The Lord’s Prayer: Learn to Spend Time with Our Heavenly Father

Have you ever struggled to pray? Join us at South Bay Bible Church, 578 Montauk Highway, East Moriches, on Sundays, beginning February 10, at 9:00 and 11:00 a.m. for a new teaching series: The Lord’s Prayer.

We are constantly tempted to selfish and religious prayer lives. Religion creeps in because we want to score and earn points with God, and selfishness enters our heart because we usually want our way. When these two things collide, we end up drifting away from God and lowering who God is in our minds to some cosmic genie-in-the-sky waiting to serve our every desire. This tends to make us think of prayer as nothing more than pulling the lever in some heavenly vending machine.

This series helps followers of Jesus break the cycle of prayerless praying and develop a close, committed prayer life. “Don’t just pray when you’re desperate or need something; instead, build a true relationship with God and learn to spend time with Him on a consistent basis,” says Martin Hawley, senior pastor.

The Lord’s Prayer will consist of the following six messages:

1. Our Father (Matthew 6:9) – February 10: Jesus came to show us the Father and revealed him as Abba or daddy. Have you ever thought of God in those terms? Yet in the very same sentence, Jesus reminds us of God’s unapproachable, perfect holiness. Which is it? Could it be both? Almighty God is our Holy, Exalted heavenly daddy.
2. Our Father’s Will (Matthew 6:10) – February 17: A big reason many are not able to pray with confidence is they don’t know what to pray for. This is where Jesus steps in and teaches us to pray in a different direction. The real business of prayer is not necessarily getting what I want; it’s getting what God wants in Heaven done on earth.
3. Our Father Cares (Matthew 6:11) – February 24: God is the marvelous Creator of the entire universe. Does God really care about the details of our daily lives? Does He have the time to notice little me? In this part of the Lord’s prayer, Jesus teaches us that bread is symbolic for everything we need for life including food, a healthy body, good weather, a house, our relationships, peace, and safety just to name a few, and as we’ll learn, God really does care!
4. Our Father’s Credit (Matthew 6:12) – March 10: A debt is created every time we mess up, miss perfection, and sin. It’s a spiritual debt, and it must be paid. This is our greatest need even above our daily bread and basic needs in life. The good news is a provision has been made, and here, Jesus tells how to access our Father’s credit and pay a debt we could never pay on our own.
5. Our Father’s Protection (Matthew 6:13) – March 17: All sin seems pleasurable for a season, but in the end, it often wreaks havoc in our lives. Then, instead of going a different direction, we end up going back and doing the same thing all over again! What if there were a way to escape the cycle of madness and self-destruction? In this part of the Lord’s prayer, Jesus gives us a secret ingredient to tap into the protection of our heavenly Father.
6. Our Father’s Supremacy (Matthew 6:13b) – March 24: Most end their prayers with Amen, but Jesus gives us a different, more appropriate way to conclude our time of prayer in a powerful remembrance of what God is all about. Try this, and you’ll be surprised how your heart and mind will be more aligned with God Almighty.

As a non-denominational Christian church, South Bay Bible Church was started in 2006 with the mission to lead people into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ. The church is dedicated to creating environments where people are encouraged to pursue intimacy with God, community with insiders, and influence with outsiders. To find out more about South Bay Bible Church and their upcoming events, please visit southbaychurchli.org.

About South Bay Bible Church: South Bay Bible Church is a non-denominational Christian church known for Biblical messages applicable to everyday life. The church meets at 578 Montauk Highway in East Moriches, NY. The church’s mission is to lead people into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ. Our service schedule includes two convenient times: Sunday morning at 9:00 and 11:00, and online anytime. A nursery and children’s church are available. For more information, go to southbaychurchli.org, call (631) 909-8241, Facebook, or Twitter @sbbcli.