THE CRUCIFIXION CATALYST / UNSPOKEN MESSAGES FROM GOD TO BELIEVERS (EXCERPT)

When we make a profession of faith, we are saying that we want to be more like Jesus.
In order to do that, we need to consider His persona.
Although He has all the credentials to be egotistical,
He was very humble and was not considered to be a prideful person.
(In fact, the scriptures clearly state that God hates pride—anything He hates should not be a part of our lives).

Jesus also showed a sincere love and compassion for others.
This type of attitude is a deterrent to egotism and pride.
Pride in doing a good job is okay, but what we are talking about is an arrogant pride.
A pride that is filled with selfishness and a lack of concern for others.

The bottom line is, if we claim to have faith that Jesus died for our sins,
then we should have a desire to be like Him, and it should be reflected in our lives.

One way for us to be more like Jesus is to follow His example of how we should pray.
Remember, this was a pattern He gave us—a pattern is more of a guideline to help us organize our thoughts.

One night as I was preparing a lesson to teach to my Bible study class,
it was as if I was being told to put down the lesson and focus on the Lord’s Prayer.
It felt like the Lord was providing me with thoughts as I concentrated on each phrase.
Before long, it seemed as if I was being led to personalize the prayer.
I have included these thoughts below as an example of how we might follow the pattern Jesus gave us as we pray:

OUR FATHER
Lord, when I realized I was a sinner, I confessed my sins,
expressed my faith in Jesus Christ, and asked You to save me.
It was at that point that I became Your adopted child, and You became my spiritual Father.

WHO ART IN HEAVEN
I believe that You reside in heaven, and as a child of Yours, that will also be my residence.
I want to live a life that is worthy of being a resident of heaven.
I want to have the same characteristics now that I will have when I go to my new place of residence.

HALLOWED BE THY NAME
You are the God Who deserves my praise and worship.
You are the God above all gods. In fact, I believe that You are the only God.
All other gods are made by man, so they are really not gods at all.
I want others to know of my praise, honor, and worship of You, and You alone.

THY KINGDOM COME
I truly believe that Your Word is true and that one day
Your kingdom will come to welcome me and all other believers to our new home.
I look forward to that day and will spend my days trying to show my faith through my actions.

THY WILL BE DONE
My faith has convinced me that any decision You make is perfect in any and all situations.
When I pray to You, I am anxious to see what Your answer will be.
I want to always thank You for answered prayer and be ready to share with others how I prayed and You responded.
I want others to know about my relationship with You.
I want them to know of Your concern for me and how You listen to my prayers.

ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN
I want to have the same mannerisms and characteristics now that I will have when I go to my heavenly home.
It’s not easy, so I ask You to help me in all my areas of weakness.
Help me to be humble and not egotistical or arrogant.
Help me to think of others ahead of myself.
Help me to be caring, considerate, and not selfish.
Help me to realize the impact my words, my attitudes, and my actions have on others (especially those I love).
Help me to be an encourager to others.
It is easy to get wrapped up in my own issues and forget that others also have issues and concerns.
Help me to be sensitive to the needs of others and to pray for them often.
Help me to be more like Jesus.

GIVE US THIS DAY
Lord, every day that I have is a gift from You.
You control the days, the nights, the sun, the moon, the stars, and the weather.
You are in total control of the universe, and I praise You for how perfectly it all fits together.
No other god can give us just one more day, so there is no other God but You.

OUR DAILY BREAD
Lord, You supply my needs on a daily basis.
You are the God Who gives me food, shelter, and clothing.
Every breath I take is given by You. Every beat of my heart, You provide.
You give me so much more than these things.
You give me intelligence and physical abilities as You see fit.
If I am successful in my career, it is because You have given me the skills I need.
You even gave me spiritual gifts when You saved me.
Help me to use all that You have given me to bring honor and praise to Your name.
Don’t let me abuse what You have given me and never let me take credit for anything You have provided.

FORGIVE US OUR TRESPASSES
You know my sins; they are ever before You.
I confess these sins to You and ask for Your forgiveness.
When I sin, I sin against You.
This is why I ask You for Your forgiveness.
At the same time, I ask that You would develop in me a repentant heart.
Give me strength, as only You can, to walk away from these sins in the future.
Help me to never lose sight of Your power and willingness to forgive me.
Remind me to always thank You when You forgive me.

AS WE FORGIVE THOSE WHO TRESPASS AGAINST US
Develop a forgiving heart in me.
Help me to understand that since You, the God of the universe, forgive me of the sins You see in my life,
then I must forgive others of their trespasses against me.
Alter my attitudes so they will become more like those of Jesus.
Help me to see that when I replace bitterness and anger with forgiveness,
it is not only better for my health, but it also helps me to be more like Jesus.

LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION
Help me to humbly follow wherever You lead me.
I know that You want what is best for me, so I trust Your guidance.
I want You to have full control of my life.
I realize that when I am in control, I am in danger of going in many wrong directions.
Whenever I don’t give You control, I am showing a lack of trust in You.
I don’t want that to be a part of my life. I do trust You, and wherever You lead, I want to follow.
Give me the strength, determination, and encouragement that I need.

BUT DELIVER US FROM EVIL
Lord, You know the power of the evil one and how he is clever in attacking me where I am weak.
I cannot resist him in my own strength, but I know that You can give me the strength to overcome.
You also know my weaknesses, but You have the power to defeat the evil one through me.
I thank You for being there to rescue me when I am overwhelmed.
Without Your presence, all my hope is gone.
Help me to look forward to where You are leading me TO, when You lead me FROM evil.
I want my relationship and fellowship with You to grow daily,
and I know that they will as I give You more and more control of my life.
Thank You, Father, for being there and for watching over me.

FOR THINE IS THE KINGDOM
Your home is where I want my home to be. You are the God I love and the One I want to spend time with.

THE POWER
You are all powerful.
I may not understand it all, but my faith is based on
You being the God Who created everything and controls everything.
You have the power to supply my needs; You have the power to love;
You have the power to forgive; You have the power to save; and You have the power over evil.

AND THE GLORY
It is You, and You alone Who I worship.
I am so thankful that You have given me the gift of salvation.
I praise You and thank You for all You have done in my life,
all that You are doing in my life, and all that You will do in my life.
You deserve the glory for all that is good, and I love You as my heavenly Father.

FOREVER
You are the unchangeable Who was, Who is, Who is to come, and Who will always be.
Thank You for loving me so much that You sent Your Son to take the punishment that I deserve.