Pursuit Week
Starting on Sunday, August 3rd at 6pm
Monday - Wednesday at 7pm
Central Austin, Georgetown, & Lake Travis
Starting on Sunday, August 3rd at 6pm
Monday - Wednesday at 7pm
Central Austin, Georgetown, & Lake Travis
These questions matter more than we think. The way we view God determines our relationship with Him and shapes how we pray. In our passage, Jesus reveals who God truly is: “Pray then like this: ‘Our Father…’”
In Jesus’ day, calling God “Father” would have been shocking, even disrespectful. No one would dare speak this way. Yet Jesus not only called God Father but instructed His disciples, and us, to do the same. In God, we have the perfect Father. No one is more gracious and compassionate. He is close and personal. He sees us, knows us, and loves us more than we can ever imagine. We cannot lose sight of our Father’s greatness.
Jesus continues: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed (holy) be your name.” The word “hallowed” means to treat as sacred and ultimate—to be honored above all else. Our God is holy. He is the Creator who spoke the universe into existence with His word. He is the Almighty King who rules and reigns in perfect righteousness and justice. He is the Sovereign Lord who is good and perfect in all His ways.
Our God is both near and majestic—our loving Father and our holy King. He wants to meet with us in prayer. He delights in our praise, cares about our struggles, and desires to speak words of wisdom, power, and encouragement into our lives. This is our God. There is no one like Him.
Who is God to you in this moment? How do you see Him today? Do you see Him as distant, close, loving, powerful?
How does understanding God as both loving Father and holy King affect the way you pray?
Where in your life do you need to hear God’s words of wisdom, power, and encouragement right now?
In the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus teaches us to pray, “Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”
Matthew 6:10 ESV
This is a call to alignment, a surrender to God’s purposes and a longing to see His heavenly reality transform our earthly one. It reminds us that prayer is not just about asking for things, but about participating in the mission of God. Jesus’ first message in Matthew 4:17 was clear: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
His kingdom isn’t just a distant promise, it’s a present reality. The reign of God has already begun to break into our world through Jesus, and now through us, His followers. It’s not far off; it’s near. That means when we pray “Your kingdom come,” we’re not simply hoping for a better future, we’re inviting heaven into the here and now. You can pray and see God intervene in your circumstances. You can experience the goodness, healing, and peace of His kingdom in your reality today.
As you pray today, pray for the circumstances in our world, in our community, and in your life for God’s kingdom to come and to shift your perspective to His.
What specific areas in your life or community need the touch of God’s kingdom today?
How can you actively participate in bringing God’s will to earth through your actions and prayers?
In what ways can you seek a deeper understanding of God’s kingdom perspective in your daily walk?
Have you ever been stopped in your tracks by the way the morning sun breaks through the clouds, like a crown pressing its majesty into the horizon? Or paused to notice how the birds and animals go about their day, gathering what they need without storing up or striving, yet never lacking? Or felt the peace of a cool evening breeze as you gaze at a star-strewn sky, catching a shooting star streak across the dark canvas?
Creation itself is a living classroom, and each day our great Teacher shows us something profound: He provides. He gives light for growth, food for the hungry, and rest for the weary. Every rhythm of nature declares His faithful provision. If God gives such attention to the creatures and cadence of the earth, how much more does He care for His children? He knows what you need—physically, spiritually, emotionally. He invites you to come to Him daily, not just with your worship, but with your needs. There is a mission He’s placed before you, and He alone supplies what’s required to carry it out.
So today, pause and ask: “Father, give me today what I need.” Not tomorrow’s answers, not yesterday’s leftovers, but today’s portion. His mercies are new every morning, and His provision is, too.
What need—physical, emotional, or spiritual—do you sense most today, and what would it take for you to invite God to meet that need? Take a moment to bring it honestly before Him, trusting that He delights in providing for His children.
In what ways have you seen God’s recent, faithful, provision in your life? Reflect on even the smallest ways He’s cared for you. Gratitude often reveals just how near He truly is.
In what area of your life might you be tempted to rely on your own strength or planning instead of God’s daily provision? Ask the Holy Spirit to help you surrender that area and walk in deeper trust today.
As Jesus closes the Lord’s Prayer, He highlights the importance of forgiveness. Notice this—out of all the ways Jesus could have ended this prayer, which was to be the template for all prayers that we pray, He chose to end with forgiveness.
It can be easy to view forgiveness as a one-time moment, often our moment of salvation; the moment in which we recognize we are sinners in need of a Savior, believe in our hearts and confess that Jesus is Lord, ask for forgiveness of our sins, and step into His free gift of salvation. While that is the most powerful and essential moment of forgiveness and confession, it isn’t meant to be the only moment of forgiveness and confession. The moment of salvation establishes the most essential posture of the believer: forgiveness.
Throughout our lives, even after salvation, we will continue to do wrong and be done wrong by those around us. Here in Matthew 6:12-14, Jesus shows us that every time we pray, we should ask for forgiveness in the areas we have sinned against the Lord and show forgiveness to those in our life who have sinned against us. When we do, we are promised to always experience the forgiveness of the Father in return.
What do I need to confess to the Lord and ask Him to forgive?
Who has sinned against me that I need to show forgiveness to?
How can I make asking for and walking in forgiveness a daily part of my walk with Jesus?
