Dad Sharing

Today, Jesus shares His dad with us. My parents always wanted our house to be the gathering place because then they would know what was going on in their kid’s life simply by being around our friends. My friends loved my parents because of their hospitality and they let us be who we were (and let me tell you middle school girls are an entirely different creature than the rest of human beings!). Slumber parties with my girlfriends were memorable and special and still get shout outs on Facebook every now and then. My parents were surrogate parents to most of my friends and sharing them was one of my favorite parts of growing up. Jesus shares His dad with us today. First by telling us, “Your Father knows what you need before you ask him.” I just recently heard a talk and the speaker was mentioning how we immediately begin to ask for stuff the minute a crisis shows up, or an illness, or any other need, and jokingly he said that God probably looks at our prayer as some sort of multiple choice quiz or something. He said that when we enter prayer from a place of crisis, panic, fear, anxiety, we simply do the listing thing as if God is not aware of what we need or want. If we start in thanksgiving and in worship, suddenly, our panic and fear turns into trust and acknowledging God’s goodness and then we give God the reigns. 

Easier said than done, but Jesus very clearly tells us to keep our word count low in our prayer. Then the order of our prayer seems to be important: 

1.     Lead with worship and honor (come at prayer from a place of joy, peace, and trust)

2.     Invite heaven in (the kingdom of God is at hand and we need to remind ourselves of it)

3.    Give us what we need for today (your grace is enough for today)

4.     Forgive us when we mess up (and we will do the same to others)

5.     Protect us from temptation (when our minds are focused on praise, temptation loses its power) 

6.     Free us from evil (if God is for us, who can stand against us?)

Have you ever had a friend that could finish your sentences and vice versa? There is a closeness there that indicates the amount of time you spend together. Let Dad finish your sentences by spending lots of time in His presence, lots of time being who you are with Him, lots of time sharing every detail of your life with Him, lots of time just being. When Jesus teaches us to pray, “Our Father,” it truly warms my heart because He’s saying, we are family. Jen, you are my sister and my Dad is your Dad. He is so generous and wants to shower you with everything that is good for you and everything that you could possibly need. He’s a Good Good Father and He knows your heart, so give Him your trust and let Him do more of the talking than you. Something to ponder this Lent for sure. It is well with my soul. 

Reading 1 IS 55:10-11

Thus says the LORD:
Just as from the heavens
the rain and snow come down
And do not return there
till they have watered the earth,
making it fertile and fruitful,
Giving seed to the one who sows
and bread to the one who eats,
So shall my word be
that goes forth from my mouth;
It shall not return to me void,
but shall do my will,
achieving the end for which I sent it.

Responsorial Psalm 34:4-5, 6-7, 16-17, 18-19

R.    (18b)  From all their distress God rescues the just.
Glorify the LORD with me,
let us together extol his name.
I sought the LORD, and he answered me
and delivered me from all my fears.
R.    From all their distress God rescues the just.
Look to him that you may be radiant with joy,
and your faces may not blush with shame.
When the poor one called out, the LORD heard,
and from all his distress he saved him.
R.    From all their distress God rescues the just.
The LORD has eyes for the just,
and ears for their cry.
The LORD confronts the evildoers,
to destroy remembrance of them from the earth.
R.    From all their distress God rescues the just.
When the just cry out, the LORD hears them,
and from all their distress he rescues them.
The LORD is close to the brokenhearted;
and those who are crushed in spirit he saves.
R.    From all their distress God rescues the just.

Verse Before The GospelMT 4:4B

One does not live on bread alone,
but on every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.

Gospel MT 6:7-15

Jesus said to his disciples:
“In praying, do not babble like the pagans,
who think that they will be heard because of their many words.
Do not be like them.
Your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

“This is how you are to pray:

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 trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.

“If you forgive men their transgressions,
your heavenly Father will forgive you.
But if you do not forgive men,
neither will your Father forgive your transgressions.”