Read the Large Catechism with me.
Ten-minute studies on short readings from the Large Catechism.
Let's do this.
Click on the link below and read the short assigned reading. Then, if you have time, check out what I have to say about it. If not, no problem. Just soak up the goodness of the LC.
The Lord's Prayer Introduction, Part 3: Click here and read 21-34.
The basics:
- We should be drawn to prayer because God arranges the words and form for us. He places them upon our lips. Through this we may see how heartily He pities us in our distress and never doubt that such prayer is pleasing to Him and shall be answered.
- The Lord's Prayer has a great advantage over all other prayers that we might compose ourselves, because we can be certain it is pleasing to God.
- The Lord's Prayer has been prescribed so we should see and consider the distress which ought to urge and compel us to pray without ceasing.
- Prayer done as a good work and without asking of God is to be rejected. Those who do this act as though they are unwilling to take anything from God, but wish only to give Him something.
- There must be earnestness in true prayer. We must feel our distress - such distress that presses us and compels us to call and cry out. The distress which ought to concern us most is abundantly set forth in the Lord's Prayer.
- God requires that we plead for our necessities and wants, not because He does not know them, but that we may have our hearts opened to stronger and greater desires, and expect to receive much.
- We should accustom ourselves from youth to daily pray for all our wants, and for the needs and wants of those among us: our pastors, the government, neighbors, etc.
- The devil is well aware of what damage and harm it does him when prayer is in proper practice, and therefore, he works to discourage prayer.
- All our shelter and protection rest in prayer alone. We are too weak to cope with the devil and all his power. We must take up the weapons with which Christians must be armed in order to stand against the devil.
- Whenever a Christian prays, "Dear Father, let Thy will be done," God speaks and says, "Yes, dear child, it shall be so, in spite of the devil and all the world."
- Each petition of the Lord's Prayer states a need, every need we have, so great that it ought to constrain us to keep praying it all our lives.
My thoughts today:
The Lord's Prayer - the perfect prayer to pray each day and the perfect prayer to instruct and guide our other prayers.
A few times throughout these readings Luther has discussed how little we actually see our own needs. Sure, we think we know them, but we are blinded by this world. What we see as needs are generally not what God knows our needs are. He has given us a prayer that instructs us to see our true needs.
The distress which ought to concern us most is abundantly set forth in the Lord's Prayer.
There is nothing wrong with praying God will help you find your lost keys.
There is nothing wrong with praying God will help your baby go back to sleep [you know, like I was crying out at 12, 3, and 5 a.m. this morning].
Luther reminds us God desires spontaneous, crying out prayers. But these prayers should be stemming from a prayer life filled with the Lord's Prayer. From this prayer, God works our hearts to be turned to greater desires. He molds our perceptions of needs and wants. He points us to His will, which is the greatest will that could possibly be done.
Dear Father, let Thy will be done.
Yes, dear child, it shall be so, in spite of the devil and all the world.
