"How Should We Pray?"

- by Caleb Osborne

© Caleb Osborne - All Rights reserved http://www.ChristThroughMe.com -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Many Christians often wonder, "How should we pray?" I'm going to touch on this subject of prayer a few more times in upcoming weeks, so today we'll deal with asking for forgiveness in prayer.

This question of prayer isn't a new one but is in fact one that disciples asked Jesus while he was still roaming earth. Jesus responded by giving them an example in form of "Lord's prayer".

Many people misconstrue Lord's prayer as "sacred" way that we ought to pray. But this is simply not true.

You have to pay attention to a few key points in Bible. If you've read "Christ Through Me" Then you know that you are no longer under law of old covenant, but you are under new covenant law--forgiven by grace.

But what you must also keep in mind is that New Covenant, complete forgiveness of our sins--past, present and future was not put into effect until ultimate sacrifice for sins was made. Which came in form of God's sinless son, Jesus Christ.

So when Jesus told disciples in lord's prayer to pray "and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us" they were praying that way because they were still under old covenant or law. This law required that they seek forgiveness whenever they sinned.

As soon as Jesus Christ died and bore punishment for all of our sins, it was the ultimate sacrifice. When you and I accepted Christ as our savior, we accepted sacrifice that Jesus made on that cross and were completely forgiven. All sins were wiped away, even future ones (heck, they were all future back then right?)

So because we are now under new covenant and have life of Christ in us, and holy because of this. We no longer have to ask forgiveness in prayer.

So I encourage you when you pray today, if you find yourself saying, "Father, I ask that you forgive me of my sins..." catch yourself and just show your gratitude instead for completed work of Christ at cross that paid for your sins and allowed you forgiveness once and for all. I say it something like this, "father, thank you so much that I am totally forgiven because your son took penalty for my sins..."

Instead of acting like a sinner. Go on in complete faith that you are already forgiven, think "attitude of Gratitude"!

Consider now first part of Lord's prayer. Here is how it is often said:

"Our Father who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name"

The key thing that I want to hit on in this email is that first thing that Jesus does is address his heavenly father as father and then start praising him.

After years of visits to psychologist couch, I finally got some pastoral counseling which made me aware of lack of self-worth issues that had developed from false face. I decided to work at finding out who real person behind mask truly was, as I had no idea at this point, having considered mask reality for so long. For my string of relationships I’d turn into person they wanted me to be, as I had done so long before for my mother. My second husband liked to go to track, so I pretended to like to go to horse track with him, and go to all 5K races he’d run in. At first, I enjoyed fact that I had won his heart, but after time, I realized most of my life consisted of doing things I didn’t enjoy, and I stopped cold turkey attending these events, especially after ex had gambled away $30,000. He starred into space wondering what happened to person he thought he’d married. I had revealed my true fact, although it wasn’t one he had married, and marriage, for all intensive purposes ended that day even prior to gavel of judge declaring it so.