Dropping off my son at the main entrance of his high school, I started to pray as usual – I used the wordings from the Lord’s Prayer to pray for him. Specifically I asked our Lord to “lead him not into temptation, but deliver him from the evil one.” Recently, I also asked our Lord to give him patience and wisdom in dealing with situations, as I was concerning about his attitude toward teachers and students when he got frustrated.

I still remember my nervousness about my children’s faith and well-beings when they left for college. As they are away from us, we couldn’t do much when things happen. Then I remember apostle Paul’s teaching to the Philippians, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 應當一無掛慮，只要凡事藉著禱告、祈求和感謝，將你們所要的告訴神。神所賜出人意外的平安，必在基督耶穌裡保守你們的心懷意念。(Philippians 4: 6-7). I started to recite part of the Lord’s Prayer for my children everyday because I know they are in a worldly environment that is controlled by the evil one. There is no doubt in my mind that without our Lord’s protection, they can easily fall into prey of temptation and peer pressure. “Prayer will make a man cease from sin, or sin will entice a man to cease from prayer“, per John Bunyan. You may ask me how effective my prayer was. I would say it is very effective because it is God’s words – the best weapon to resist the evil one!

Talking about prayer, we all know that prayer is a conversation with God. It is the easiest thing to do and also is the hardest thing to learn in our journey of faith. D. DeHaan once said, “Our prayers ascend to heaven’s throne regardless of the form we use; our Father always hears His own regardless of the words we choose.” He told us that when we pray, it’s not the words we pray that matter, it is the condition of our heart. Jesus taught us that we need to seek first God’s kingdom and His righteousness. Only when we are “right” with God, then we can communicate with Him smoothly and effectively.

Every time when I recite the Lord’s Prayer, I always feel re-assured by God’s faithfulness and provisions. Therefore, my brothers and sisters, let’s pray – pray for those who closest to you; pray for those who teach you and your children; pray for those who are in authority; pray for those who are in trouble or suffering; and lastly pray for yourself ! May you experience God’s mighty power and peace!
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Disclaimer: The sharing is pure from my personal view; therefore, please don’t take it to be absolute. Thanks.