{"id":1271,"date":"2011-01-03T13:14:12","date_gmt":"2011-01-03T19:14:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.freedomfrommedom.com\/member\/?p=1271"},"modified":"2013-12-07T11:56:56","modified_gmt":"2013-12-07T17:56:56","slug":"twrap-022-1211","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.freedomfrommedom.com\/member\/applications\/twrap-022-1211","title":{"rendered":"TWRAC 022: Communication with God"},"content":{"rendered":"

This Week’s Recovery Application Challenge<\/span><\/h2>\n
Please be sure to complete this week’s TWIRL 022<\/span><\/a> prior to moving on to TWRAC 022.<\/span><\/h5>\n

Communication with God: A Study of The Lord’s Prayer<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n

How to Pray: The Lord’s Prayer<\/span><\/h3>\n

When there seems to be so many roadblocks to an effective prayer life hindering recovery, it is only natural to remain stuck in your problems. You can feel so paralyzed in your circumstances that you are enslaved by the likes of discontentment, failure, shame, fear, helplessness, depression, and isolation. You may find that you feel that you cannot pray when feeling so lost that you do not have the words to pray.<\/span><\/p>\n

Jesus helped us out by giving us the words to pray that addresses our needs while acknowledging the authority of the One we are in such desperate need of. The Lord’s Prayer is our weapon for the battle that we so often feel cannot be won. Let’s examine these words to pray by from Matthew 6:9-13 (NKJV).<\/span><\/p>\n

“Our Father, who art in heaven,\u00a0hallowed be thy name.
\nThy Kingdom come,\u00a0thy will be done,\u00a0on earth as it is in heaven.
\nGive us this day our daily bread.\u00a0And forgive us our trespasses,
\nas we forgive those who trespass against us.
\nAnd lead us not into temptation,\u00a0but deliver us from evil.
\nFor thine is the kingdom,\u00a0the power and the glory,\u00a0for ever and ever.\u00a0Amen.”<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

This beautiful example given to us by Jesus Christ is the model for how to pray. When you are feeling stuck and don’t have the words to pray, simply repeat these words given to us by the Savior. In examining The Lord’s Prayer, the following eight points, when understood, can sensibly direct your prayer experience:<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Authority—God is God and in complete authority.<\/span><\/li>\n
  2. Purpose—God’s plan and purpose\u00a0is\u00a0being accomplished.<\/span><\/li>\n
  3. Providence—We are not God and in need of God’s providence.<\/span><\/li>\n
  4. Repentance & Mercy—We have sinned requiring mercy from a repentant heart.<\/span><\/li>\n
  5. Compassion—Forgiven, we must extend God’s mercy to others.<\/span><\/li>\n
  6. Resist Temptation—Forgiven, we still wrestle with temptation.<\/span><\/li>\n
  7. Deliverance—We need a Savior, everyday!<\/span><\/li>\n
  8. Empowerment—Submitted unto the glory of God’s power and authority.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n