Our Father who art in heaven
Hallowed be Thy name
Thy Kingdom come
Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven
Give us this day our daily bread
Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us
Lead us not into temptation
“We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way…” (Isaiah 53:6)
“When He (Jesus) saw the crowds, He had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” (Matthew 9:36)
“The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters, He restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.” (Psalm 23:1-3)
“I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd lays down His life for His sheep…I am the Good Shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me…” – Jesus (John 10:11, 14)
“For you were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the Shepherd…” (1 Peter 2:25)
Have you ever been lost? Maybe you knew where you were but you didn’t know how to get where you wanted to go. You needed direction…that’s right men…directions. Or have you ever been in a situation and you were not sure what to do? “How should I handle this?” “What should I say?” You needed guidance…some one who could lead you to do the right thing. The Bible tells us that we are all like that. We are like sheep without a shepherd wandering about hoping to stumble onto the right path. But that’s not all the Bible says…it tells us that we do have a Shepherd…the Good Shepherd! Someone who loves us and can lead us where we are to go. What a comfort! What wonderful news! We don’t have to wander through life hoping that we get a few things right…we can go to the Good Shepherd and ask for His leadership.
I believe this is why Jesus directs us to ask the Father to “lead us”. Of course, this requires us to admit that we are lost. We cannot do this on our own. We are not sure which way to go or what to say or what to do. We need directions!
When Jesus saw the crowds (that’s us) He felt compassion because they were harassed and helpless. How are you feeling today? Is Jesus at the helm of your ship? If you do not ask for Him to lead you today you are setting yourself up for frustration. Trust the Good Shepherd today. He will lead you.