Closing in with God

As we begin to study the Lord's prayer it's important to remember the setting in the broader context of the sermon on the mount. Christ is seeking in Mt. 6 to steer His followers away from the kind of religion that aims to please men to the kind of religion that aims to please God. When it comes to the practice of prayer our aim must be, therefore, to avoid impressing men and instead to close in with God. The opening words of the Lord's prayer go a long way in helping us aim in the right direction when we pray. We are taught, in essence, how to close in with God. In this study we see how the opening words 'Our Father which art in heaven' help us to close in with God.