//Luke 11:1-4 | Andrew Lundy

(Pt. 3 from the series "Teach Us To Pray")

The way our prayers are answered depends heavily on what we’re asking for -- our petitions. The majority of our prayers are spent asking the Lord for help, which is not a bad request! But the Lord Jesus helps us to prioritize our petitions to the Father so that we can pray according to His will, rather than trying to bend Him to our will. There are three petitions Pastor Andrew showed us in Verse 2 this past Sunday that must be prioritized. These petitions are intercessory, done on our behalf to change things. And they also center us back on Jesus, changing us so that WE can change things! The first of these petitions is for His Name to be worshipfully acknowledged. Praying for His name to be hallowed means we want it set apart as holy, and that we want our world to do the same. We pray that His reputation and character is rightfully proclaimed and understood in our community. The second petition for His Kingdom to be powerfully advanced. Our earthly kingdoms are limited in duration and distance, making them foolish foundations to build upon. But Jesus Christ brought Heaven back to Earth with Him, reversing the effects of our sin upon the world. He did not come to take His kingdom by force, but to give His life to see it displayed. The third petition is for His Will to be delightfully accomplished. In Heaven, God’s will is done perfectly. But on Earth, it is only done permissively. He accomplishes His will in our world through our surrendered lives. In the end, it comes down to either our will, or His will, being done. And even if our petitions are not answered as expected, we can trust that our Father knows best.