“When you pray, do not be like those who only pretend to be holy. They love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners. They want to be seen by other people. What I’m about to tell you is true. They have received their complete reward. When you pray, go into your room. Close the door and pray to your Father, who can’t be seen. Your Father will reward you, because he sees what you do secretly. When you pray, do not keep talking on and on. That is what ungodly people do. They think they will be heard because they talk a lot. Do not be like them. Your Father knows what you need even before you ask him.

“This is how you should pray.

“ ‘Our Father in heaven,

may your name be honored.

May your kingdom come.

May what you want to happen be done

on earth as it is done in heaven.

Give us today our daily bread.

And forgive us our sins,

just as we also have forgiven those who sin against us.

Keep us from sinning when we are tempted.

Save us from the evil one.’

Matthew 6:5-13

We have probably all received an invitation before that ended with the letters RSVP. This is a French phrase that directly translates to "Respond, if you please."

We have also all been given the ultimate invitation – to come into the presence of God at any moment of any day.

Prayer is life’s greatest invitation. Yet as believers we often do not accept the invitation because we don’t know what to say when we get there. Jesus knew that we would struggle with prayer. His own disciples did as well (Luke 11:1-4). That’s why He gave us more than just an invitation. He also gave us instruction on how to pray. The Lord’s Prayer is more than just a mantra to be recited. It’s a pathway to follow. A pattern that leads to inexhaustible communion with the Father. Imagine that… a never-ending invitation.

Follower of Jesus… The invitation has been given. The pathway has been provided. The Father is waiting.

RSVP.

Pray:

> For the Lord to teach you to pray in greater measure this year.

> Take each phrase of the Lord’s Prayer one at a time. Read it. Then pray it in your own words, applying it specifically to what you are facing in your life today.

> For the Lord’s Kingdom to come and His will to be done in our church family this year.