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WHAT JESUS TAUGHT ABOUT PRAYER, PART III
Sunday, July 29
Pastor Oliver R. Blosser, M.Div., Ph.D.
Faith Community Church
Pipestone, MN
Luke 11:1 And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.
Matthew 6:9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven.
the Pattern of the Lord’s Prayer
Through studying the Lord’s Prayer and its divine meaning, you can learn how to live your life as a true disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ. Sitting at Jesus’ feet, in this school of prayer, will enlighten your mind to understand one of the greatest prayers ever prayed.
The ‘Our Father Prayer’ appears in the New Testament in two different forms: a shorter one, found in Luke 11:2-4, and a longer one in Matthew 6:9-13. It is wonderful to study the meaning and implications of each phrase against the background of the prayer as a whole.
I. Our Father who art in Heaven; Acknowledge God as Your Father
How would Jesus have addressed God in His native language? Mark has given us the answer by quoting our Lord’s Gethsemane prayer; Abba, Father, Mark 14:36. The Greek-speaking Christians retained this Aramaic form in their translation, obviously because they considered it to represent something unique and special in the mind of Christ. Jesus considered God to be His Father and challenged all of His followers to view God in the same way. Just as Jesus is the Only Begotten Son of God through a physical birth, so the New Testament believer becomes a son of God through a spiritual birth, Galatians 4:6; Romans 8:15. We can approach God with all the confidence and love that a small child experiences when coming to its Father. We know God will hear us, and will do what is best for us, because He is our Father and He loves us.
II. Hallowed be thy name; Bless the Name of the Lord
The title ‘Father’ in the mouth of Jesus is not just a Name for God, but a relationship. In teaching us how to pray, Jesus begins by placing us at once before a God who has a Name, and who is a Person whom we can familiarly address.
The Lord’s Name refers both to His power and glory, Isaiah 59:19. We also attribute Ôholiness’ to the Lord when we ‘hallow His Name.’ If the Name is holy, then it simply means that the Person for whom it stands is holy. Jesus prayed for the glorification of the Father’s Name, John 12:28. He prayed that all men would see the glory of the Father. Jesus was teaching us to worship God and recognize His glory and holiness as we approached Him in prayer. Although He is a familiar and loving Father; He is also a mighty and holy God! God’s glory will be seen by all men in His Kingdom.
III. Thy Kingdom come; Pray for the advancement of God’s Kingdom
The coming of the Kingdom of God fulfills Old Testament prophecies. When God’s Kingdom is established on earth, it will bring about the completion of His work of redemption. In the Kingdom, all of Jesus’ teachings will become reality.
By praying for the coming Kingdom of God, the believer asks for the establishment of God’s dominion on earth, i.e., for the Lord to be visibly seen as the King and for His divine glory to fill the universe.
For God’s Kingdom to come, Satan’s rule on earth must be overthrown, and the power and glory of earthly kingdoms must be surrendered. Satan is Jesus’ real enemy; between them the decisive battle is already joined. The Last Judgment marks God’s final victory, when His will is to rule on earth as He does in Heaven.
In the meantime, we pray that His Kingdom will come to the hearts and lives of people around the world. We pray that He will reign over our hearts and wills and that He will be firmly established as King of our home, our heart and our church.
IV. Thy will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven; Ask that the Lord’s will be done
Because Satan’s Kingdom has not been overthrown in this world, God’s holy will is not being fully done on this earth. For that reason, the true disciple must pray this petition. What is to be done on earth is the same as that which is being done in Heaven. Praying for God’s will to be done on earth is really asking for the establishment of His perfect community and for the salvation of all men, I Timothy 2:4. The greater the believer’s readiness to change his/her life, in accordance with Christ’s call, the more effective will he/she be able to implore God that His will be done on earth. Unfortunately, we often pray to God that our will be done; Jesus taught us to pray that God’s will be done!
V. Give us this day our daily bread; recognize your dependence upon God for basic needs
Living in expectancy of the Kingdom, Jesus now teaches us what our real needs are and what is the true meaning of our existence in this world. For the Palestinian Jews at Jesus’ time, bread was the principle nourishment. Daily bread simply means food that we cannot do without; the things we need for each day. We are to ask God to provide those things we need if we are to continue working for the establishment of His Kingdom! We are not taught to pray for what we need tomorrow or next week; but only for today’s worldly needs. This certainly shows us the need for daily prayer, and for simply desires in this world. Jesus is also teaching us that we should live for Him one day at a time, because His Kingdom will soon come, Matthew 6:25-34.
VI. Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors; forgive as you have been forgiven
The disciple incurs guilt before God whenever he/she fails to fulfill His commands, whether by actual transgression of the law, or by omitting any of its requirements. God’s will in its totality is to rule over us and our relationships with others. Sin can no longer be adequately described merely as an offense against the law, but rather in terms of indebtedness, of things owed, of service withheld, of refusal to give God His due. The disciple is hopelessly in God’s debt and can only hope for His merciful pardon, Luke 18:13.
The disciple’s prayer for forgiveness includes an additional prayer which recognizes the necessity of one’s willingness to forgive others. God’s will is for us to become like Christ; truly forgiving. The disciple who shows mercy to others in this life will himself receive mercy at the final judgment. Jesus is teaching us to view the sins of others in the light of God’s mercy to us! We are sinners; and God forgives us. We can certainly forgive the offense of others against us. When we come to God and ask for forgiveness (and we must do this), we also are reminded to forgive others in the same manner.
VII. And lead us not into temptation; Request protection from temptation
The disciple is reminded of our Lord’s final warning at Gethsemane, Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. The spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak, Mark 14:38. The word temptation suggests the danger of a fall; the failure to withstand the test. Falling into temptation has the same meaning as sinning, as being lost.
Here the believer is praying that Satan’s power be restricted. Satan’s authority is restricted by Jesus’ prayers and by the disciple praying this petition for himself or for others.
This petition reminds us that we cannot make it on our own. We are dependent on the Lord’s grace and mercy to live each day in victory. It should also remind us of our frailty, and make us ever more willing to love and forgive one another, because without God’s help, we would all succumb to the temptation that our enemy the devil, puts in our path.
VIII. But deliver us from evil; Seek God’s deliverance from our enemy
The final petition is an extension of lead us not into temptation. The concern here is with evil such as moral evil, wickedness and sin. Here the believer prays to be delivered from the personification of evil; the evil one himself. The disciple pleads for help against the great danger of evil in whatever form with which it surrounds him/her. The believer will be triumphant because the Kingdom will come! But as we live in this evil world system, we call on the Lord to protect us and deliver us from the evil that surrounds us.
IX. For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.; Praise the Lord for His ultimate victory!
The Lord’s Prayer ends reminding the believer that the coming Kingdom will come in power, revealing God’s glory. This final aspect of the prayer is recognition of God’s certain victory over evil, and His ability to answer our previous petitions. Jesus teaches us that God can and will answer our prayers because of who He is and what He can do. As we model this prayer, we can end our prayers with worship, praise and thanksgiving for God’s activity in our lives and His certain answer to our prayers.
Life Application
Jesus teaches us to come to God as a loving Father who is also the King who will reign forever and ever! His will is done in Heaven, and when we pray according to His will, His Kingdom dominates our own lives. This prayer is prayed in the expectation of the coming Kingdom of God. Jesus has demonstrated that the disciple must focus exclusively upon the coming of God’s Kingdom in prayer. We pray for His Kingdom to come, for His will to be done, for the strength to work in His Kingdom, and for the ultimate victory of our King over His enemies. We can follow this prayer pattern in our own prayer life;
1. Acknowledge your relationship with God as a loving Father who cares for you and wants to meet your needs.
2. Worship the Lord and praise Him for who He is.
3. Pray for God’s activity in your life and the lives of others.
4. Pray that God’s will be done in your life, your home, your church, and in the world around you.
5. Pray for God to meet your daily needs and to strengthen you to work for Him.
6. Ask God to forgive your sins. And remember to forgive others.
7. Pray for strength to face temptation, especially specific temptations in your life.
8. Ask God to protect you from evil and from the evil world system.
9. Worship and praise God for the victory, which we have through our Lord Jesus Christ!