Prayer

Church, yesterday we spent a good while in Acts 7, Stephen’s witness. Admittedly, it’s a long passage, but it’s brimming with gospel truths throughout!

As I’ve been dwelling more upon Stephen’s final words to the violent mob, I can’t help but see a man who was indeed filled with faith and the Holy Spirit. How else could he cry out the words of Faith and Forgiveness: “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit,” in unison with “Lord, do not hold this sin against them?”

To be filled with that kind of faith and led by the Spirit in such a way! I do not doubt for an instant that Stephen was a man of ardent prayer. Even in his dying, he breathed out prayers for not only his own soul, but the souls of his murderers.

Cultivating a spirit of prayer starts with echoing the words of Jesus. As we saw, Jesus too lifted up similar prayers to the Father upon the cross in Luke 23. “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” And “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.”

This week, I’d like to encourage us to dwell upon the Lord’s Prayer that he taught us to pray regularly. After all, it is perhaps the most formative prayer in all of Scripture!

Would you take one of the lines from Christ’s prayer below and own it for yourself?

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, forever.
Amen!