Perhaps you've heard of the man who always prayed, "Lord, bless me and my wife, my son John and his wife, us four and no more. Amen."

So many of our prayers are designed only to get something for ourselves. More often than not, we're in a "gimme-gimme" mood. It's "Give me this and give me that. Amen."

Considering the way we talk to God, you'd think the Lord's model prayer in Matthew 6 consisted only of requests catering to our selfish desires. But read verses 5 through 13 again. When we lift our hearts to God, we are to honor His name, desire His will on earth, ask His forgiveness, seek strength for spiritual victory, and recognize His authority, power, and glory.

Of course God wants us to make our needs known, and He delights in bestowing good things upon His own. Jesus said, "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!" (Mt. 7:11). But asking should not be the extent of our praying. The Lord delights to have our adoration and communion, and to hear our confession of sin as well as our requests.

If we pray as Jesus taught us, we'll do much more than say, "Our Father, give us."  — Richard De Haan