We worship with prayer. Read Matthew 6:9-13. When we proclaim Jesus as Lord and Savior, we become disciples of Jesus. Becoming a disciple of Jesus means we follow Jesus to become like Jesus. Jesus prayed, and he taught his disciples to pray. Prayer is our conversation to maintain a healthy relationship with God. Before I became a pastor, I felt convicted to have a daily prayer routine. For some reason, I had it in my head that I should start every morning in prayer. Because I had to be at work at 5:00 a.m., I set my alarm for 3:20, which was 30 minutes earlier than my normal wake-up time to spend time with God. It was a disaster. I struggled to focus and would often fall asleep. Eventually, I found a different routine that worked for me. Over the course of the last 40 years, I’ve changed my routine several times as my lifestyle changed. Prayer is an important daily routine, but it is also part of our worship experience. When we come together to worship in the assembly, we pause to pray as a community. The pastoral prayer, as it is traditionally called, is when the pastor prays for the congregation. My habit is to always end in the Lord’s Prayer so that everyone can participate and pray as part of the worship experience. When Jesus taught his disciples to pray, he gave us the words that we still pray together after 2,000 years.

Prayer: Our Father, which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy Name. Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth, As it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, As we forgive them that trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, The power, and the glory, Forever and ever. Amen.