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Matthew 6:9
In this first line of the prayer given by Jesus to His disciples for His instructions as to how to pray, He begins with respect to the first commandment which shows a continuance and respect for the Law given to Moses by God. God declares to Moses in Exodus 20:2-3; Deuteronomy 5:6-7 (NIV),
“I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.
“You shall have no other gods before me.”
When Jesus was asked by the Pharisees in Matthew 22:36 (HCSB), “Teacher, which command in the law is the greatest?” He replied as recorded in Matthew 22:37-38, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and most important command.”
This is the example and command given by Jesus as to how to begin our prayers to God (Matthew 6:9).
Jesus makes clear throughout His earthly physical ministry that our number one priority is to put our Father God in heaven first in our lives. That means that we are to put God and His will for our lives before ourselves and our will for our lives. This is what Jesus was referring to when He said to His disciples in Matthew 16:25 (NKJV), “For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.” God has a purpose for each of us in His will, but we can only find out what that purpose is if we open our hearts to God and seek His will for our lives over and above our desires of this world.
Dear LORD,
Please help us to see that in following Your will for our lives is to put You first in our lives and seek Your guidance each day. We must rid ourselves of the earthly passions that keep us from drawing close to You and open our hearts to Your saving power through Christ Jesus and Your Holy Spirit that You have promised to us in John 14:15-18, 26. Please help us to put You first in our lives as Your one and only Son Jesus teaches us in beginning our prayers to You. In Jesus name I pray, amen.