Thy or My?

When Jesus' disciples asked him to teach them to pray, he didn't tell them what to pray, he taught them how to pray.  That is to say, he revealed to them the purpose and the priority of prayer: "This, then, is how you should pray: 'Our Father in heaven, hallow be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done...'" (Matt 6:9-10).

The purpose is to bring yourself humbly before the God of creation and the priority is seeking his will over our own.  The point, using the King James Version, is seen in the contrast of "Thy" with "My."  

We tend to pray with our own or "my" will in mind.  We tell God what we want and how we think He should go about arranging it for us.  Not that we aren't to ask for our needs, as is seen in "give us this day our daily bread" (v. 11).  But, we are to understand that our desires must be in defference to His will, that God is the center and we are on the periphery.

It may not advance God's kingdom plans for me to be rich or have a different job or a bigger house in a better neighborhood.  He may have some equipping in mind for me through a loss or time of trial. It may not be best that my love one live even another day on planet earth.  Have you ever heard it said, "I regret having lived to see this day" or "I wish I were dead."  Continuing to live doesn't necessarily mean it will be a blessing.  Getting rich has actually been the ruin of many.  Moving to another neighborhood may take you away from an opportunity to bring someone to Christ.

Prayer time ought to begin with praise and thanksgiving to God.  It should serve to open our hearts and bend our wills to Him.  In prayer, as in life, we ought to "Seek first the kingdom of God and [then] all these [other] things will be added to you" (v. 33).  Jus' Sayn.