by Don Hatfield
speaking.” I said, “It as if they think by saying these words over and over they are casting a spell. Perhaps they even think if they say it long enough the power will be theirs to grant the prayers that they desire.” James said, “That is a very good way of putting it Isaac. Actually Jesus said the same thing in a different way when He said, be not therefore like unto them for your Father knows what things you have need of before you ask Him. God our Father is an all knowing Father. Isaac, He already knows before we come. So what do you think He wants when we do come to Him?” I answered, “I think He first wants us to come and acknowledge who He is. I think He desires us to acknowledge His majesty, graciousness, kindness, love, salvation and sacrifice for us. James I do so little of that when I pray. Most of the time it is just a one-sided conversation and the conversation is all mine. Would you mind if we just prayed together right now and ask our Father to help us learn to commune with Him. To honor Him as He honestly deserves.” James did not say a word he just shook his head yes then put his finger to his lips. We both stood there in the silence of the morning and ask our creator and redeemer to forgive us. It seemed odd but we both finished at the same time. James took a drink from his flask and then offered one to me. I asked him if he had any family and he stated yes. I ask if all of them were believers and he again said yes. I then asked if any had died for the cause of Christ. He stood there for a moment and then tears began to fill his eyes and with a voice full of emotion said yes his brother had been crucified. He then caught himself and said let me tell you how Jesus told us on that day that we should pray.
“Isaac, Jesus gave us an outline of a prayer that we might follow on that day but I fear that some have already memorized it and just recite the words that He gave them. I fear that some have already started to do exactly what He told us not to do. So let us take the words that He said that day and look at them and try to learn a little of His communion with His Father. Then perhaps we can learn more of what ours should be like. Isaac, Jesus started with these words. After this manner therefore pray ye. Our Father which art in Heaven Hallowed be thy name.” James stopped and ask me, “Isaac, what does this first sentence that Jesus said about pray say to you.” I stood there but could not come up with any answer. James said, “Let me try to help you. First, He is our Father Isaac, when I think about that word Father in relation to God here is what it means to me. He is the creator of all beings whether angels or men and because of that He is their preserver, guardian and protector.” I interrupted James and said, “But not all men believe that He is their Father.” James said, “You are exactly right He is the Father of all but many do not acknowledge Him as so. We acknowledge Him as Father through His Son Jesus and because of that we have been brought into a close and intimate relationship with Him. Those who do not receive Him through Jesus will someday stand before Him as a stern judge of sinners. So we can graciously say Our Father whom we have been loving reconciled to through His son. Isaac, although our Father is everywhere and knows everything when we pray where should we think of Him as being.” This time I had an answer, “We should think of Him as being in Heaven.” James ask me, “Why?” I looked up at the sky. I saw the blueness of it. I saw the magnificent clouds and the felt the sun’s warmth coming down on my body. Just then from where we were on that hillside I could look off in the distance and see a rain cloud far off on the horizon and a flash of lighting came down. I felt a cold chill run down my arms and I said in a hushed tone, “Because Heaven is the seat of all things eternal. It is where my Father and my Savior dwell. It is the place where His angels dwell, where His saints of former days dwell with Him. It is the place of perfection and it is where I also will dwell with my Father someday” James said, “Glory to our Father and Savior who dwell there Isaac you were communing with your Father when you thought and spoke like that.” I looked at James and said, “Maybe I was and it was glorious. Please tell me more of how Jesus told us to pray.” James said,” before I tell you what He said next let us think or meditate on one more word in that first sentence. Jesus said, hallowed be thy name. Isaac, the name of our Father is a holy thing, it is a name set apart from all other names. His name is sacred and we as His followers should always honor it that way. When you hear His name profaned in some way then move away from those who do it or speak up and acknowledged that He is a Holy God and should be treated as such.” I felt shame for many times I had heard others use His name in a profane way and just stood there and listen to their coarseness when I could have walked away. Once I was even watching a play that some people were putting on and they used the name of God in vain and instead of leaving I made the excuse well that is just the way the world is. Now the thought came to me if they had used your mother’s name in such a way what would you have done but when they used your heavenly Father’s name in that manner you just excused it. I did not mention this to James but asked forgiveness for my lack of respect and honor to my Father. I also asked Him for the courage to take some kind of action whether it be just to walk away or speak up the next time something like this happened. I then heard James’s voice calling me back to the present. “Isaac are you listening?” I said, “Yes forgive me I just had to get something right between my Heavenly Father and myself.” James said, “I understand.”
I then ask James to tell me more of the prayer that Jesus shared with them on that day. James said, “After Jesus told us how we should start our prayers He then continued in this way. Thy Kingdom come thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven. You know Isaac the King has come not as we thought He would but He came in the form of a servant to His Father. He has done the will of His Father and has been raised to His rightful position sitting in the heavens at God’s right hand. We both know that His Kingdom has not taken rightful possession here on earth. If it had then sin would not abound as it does for the Lord Jesus would stop it. Isaac, we know that the day is coming when Christ will return and rule this earth in fairness and justice but that day has not yet come. By looking at this sentence in this prayer model that Jesus gave us we also know that His will is being done in Heaven. Isaac, do you agree with all that I have said?” I answered, yes. “Then let me ask you a question. If His kingdom has not come to earth yet and He wants His will to be done on earth as it is in Heaven how can this be accomplished?” I said to James, “you certainly have a way of making a person reach out for the Lord.” James just smiled and waited. I walked over to a large flat rock that was protruding out of the ground and sat down on it. The rock that I sat on seemed out of place for it was all by itself with no other rocks close by it. It seemed to stand out in the grass as if God has intentionally placed it there. Then it hit me. I looked at James and smiled and replied, “His Kingdom has been placed in believers just as this rock has been placed here. We have been in dwelt by His Spirit. We may look out of place like this rock does but we should because we are in a Kingdom that is not ours.” James laughed and said, “Yes, Isaac, Praise Jesus we are His rocks, part of His Kingdom here on earth waiting for His redemption. Isaac, look down the hillside do you see all of those other rocks? Do you see any others that stick out like this one does?” I surveyed the hillside and had to agree with James. This was the only rock on the hill that stuck out like it did. James then said, “Is it not sad that so many who have the Kingdom of God in them blend like the rocks on this hillside. Many say of them what a nice person or they are a kind person. Isaac, people said of our Lord that He was a strange person, a different person. He stuck out like this rock on the hillside. That is what a Christian is Isaac. One who sticks out like a strange rock on a hillside? Yes, we are to be kind, loving and all those things that we think that everyone should be but most of all people should know that we are anchored to the rock.” As I sat there I thought Father let your Kingdom stand out through me.
James then said, “Isaac, the next thing that Jesus said sounded so simple and yet if meditated on is so profound. He said, give us this day our daily bread.” I said to James, “Yes, that is very simple but why i
s it so profound?” James said,” if you meditate on Jesus’s words you will see many profound things Isaac. Most of us do not meditate on the Scriptures that Moses and the others have given us. Actually most of us do not even read them. Do not be one of those Isaac. Here is something that you could meditate on with those words that Jesus spoke. He said give us this day. Little do we even think about the fact that it is His day and not ours. We get up every morning and just accept that we deserve to have the time which God is actually allowing us. We are so foolish that we give no thought to the fact that time and eternity is in His hands. We are but dust in the wind as Solomon told us. We are here and then we are gone. So Isaac should we not reflect on the fact that this day is a gift from our Heavenly Father?” I said to James, “You are right those four little words, give us this day, mean so much and yet it is as if we live in a dream world. We are so filled with ourselves that we think that the time we have here