Recently I have been studying, “The Prayer of our Lord” as found in Matthew chapter 6. I noticed that Jesus sort of waved off all sorts of public prayers, those prayed out of tradition alone or as demonstration. He said, “But when you pray, go into your room, close the door, and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” He speaks of the “secret place.”
This is introduced to us in Psalm 91:1 ““He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.” The secret place is where the personal relationship with our risen Lord becomes intimate and grows in genuine love. It is the place where the world is left behind as powerless, and the Savior is set before us as Almighty. Where darkness is banished and light reigns supreme; where hope supersedes need; and where grace and mercy flow in abundance as sin is forgiven.
This prayer was one I learned almost as early I learned to walk, for it is the prayer a young Catholic repeats dutifully. The familiar words have unfolded over my lifetime into a tapestry of meaning. It began as a prayer of lovely elegance, but in these days of battles, it has come alive in much deeper meanings. It is “The Prayer of our Lord.”
I have friends who pray mighty prayers, intimate, Scriptural, beautiful, and powerful prayers. I am amazed when we pray together. I often struggle with my words during prayer, but this I do not mind, for the quiet moments of the secret place are delightful and full of peace. In the coming weeks, we will look deeply into the prayer that is given to us in a direct order, “This, then, is how you should pray…”
This week there is but one phrase I want to put before you to consider: “Our Father…”. He begins with the word “our” instead of “my,” and I hear two instructions:
We as a church join in this prayer of praise, need, gratitude, understanding, and promise together. He looks at each of us as individuals but also at all of us as a body of believers without prejudice to anyone. “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons (and daughters) of God” (1 John 3:1).
For this reason, She Loves Out Loud Global was born. Prayers of praise, of intercession, of repentance, of desperate need are meant to be shared together. All of us as His daughters coming together to present to the Father. As we come together on November 5th, we join the Father as He calls His daughters to pray.
In accepting this intimate relationship with the Father, we join Him in carrying the pain of the world in our hearts, boldly through our prayers, every day in our serving. We cannot take the honor of being a daughter of the King without listening and rehearsing His words; by sharing in the King’s heart of compassion, caring, giving, serving, forgiving, and rejoicing in those He loves.
This week let us not go further in the prayer, but instead linger and contemplate here. We have the privilege to call our “Father,” not only in love and comfort but also in surrender to Him. We are children, sitting at the feet of our Father, waiting to hear His wisdom and instruction, and accepting His words with joy and excitement. hrough these times in the secret place, we can be confident in what is to come, because we met Him in secret, and He intends to reward openly.
PRAY THIS WEEK: Lord, as your daughter, I do submit to your will. This day, my I make your character and love known as I go. Banish the darkness in me just as a Father turns on a nightlight for his child – I need to know and see your light. I need to rehearse as fact that you have overcome the world. As “our” Father, I pray for your sons and daughters, my brothers and sisters in Christ, remembering that they face affliction daily. And as our Father who lives in heaven, we offer praise to the Almighty God, the One who is Faithful and True.
Always Expect Amazing
Diane Strack, Founder and President
