Saturday, September 12, 2026

Matthew 6:7-15 

7 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. 

9 “This, then, is how you should pray: 

“‘Our Father in heaven, 
hallowed be your name, 
10 your kingdom come, 
your will be done, 
    on earth as it is in heaven. 
11 Give us today our daily bread. 
12 And forgive us our debts, 
    as we also have forgiven our debtors. 
13 And lead us not into temptation, 
    but deliver us from the evil one.’ 

14 For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.  

Jesus could have taught his disciples many useful things. He could have shown them how to cast out demons, heal the sick, or turn water into wine. Instead, when they asked him for help, he taught them how to pray. 

The Lord’s Prayer is the model Jesus gives his disciples—and all of us—for how to bring our lives before God. 

This fall, our church-wide theme is “In Sioux Falls as It Is in Heaven.” It plays on verse 10 and challenges the Peace community to align our will with God’s will for this city. 

Dallas Willard, in Renovation of the Heart, argues that near the center of Christian discipleship is learning to “want what God wants.” That is true for every disciple, and it is especially true for churches. 

If God’s heart for the world is that all people would experience love, grace, forgiveness, and freedom, then how should that shape what we want as a congregation and as individual disciples? What would we find ourselves doing more often? What would we do less? 

Jesus’ hope for people who pray this prayer is that we would remember God does have a will for the world—and that our lives can be aligned with it. 

– Pr. Jason  

Jesus, thank you for showing us how to pray and for giving us a vision of what the world can be like in your kingdom. Align our hearts with your will for Sioux Falls as it is in heaven. Amen.