Written by the Theodyssey, an organization that helps people encounter God and be radically changed by the truth of His love. This is an excerpt from their study “When We Pray.”
The most shocking part of the entire Sermon on the Mount might be the Beatitudes. Jesus opens with, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.” Poor in spirit are those who recognize they cannot secure life for themselves. They are utterly dependent on others, specifically God. For them, Jesus is King…The Lord’s Prayer reshapes what we desire and what motivates us. It trains our hearts to beat in sync with God’s. Each phrase in the prayer helps tune our hearts to the rhythms of God’s Kingdom. This tuning doesn’t happen automatically. Like adjusting the strings of an instrument, we need continual re-alignment. …The Beatitudes reveal the character of a Kingdom person – humble, merciful, pure in heart, hungry for righteousness, and poor in spirit. The Lord’s Prayer establishes a posture that sustains Kingdom life—a rhythm of dependence, forgiveness, surrender, and endurance.
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. [Matthew 5:3]
Pathways Press.com 