The Lord's Relevant Prayer
Notes
Transcript
5 “And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. 6 But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. 7 And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words. 8 “Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him. 9 In this manner, therefore, pray: 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 forgive our debtors. 13 And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. 14 “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
6 But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. 7 And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words. 8 “Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him. 9 In this manner, therefore, pray: 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 forgive our debtors. 13 And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
Introduction:
Today is a first for me, and for you!
Because for the first time ever, I am preaching to a camera lens, and you are watching me via video!
But, Prayerfully, we can still both impact each other and enjoy a sense of our communion in Christ.
Today’s text is rather familiar to you, I’m sure! but as I’ve contemplated preaching from it, I believe it to be more relevant in this very trying time.
Known affectionately as the Lord’s prayer, Jesus gave this model to us as not a prayer to recite verbatim, but a model of what is the most pressing things we, as His people need to be in prayer about!
I. Our Father in Heaven
I. Our Father in Heaven
Where is God?
Well, He’s in heaven people say.
Yes He is on His thrown in heaven, but the Bible makes it clear that He is omnipresent, or everywhere.
And yet, He’s not a tree or the earth, or any inanimate object, as pantheists believe.
He is also with us, His people, through the Spirit that abides in us, which calls the Spirit of Christ.
Regardless of what we face, what challenges there may be ahead, we can be assured that, God is both with us, and in control.
But our Text also says that...
II. Holy is Your Name
II. Holy is Your Name
Seeing we are His people and are in Christ and one with the Father, shouldn’t we also be holy people in life and conduct?
This is more difficult when we face trials and become afflicted.
But, this is where we can shine for Jesus!
But now our text turns to specific requests:
III. Your Kingdom Come...
III. Your Kingdom Come...
pray for His kingdom to come, and His will to be done, on earth as in heaven.
We are to pray for His kingdom to come, and His will to be done, on earth as in heaven.
I wonder if we really know what He’s asking us to pray for here?
Some people say, when God's kingdom is here, it will be wonderful. I agree! But do we know what it will take for that kingdom to arrive?
In the Olivet discourse of , Jesus said...
7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places.
7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.
that many natural disasters, pestilence, wars, will come prior to the time of His second coming.
He referred to these as the beginning of sorrows.
We are experiencing some of these sorrows right now.
We don’t know how long they will continue, but that’s beside the point.
They are here and they are not pleasant.
Many Christians believe that God guarantees us a nice cushy existence, but the scriptures tell a different story.
Even the book of revelation describes many dreadful scenes before Christ comes back on His white horse to conquer, and that only happens in chapter 19.
Some even think they can change the future. I don’t think so!
89 Forever, O Lord, Your word is settled in heaven.
says, forever oh Lord your word is settled in heaven.
We cannot change what God has ordained.
We cannot change what God has ordained.
He then tells us to pray for our daily ration of food.
IV. Give us This Day our Daily Bread.
IV. Give us This Day our Daily Bread.
I don’t think most of us have ever had to do this, but the days are changing as to how we acquire it, or how many stores we must visit in order to find it.
And if the madness continues we may very well find ourselves in the place of asking for our daily rations.
I think for the most part, we are becoming more aware of how true and important this prayer is.
We are not used to going to the market and finding shelves empty.
Maybe the Lord’s prayer is becoming for us something more than just an empty model for prayer?
V. Forgive us our Debts...
V. Forgive us our Debts...
The word for debts has implications beyond the monetary inference.
Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament based on Semantic Domains 88.299 ὀφείλημα, τος
the moral debt incurred as the result of sin—‘offense, sin, transgression, guilt.
I can think of no better way to stay the course of holiness, than confession of sin!
Because we are human and subject to the temptation of sin constantly, we must confess it and make efforts to curb it.
Our salvation is not dependent upon forsaking it, but our state of mind, and our overall health certainly is.
9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, And cleanse me from my sin.
1 Have mercy upon me, O God, According to Your lovingkindness; According to the multitude of Your tender mercies, Blot out my transgressions.
Why does John talk about the cleansing power of confession?
I believe it is what keeps us close to Christ, where we can have sanity of thought, spiritual vitality, both which contribute to an overall healthier physical existence.
But, we cannot be hypocrites about it!
He goes on to say -
“As we forgive our debtors.”
Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament based on Semantic Domains 88.299 ὀφείλημα, τος
the moral debt incurred as the result of sin—‘offense, sin, transgression, guilt.
How can we expect God to forgive our sin if we don’t forgive others theirs?
VI. Lead us not into Temptation...
VI. Lead us not into Temptation...
Now we know that God is not tempted by evil neither does He tempt anyone. .
We should read this as, “and protect us from the temptation.”
You see, we are praying for God’s protection and awareness of being tempted to sin!
In this time of testing, we will have more than ample opportunities to be tempted.
Will we be like those who are snatching up and hoarding staple items?
Will we break someone’s leg,in a TP Scuffle at the store?
Are we building bunkers for ourselves, loading up on ammo so we can protect our goods?
Are we forgetting those around us that need help, assistance, or comfort?
Are we ignoring all sensible protocol and walking around like a human Petri Dish, putting others at risk,like the Baton Rouge church of 1200 members still gathering for a service and practicing laying on of hands?
We must pray against that, and be ever aware of the presence of sin in our lives, so that we be not at the mercy of the evil one!
“and deliver us from the evil one.”
This has the meaning of not being used by him in anyway.
Far be it from any of God’s children to find themselves the tool of Satan and not the servant of the Lord!
Friends, we must not get caught up in the prophetic insanity that accompanies such events.
The place of this viral pandemic is prophetic only in that like every world event, is setting things up for God’s kingdom to be ushered in.
We are not to fear, or worry, but as Jesus has already commanded, we are to pray for it!
Let’s make our faith real!
We will accomplish so much more by praying!