Studies show that in Today’s world, only 42% percent of this generation is growing up in a fatherless household. There are some startling facts in “The Fatherless Generation” There is no argument that the role of “Father” is not an important one. It’s been shown that Daughters marry men that share some of the same characteristics as their Dad. It’s also been shown that Son’s grow up, to be like their Fathers.
Psalms 103 is not a Wish List. Never does it ask for God to handle this situation or to change this facet of our lives. What it is, is an acknowledgment that we worship an all-powerful deity that loves us, as a father loves his child. It shows that he is accompanied by Angels that do “His Word” and that his Kingdom, rules over all. When we acknowledge God for who he is, where he is, what he has done and the power that he holds; we begin to see the true picture. We have a Heavenly Father that loves us and will provide. My “Prayer Wish List” is nothing. My acknowledgment that God is everything is everything.