-Devotion by Tom Siderius (MI)
In the gospels of Matthew and Luke the disciples of Christ ask him how they should pray. He tells them to pray as follows.
Luke 11:1-2(NLT) As he finished, one of his disciples came to him and said, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.” 2 Jesus said, “This is how you should pray:
Today we call it “The Lord’s Prayer”.
Luke 11:1-4(NKJV) Now it came to pass, as He was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, that one of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.”
2 So He said to them, “When you pray, say:
Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
Your kingdom come.
Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.
3 Give us day by day our daily bread.
4 And forgive us our sins,
For we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us.
And do not lead us into temptation,
But deliver us from the evil one.”
The Aramaic language translation of some of the phrases are “let it come, your kingdom”, “let it be done, your will”.
How would that change your perspective of the prayer?
Jesus tells us to pray to “Our Father”. This is completely new to Jewish people because they never had addressed God as their Father. This is the change that comes to us today as the children of God. Then he goes to the main part of the prayer. There are seven parts to the prayer. Three parts are for God, and three are for us to do for God. In the middle is the food we need as our daily bread. Think of this prayer as an inversion of statements.
Things that are for God
1.) “Your Name may it be holy”
2.) “let it come soon, your kingdom”
3.) “Let it be done, your will on earth as it is in heaven”
In the middle is bread
4.) “Give us the food of our need today”
Things that we need to do
5.) “Forgive our sins as we have forgiven those who sin against us”
6.) “Let us not yield to temptation”
7.) “Rescue us from the evil one”
“Your name, let it be holy”
does not give us any responsibility for making God’s name holy. We can no more make God’s name holy than we can make fire hot. The phrase “make the fire become hot” is not something we are able to do. The same is for making the name of God holy.
Isaiah 6:3(NLT) They were calling out to each other, “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of Heaven’s Armies! The whole earth is filled with his glory!”
God makes His name holy which is the center of who He is and is His nature. God demonstrates his holiness in His love for people and in the salvation that He brings to His people.
“Let it come soon, your kingdom”
Luke 17:20-21(NLT) One day the Pharisees asked Jesus, “When will the Kingdom of God come?” Jesus replied, “The Kingdom of God can’t be detected by visible signs. 21 You won’t be able to say, ‘Here it is!’ or ‘It’s over there!’ For the Kingdom of God is already among you.”
Jesus’ kingdom is not from here on earth but is from heaven. It comes to us in the person of Christ. It is both near to us and far away. It is soon but we do not know when. It comes alive when we obey God and do His commandments.
The help we gain by praying for the coming of God’s kingdom is that it gives us a connection with all past, future and present events and persons. It encourages us who are involved in the doing of God’s will in the current heaven and earth. Our prayer is for the will of God to be done here and now. And then we pray for the new heavens and earth to come..
“Let it be done, your will on earth as it is in heaven”
God’s will is done in heaven always but God’s will is not yet being done on earth except when His people obey Him. God directs all of history but gives each person the freedom of will to choose what they do and how they act. When we do God’s will now the kingdom comes alive today in our lives. Prayer connects us to God every day.
“Give us today the bread of our need today” (Aramaic translation)
It is in the middle of the prayer and is generally the focus of our daily lives. We are concerned with our food, but also all the things that it takes to live in this world. That is what the term “bread” means in the prayer. God is concerned with everything that we need to live.
It is not a prayer to get riches or wealth but to meet our needs in every way we need. Our food, clothing, shelter, and health are all in God’s care.
John 6:32-35(NLT) Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, Moses didn’t give you bread from heaven. My Father did. And now he offers you the true bread from heaven. 33 The true bread of God is the one who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” 34 “Sir,” they said, “give us that bread every day.” 35 Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.
How can we change from the desire for physical bread to the desire for spiritual bread?
“Forgive our sins as we have forgiven those who sin against us”
See how Jesus connects God forgiving us of our sins to our forgiveness of others. This wasn’t the way that the Jews treated people at that time. In many ways they wanted God to forgive them, but they didn’t take any responsibility to forgive others.
What should be our attitude toward those who have wronged us?
Why is the forgiveness of others so important to our walk with Christ?
“Let us not yield to temptation”
These words are filled with difficulty: What is temptation? Or is it trials?
God doesn’t lead us into temptation or give us trials. We are tempted from our own selves, and this causes us trials in life when we sin and disobey God. Temptations are of our own making.
James 1:13 (KJV) Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:
Our human nature is to do what God has told us not to do. The prayer is then for God to help us to resist and then avoid the trials of the making from our own self-destructive nature.
“Rescue us from the evil one”
Can be translated as “deliver us from evil” or as “deliver us from the evil one”.
There is a personal and impersonal side to Satan. He does not have power to directly affect us when we are in fellowship with God. But we need God’s help for deliverance from the evil one. Our human failing and sin defeats us when we do not trust God in our lives. Fear defeats God’s promises and help.
Job 3:25 (KJV) For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me, and that which I was afraid of is come unto me. 26I was not in safety, neither had I rest, neither was I quiet; yet trouble came.
Job is almost destroyed by Satan because of his fear of God not blessing him. Our prayer to God is in the name of Jesus Christ and our trust that God will help us in every way is what will defeat the Satan in our lives.
John 14:12-14(NLT) I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father. 13 You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father. 14 Yes, ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it!
We see a great example of prayer in Ephesians where Paul prays for the church and the people in it. This is a good guide for us to follow.
Ephesians 3:14-21(NLT) When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, 15 the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. 16 I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. 17 Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. 18 And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. 19 May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. 20 Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. 21 Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen.
What can we do to improve our prayer each day as Jesus taught us and then trust in our Father in heaven to be with us?
Prayer
Father God our Abba, help us to change our hearts to be obedient to Your Word and direction. Thank you for changing our thoughts to be like Your thoughts. Thank you for changing our eyes to see like Your eyes and hear with Your ears. God, You have given us grace and mercy without measure and we love You. Thanks for the Gift of Your Son who has redeemed us and make us able. We pray in the wonderful name of Jesus Christ this day.
