Mennonite Girls Can Cook is a collection of recipes which were posted daily for a period of ten years from 2008 to 2018. We have over 3,000 delicious recipes that we invite you to try. The recipes can be accessed in our recipe file by category or you can use the search engine.

Recipe Search

Bread for the Journey

My ninety four year old father lives with my oldest sister's family and my niece snapped this photo of her dzeda, our pop, praying on his knees before laying down to sleep. He does this every night and he prays out loud, in Russian. Since my niece hears these prayers most every night she wanted to capture the moment on film. I'm glad she did.

In trying to decide what to share on this Father's Day the thought came to me to share Jesus' instruction to us on how we ought to pray.

Matthew 6:6-13 (ESV)

But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
“And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. Pray then like this:
“Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.
10 Your kingdom come,
your will be done,
    on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our daily bread,
12 and forgive us our debts,
    as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation,
    but deliver us from evil.
(For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.)
This last sentence is not included in the ESV but is in the KJV and probably the ending we have all learned. 

If you are stuck in your prayer life and wonder where to start try starting with this prayer. We have a heavenly Father who loves us and who hears us when we acknowledge Him as our Father and cry out to Him for mercy and help.

Happy Father's Day!

17 comments:

  1. What an incredibly beautiful picture, a true treasure!

    ReplyDelete
  2. What a heritage, what an example. Thank you.

    ReplyDelete
  3. This is something you will always carry in your memory. I too, am blessed to have memories of my father kneeling in prayer. My father would have been 93 this year.

    ReplyDelete
  4. How blessed your family is to still have this wonderful man. This is the perfect choice for a Father's Day post and the absolutely perfect photo to visualize Our Lord's Prayer. Thank-you for sharing. Another Ellen

    ReplyDelete
  5. What a beautiful picture of a life of faith!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Thank you for sharing......this post touched my heart.

    ReplyDelete
  7. What a beautiful picture and beautiful story. My mother who is 90 prays out loud too (in Polish). She has always done this and I remember as a child laying in bed at night listening to her "whispered" prayers. I find myself praying out loud now too. Thank you for sharing something so personal.

    ReplyDelete
  8. A beautiful picture. It should become a classic. I used to do that then I got lazy and say my prayers in bed. Shame on me.
    Julia

    ReplyDelete
  9. What a touching image and sentiment...I remember a similar one of my "Baba" kneeling next to
    her bed (body weary from day's labor) saying "Goodnight" in gratitude to her Creator.. so
    humble, noble, magnificent. Thank you for sharing your beloved Father...what an example.
    Happy Fathers' Day to him.

    ReplyDelete
  10. A sweet image of your dad Ellen, thank you for sharing this photo. Happy Father's Day to him.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Oh dear Ellen, I got tears in my eyes as I read your post and saw this photo of this humble man praying in from his heart to his Heavenly Father. What a great testimony!

    ReplyDelete
  12. That God hears and answers every prayer, in every language, at every age, in every place...what a Father we have!
    And what a good and faithful father you have in your dad Ellen. So thankful he found his Savior and has clung to his faith as he finishes his race so strong.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Ellen thank you for sharing this. I too remember hearing my parents praying out loud before they went to bed. Your dad is a wonderful man of God and it is so good for you all to have this image to remember his deep love for God and for those he prays for.

    ReplyDelete
  14. You could not have chosen better! This post was beautiful. A faithful praying father.
    Steve Green has a song that says in part : Oh may all who come behind us find us faithful
    May the fire of our devotion light their way
    May the footprints that we leave
    Lead them to believe
    And the lives we live inspire them to obey
    Oh may all who come behind us find us faithful.
    I know this is your dear father's legacy.
    Thank you for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
  15. What a blessing to have such a father! This is the most beautiful and meaningful post I have seen all day.
    I never even knew my father - not even his name. I claimed the scripture that God will be a father to the fatherless and He has. Still, I love that you have had such a wonderful earthly father as this.
    God bless you AND this Godly father of yours!! What a blessing you have shared today.

    ReplyDelete
  16. What a precious, precious image. Thank you so very much for this important and inspiring message. Simplicity is truly the best way to pray. He does indeed already know what is in our hearts.

    ReplyDelete

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.