Sunday 27 July 2025

Psalm 138

Background
Today's passage begins with Jesus teaching the disciples how to pray. It has become known as the Lord's Prayer (vs 1-5).

Jesus begins by calling God 'Father' which implies intimacy, trust and dependency. His prayer includes five petitions:

1. "Hallowed be your name" – a desire for God's holiness to be recognised and honoured.
2. "Your kingdom come" – a longing for God's reign of justice and peace to be experienced on earth.
3. "Give us each day our daily bread" – a request for sustenance, both physical and spiritual.
4. "Forgive us our sins" – acknowledging our limitations and need for God's mercy and grace.
5. "Do not bring us to the time of trial" – a plea for protection from overwhelming testing.

This passage is not just about how to pray, but it shows who God is. Jesus reframes prayer as rooted in the way a child trusts its parents.

Jesus goes on to give a parable about a person who goes to his neighbour at night asking for bread. It challenges us to be bold in our approach to God – not timid or resigned. And the final verses shift the focus from outcomes to God's presence: the greatest gift is not what we receive, but who we receive – the Holy Spirit (v. 13).

The passage also echoes the early Christian community's dependence on prayer as a means of sustaining faith and discerning God's will. The emphasis on persistence (vs 5-8) and divine generosity (vs 9-10) would have resonated deeply in a world where believers often faced uncertainty and opposition.

To Ponder:

• Why do you think the disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray, rather than how to preach or how to perform miracles?
• What connections do you see between today's passage and its themes of persistence and spiritual intimacy and your own structured spiritual practices?
• How might this passage speak to someone who feels discouraged or unheard in prayer?

Prayer
Lord, help us to come before you often and not to be discouraged when our prayers are not answered in the way we want or expect. Amen.

Bible notes author: The Revd Dr Jonathan Gichaara
Dr Gichaara is a retired Methodist minister. He lives in the Doncaster Circuit with Elizabeth, his wife.