See You

There is a song by the JJ Weeks band, that is called, “Let Them See You.”  I plan to make the words of this song a part of my prayer because they express the way I feel; I want to be so much like Jesus that when people see or hear me they will see Him in me and they will know that I have spent time with Him.  I think just about every time I hear this song I find myself singing the words, and what a simple profound prayer.  To me these words speak volumes about a person’s heart if they are genuine and intentional when spoken.  Every born-again believer should want these words to be true in their lives.  If these words were true in each of our lives it would be said of the church today that they have turned the world upside down, like it was said of the early church not long after Jesus returned to Heaven.

We make things so complicated when we pray and witness it seems like we are trying to impress people when the Lord has made it so simple.  When the disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray Jesus said these words in Matthew 6:9-15:

“In this manner, therefore, pray:

Our Father in heaven,

Hallowed be Your name.

Your kingdom come.

Your 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 do not lead us into temptation,

But deliver us from the evil one.

For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”

This is a simple prayer, nothing complicated about it.  This starts out with praise to a personal and loving God who is holy, majestic and righteous and so worthy of our praise.  No matter where or what circumstances we find ourselves in, He is worthy. 

As we go on in the prayer, we acknowledge God’s spiritual reign and His kingdom to be established in people’s hearts so we never resign ourselves to fate when we say, “Thy will be done,” but that God’s perfect will, will be accomplished not only here but also in the next life.  

Then we acknowledge that God is our provider and sustainer and we are not depending only on ourselves and our own abilities!  

“Lead us not into temptation.”  Remember God never tempts anyone, we simply ask that God will keep us from being deceived by the enemy of our souls.  God said He wouldn’t allow us to be tempted beyond what we could bear, but with that temptation He would also provide a way of escape so that we would be able to bear it.  

Jesus, in these last two verses, is warning all of us not take this lightly.  If we will not forgive others their sins, we will not be forgiven.  Don’t forget the times that you sinned against the Lord, but when you repented and asked for forgiveness He forgave you, so we must also forgive.  

When we pray, we need to pray from the heart and not make a show out of it.  I think we have all been guilty of that, I know I have to my shame, and don’t make it so complicated using big scholarly words, Jesus didn’t.  Something to think about!  Have a super day and may the good Lord bless you and yours!!