On the 3rd of March, all members gathered at the Europe Olivet Center to hold the Sunday Service. Pastor Joao delivered the sermon with Matthew 6:5-15, teaching about the Lord’s prayer and how we should pray.
When we pray the Lord’s prayer, our words should not be empty only, but the prayer has to come from the heart, knowing the meaning of every single word. As we listen to the words of Jesus we come to know, how we should speak to our heavenly Father. It is said “Our Father in heaven”, so we are addressing the Father, with whom we have an intimate relationship.
As we pray we open up spiritually, so our words have to have a clear direction to the one we are praying to. Just as we call someone, we have to dial the right number, not just praying recklessly, but truly speaking to our Father, whom we know.
God is in heaven and we are on earth. Many times we get confined in our earthly situation, not seeing, that God has a different perspective. When praying these words, we must have a strong conviction in God’s position. “When may feel ungraceful, because of our situation, but God is always graceful. When we are unfaithful, He is faithful. We should allow God’s presence to come to us, making everything brighter.” Before only complaining about our problems, we need to know how much bigger God is, His position in heaven, putting everything into a different light.
“Hallowed be your name”, glorifying God is the purpose of our life, so we have to check, does our prayer exalt God or people. “Your kingdom come”, only when we are born again and had a glimpse on the Kingdom of God, our hearts can have this great desire
to let it come. Jesus knew deeply the preciousness and value that is in this, leading him even to the point to lay
down his life for this dream. Are we the ones that also look forward to bring the kingdom of God even one day
“Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” when speaking these words, we must have the heart to truly live them out, to truly live according to the will of God. As we pray this and know the meaning in our hearts, we have the mind of God, just as Jesus did, giving him an obedient heart, even on the way to the cross. Then we can experience the great power coming from this prayer.” said P.Joao.