“Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.”
Matthew 6:8 (ESV)
So, it is the first week of the year, and we are preparing for our 1&1 meeting with our Director or Senior to set the scene for a successful year. We trim our talking points to the three most strategic issues – (1) list of activities to promote staff wellbeing, (2) strategic projects in the pipeline, and (3) define collaborators to aid our influence. The Director agrees with some of the ideas but gives the organisation’s steer so the plan can be adapted to the organisation’s needs and executed accordingly.
This is a positive reality in many C-suites and very similar to our 1&1 with God sometimes. We have an idea about how we want the year to go, so we go to God with our strategic needs, not the little ones, like the daily supply of bread. Well, God also has the organisation steer (“His Will”) to pass along when we come for our meeting with Him. As stated in Matthew 6:8, ‘He knows what you need before you ask Him.’
As we commit ourselves afresh to the new year, here is our steer in Matthew 6:9-15 (NIV) when praying:
“This, then, is how you should pray:
“‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.”
Let us commit to seeking His Will more than His giving throughout the year, teaching it to our generations, and not to be spoken by rote. Reflect on God’s nature and love for us in His reassuring words:
- He is Sovereign, and His will is perfect concerning us, even in C-suites – Matthew 6:9-10, Psalm 103:19
- He is our Supplier for both physical (family, ministry, corporate) and spiritual resources (perpetually) – Matthew 6:11, Philippians 4:19
- He is our Saviour Who will forgive us as we forgive and will deliver us from the evil one – Matthew 6:12-13, Jeremiah 15:21
This year, let us start fresh with the understanding and renewed faith that our daily prayer to God is to receive His ‘steer’ and better understand His ‘Will’ in our 1&1 meetings, given He already knows what we need.
Choose to repeat the Lord’s prayer with reverence and authority daily.
Read: Psalm 38:9; Luke 12:30-32
Bible Reading Guide: Psalm 4; Matthew 4:23-25; Matthew 5:1-20; Genesis 9:18-29; Genesis 10; Genesis 11:1-9
