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The more time we sit in Jesus’ presence, the more intimately we will know Him. The more we know Him, the more secure and confident we will feel.
There’s no doubt that 2020 has been a difficult year for many of us. We’ve experienced lockdowns, closed churches, major illness, political unrest, and, unfortunately, some of us have experienced other heart-wrenching circumstances. The lockdowns and closing of our places of worship where we have the opportunity to deeply connect with friends makes intimacy difficult. We yearn to hug someone, or pray with them at the back of church, but for some of you that’s impossible.
But I have some good news for you. Intimacy was a priority in Jesus’s life and ministry while on earth, and He intends for His people to pursue life with Him and with each other even now in this crazy time. In Him we see the necessity, benefit, and power of relationships lived in community—how critical it is to be yoked with like-minded people. And He gave the Lord’s Prayer as a relational foundation upon which God’s sons and daughters can join together to not only to serve the work of the kingdom and one another, but also have intimacy with Him. While we often can’t join with friends, we can always spend time with our Lord Jesus.
Where can we find intimacy? If relational intimacy is so important, where exactly is it in the Lord’s Prayer?
Take a fresh look at Matthew 6:9–13 and you’ll notice that all the pronouns are plural: “Our Father” . . . “Give us this day”. . . “Forgive us our debts” . . . “Do not lead us into temptation,” and so on. These pronouns demonstrate the communal essence of the Prayer. It’s a prayer that people can pray individually, but it is also intended to be prayed in community.
We can find intimacy in His prayer even if we need to pray with others over the phone, FaceTime, or Zoom. We can discover the intimacy we’re craving right now and create the kind of intimate community Jesus is showing us—and He gave us the perfect prayer to make it happen.
Friends, Jesus desires intimacy with you and He wants you to have intimate times of prayer with people when you can. Intimacy with Jesus means being in His presence. We can pray and listen carefully to what He says. We can experience the light of His love and concern with us and pour out our hearts with the words He taught His closest disciples.
The Lord’s Prayer openly reveals the meaningfulness of strong connections with God and others. Jesus knew what is important for life, and if He was praying about it—praying for it— it must have real power and benefit in our lives. Thus Jesus’s words become an essential tool for any disciple who longs to develop honoring, healthy relationships. May we allow His Spirit to move in us so that we confidently pray the “our” and the “us,” not just “me” and “my.”
