The Tuesday in the 1st Week of Lent

February 28, 2023

Matthew 6:7-15

In this passage, Jesus is teaching the disciples how to pray. Yes—this is THE prayer. The one we pray every Sunday and have been reciting since we were young. You know the one, right?

Well, also in this passage, Jesus assures the Disciples (and us) that God knows what we need before we ask Him. How reassuring! But while meditating on this, I started to wonder why we need this prayer or why we even need to pray at all if God already knows what we need. Especially in times of despair, I’ve found myself approaching prayer with anxiety, impatience, and frustration. When God isn’t answering prayers exactly like I want Him to, I am tempted to doubt His presence and His plan. This passage reminds me that even when God isn’t answering me in ways I desire, it isn’t because He doesn’t know what I need. In reality, I am the one who doesn’t know what I need.

I’ve recited the Lord’s Prayer more times than I could ever count. I have never thought about the Lord’s Prayer being a template for how we can approach prayers. Even though God knows our hearts and knows what we need, following this framework for our prayers can strengthen our relationship with God and help us to fully realize our dependence on Him. By teaching us how to pray, Jesus is really tuning us into what we most deeply need. How amazing it is that Jesus provides us this framework and reassures us that even when we don’t get our prayers just right, God still knows what is on our hearts and knows our every need.

This Lenten season, I encourage you to really spend time meditating on this prayer and the way in which you approach praying. And may we all be comforted this Lenten season knowing

that God always knows our hearts even when we can’t find the words.

Morgan Chappell