OceanSide church of Christ

 Previous Return to Articles Next 

A 30 Second Prayer
by: Dalton Gilreath

N.B. Hardeman once taught a gospel meeting which began with the topic of prayer. He taught that prayer was as essential to spiritual life as breathing is to physical life. Therefore, it seemed an appropriate place to begin a meeting. He then proceeded to quote the model prayer slowly as if he was praying (Luke 11:2-4). This prayer lasted only around thirty seconds. One of the points of the lesson was that the content of the prayer was more important than the length. Let us learn together from this excellent preacher as he taught about the Savior’s model prayer.

The content of our prayers must consist of these five things:

1.    Reverence – “Our Father which are in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.”

2.    Loyalty – “Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.”

3.    Dependency – “Give us day by day our daily bread”

4.    Forgiveness – “Forgive us our sins; for we also forgive everyone that is indebted to us.”

5.    Trust – “Lead us not  into temptation; but deliver us from evil”

As we pour out our hearts to God in prayer we must ask ourselves a few questions. Am I recognizing the majesty of God and addressing Him reverently? Is my desire that the will of God come to fruition and not my own? Do I humbly recognize my sustenance comes from God and not myself? Am I repenting and seeking forgiveness? Am I forgiving others who repent for sinning against me? Do I remain faithful to God when temptation comes my way? Brother Hardeman concluded by reminding us that it is impossible to live wrong and pray right. It is essential to pray right in order to have spiritual life!