This Week’s Recovery Application Challenge
Please complete TWIRL 029 prior before proceeding.
The Lord’s Prayer for Life
The following are the key components in the teaching of Jesus Christ on how to effectively pray that will result in an empowered transformed life of authentic sensible recovery. Each key is followed by sensible questions that, if you respond honestly, should offer insight into your prayer life.
Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
Authority—God is God and in complete authority.
- What does it mean to you that God is supremely powerful (sovereign) and in complete authority?
- How would you say that God’s sovereign authority evident in your life?
- In what ways and areas of your life would you say that you are resistant or ignore God’s sovereign authority? Please be specific.
- Why would you say that you resist the authority of God in your life?
- What would you say are the results of resisting the authority of God in your life? Please be specific.
Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
Purpose—God’s plan and purpose is being accomplished through Jesus Christ.
- Jesus is the kingdom of God alive in the here and now. How is the person of Jesus Christ alive and active through relationship in your life?
- How would you say that your relationship with Christ is evident in your life? What does it look like?
- How would you say that you resist engaging Jesus Christ through relationship into your lifestyle? Please be specific.
- Why would you say that you resist engaging Jesus into your lifestyle?
- What would you say are the results of resisting engaging Jesus through relationship into your lifestyle? Please be specific.
Give us this day our daily bread.
Providence—We are not God and in need of God’s providence.
- What can God do for you in relationship with Jesus that you cannot do for yourself? Please make a list of all you can think of.
- What has God done for you in relationship with Jesus that you could not do for yourself? Please make a list of all you can think of.
- Being as honest as you can with yourself, in what ways would you say that you resist the the providential blessing of God in your life? What are you thinking or involved in/with that might be inconsistent with the purposes of God? (If you are a parent, consider what your children might be doing or not doing that deny them “blessing”.)
- Why would you say that you incorporate things into your lifestyle that might be resistant to God’s blessing in your life?
- What would you say are the results of resisting God’s blessing?
- How has your life been better, or can be better, when experiencing God’s best for you?
And forgive us our debts (transgressions against God),
Repentance & Mercy—We have sinned requiring mercy from a repentant heart.
- How has the merciful grace of God been evident in your life?
- What do you need to confess and repent of that would clear the path for God’s will of mercy and blessing in your life?
- What does it mean for you personally to be repentant from a sincere heart?
- How would you say a repentant heart would lead to a blessed life?
As we forgive our debtors (transgressions against us).
Compassion—Forgiven, we must extend God’s mercy to others.
- What does it mean to you personally to extend God’s mercy to others?
- How has showing mercy to others blessed your life?
- How has holding a grudge of resentment been a hindrance, perhaps even a curse to your life?
- Why are you resistant to forgive anyone you have an issue with?
- Here is the question: Who in your life do you have a problem with? Who are you angry with? Who do you feel resentment toward? Who have you had difficulty forgiving? Who do you need to extend the gracious mercy of God toward to free up blessing in your life? Please make your list here.
And lead us not into temptation,
Resist Temptation—Forgiven, we still wrestle with temptation. We ask that God empower us to have the strength to resist turning our hearts over to our urgent desires.
- What is it that you wrestle with? What are the urgent desires tempting you?Please make a list here.
- Why is it difficult to let go of activities, thoughts, and feelings that you recognize result in temptation for you to live contrary to the will of God in your life?
- How can God empower you and help you in your relationship with Christ to resist temptation?
- When praying the Lord’s Prayer, be mindful of your list of desires tempting you toward a lifestyle inconsistent with God’s purpose for your life.
But deliver us from evil:
Deliverance—We need a Savior, everyday!
- Do you need deliverance? Please explain.
- What all would you say represent evil in your world? Please list them.
- How would you say that resisting temptation and being delivered from evil is similar? How would you say it is different?
- How can God through relationship with Christ deliver you from the evil in your world?
- When praying the Lord’s Prayer, ask God for the assurance that you can trust Him in all things; even deliverance from evil in your life.
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
Empowerment—Submitted unto the glory of God’s power and authority into the transformative experience of new life.
- What does it mean to you to submit to the sovereign authority of God in relationship with Jesus Christ?
- How does submitting to God in a committed relationship with Jesus activate the transformative power brought to life in the Lord’s Prayer?
- What might be the factors that linger and continue to fuel resistance to submitting to the One and only source of power and authority, blessing and providence, mercy and grace, and deliverance?
- What else can you do to experience new life that leads to satisfaction—contentment?
- Why keep trying to substitute counterfeit alternatives that sabotage God’s intention for blessing in your life?
- Are you willing to submit to God fully in your relationship with Christ?
- What is your next move?
Print PDF Here