BOTH MATTHEW AND LUKE REPORTS THE GIVING OF THE LORD'S PRAYER IN MATTHEW JESUS GIVES IT AFTER WARNING HIS DISCIPLES ABOUT DISPLAY AND VERBOSITY IN PRAYER. HE GIVES IT AS AN EXAMPLE OF PRAYER. ( "PRAY LIKE THIS") : AFTER THIS MANNER THEREFORE PRAY YE " OUR FATHER WHICH ART IN HEAVEN, HALLOWED BE THY NAME. THY KINGDOM COME, THY WILL BE DONE IN EARTH, AS IT IS IN HEAVEN. GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY BREAD. AND FORGIVE US OUR DEBTS, AS WE FORGIVE OUR DEBTORS. AND LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION, BUT DELIVER US FROM EVIL: FOR THINE IS THE KINGDOM, AND THE POWER AND THE GLORY FOR EVER A-MEN! [6:9]. IN LUKE, JESUS GIVES IT IN RESPONSE TO A REQUEST FROM HIS DISCIPLES THAT HE TEACH THEM TO PRAY, AS JOHN TAUGHT HIS DISCIPLES (LUKE 11: 1,2.)
IT IS SOMETIMES SUGGESTED THAT THE FIRST THREE PETITIONS ASK FOR "SPIRITUAL" THINGS. , THE FOURTH FOR MATERIAL THINGS, AND THE LAST THREE FOR ADDITIONAL "SPIRITUAL" BLESSINGS. THE COMMENTS WHICH FOLLOWS SUGGEST THAT ALL SEVEN PETITIONS ASK FOR "SPIRITUAL" BLESSINGS, FOR IN ALL WE ASK FOR THE MIND OF CHRIST.
THE LORD'S PRAYER TEACHES US;
1. THE KINDS OF THINGS JESU WANTS US TO PRAY ABOUT.
2. TO BE CONCISE IN OUR PRAYERS.
3. TO PRAY THAT WE MIGHT BE BUSY FOR GOD, RATHER THAN GOD SHOULD BE BUSY FOR US.
OUR FATHER WHO ART IN HEAVEN
SOME OF THE ANCIENT GREEK PHILOSOPHERS TAUGHT THAT THE GODS WERE INCAPABLE OF FEELING OR EMOTION, AND WERE NOT INTERESTED IN THE AFFAIRS OF MEN. THE GOD OF THE BIBLE IS NOT LIKE THAT. HE WANTS US TO THINK OF HIM LIKE A FATHER WHO GIVES AND SUSTAINS LIFE, WHO HAS TIME TO LISTEN WITH CONCERN TO WHATEVER WE SAY TO HIM, WHO CAN BRING TO PASS WHATEVER IS GOOD FOR US, (ISAIAH 65:24); PSALM 103;1-5; 2 CORINTHIANS 12;8,9. IN PRAYING "OUR," WE REMEMBER THAT HE HAS MANY CHILDREN, AND THAT HE WISHES US TO PRAY AND LIVE FOR THE WELFARE OF ALL PEOPLE.
ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN. THESE WORDS REFER TO EACH OF THE FIRST THREE PETITIONS, WHOSE MESSAGE IS THEN:
HALLOWED BE THY NAME ON EARTH, AS IT IS IN HEAVEN.
THY KINGDOM COME ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN.
THY WILL BE DONE ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN.
THESE WORDS REMIND US THAT THOUGH ALL IS WELL IN HEAVEN, ALL IS NOT WELL ON EARTH. IN HEAVEN, GOD'S NAME IS HALLOWED, HIS KINGLY RULE PREVAILS AND HIS WILL IS DONE. ON EARTH, THE DEADLY TRIO OF SATAN, WORLD AND FLESH. ( HUMAN NATURE IN REBELLION AGAINST GOD) ARE BLINDING AND MISLEADING PEOPLES HEARTS. WE PRAY, THEN, THAT THINGS ON EARTH BECOME MORE AS THEY ARE IN HEAVEN.
PETITION 1: HALLOWED BE THY NAME
EACH PETITION USES FEW WORDS TO SAY SO MUCH. "NAME" IS NOT USED IN THE SENSE OF TITLE OR NAME-TAG. IT REFERS TO GOD HIMSELF ( JOHN 17:6; LEVITICUS 24:16), HIS WHOLE BEING AND PERSONALITY. TO HALLOW" MEANS TO TREAT AS HOLY, TO HOLD SACRED. HE WHO HALLOWS A THING REVERES, RESPECTS AND STANDS IN AWE OF IT. GOD IS WHAT HE IS. HUMAN OPINION CANNOT CHANGE WHAT HE IS. ACCORDLY, IN THE FIRST PETITION, WE PRAY:
1. THAT OUR UNDERSTANDING OF GOD MIGHT TALLY WITH REALITY.
2. THAT WE MIGHT REVERE HIM AS MAKER, OWNER, SUSTAINER OF CREATION.
3. THAT OUR USE OF O LIFE MIGHT REFLECT SUBMISSION TO HIM AND HIS WILL.
4. THAT HE WOULD ENLIGHTEN AND EMPOWER US TO PERCEIVE AND REJECT EVERY SATANIC WHIM IN OUR LIVES, AND IN THE LIVES OF OTHERS, AND
5. THAT WE MIGHT INFLUENCE OTHERS TO GIVE HIM DUE REVERENCE.
PETITION 2. THY KINGDOM COME.
WHY PRAY THAT IT SHOULD COME?
IF IT WERE HERE, THERE WOULD BE NO POINT IN PRAYING THIS PETITION.
JESUS URGES US TO TAKE SERIOUSLY THE KINGDOM OF SATAN, WORLD AND FLESH. IN PRAYING THIS PETITION
1. WE ACKNOWLEDGE THE PRESENCE OF A FALSE, LYING KINGDOM - THAT OF THE DEADLY TRIO.
2. WE PRAY THAT GOD'S KINGDOM MIGHT DISPLACE IT MORE AND MORE IN OUR LIVES, AND IN THE LIVES OF OTHERS.
3. WE COMMIT OURSELVES TO WORK AS HIS INSTRUMENTS TO BEING THIS TO PASS.
PETITION 3: THY WILL BE DONE. THIS PETITION IS SIMILAR TO THE SECOND. IF GOD'S WILL WERE BEING DONE, THERE WOULD BE NO POINT IN PRAYING THIS PETITION.
1. WE ASK GOD TO EQUIP US TO RECOGNIZE WHAT MANKIND DOES BY NATURE- THE WILL OF THE DEADLY TRIO.
2. WE ASK GOD TO HELP US FIGHT THAT EVIL WILL IN OUR LIVES AND THE LIVES OF OTHERS.
3. WE ASK GOD TO EQUIP US TO HELP OTHERS KNOW AND DO HIS WILL.
PETITION 4: GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY BREAD.
THIS PETITION DOES NOT ASK FOR MATERIAL THINGS; IT ASKS FOR AN ATTITUDE. TO ILLUSTRATE;
HAVE YOU ASKED GOD FOR DAILY BREAD, AND OTHER PHYSICAL NEEDS, EVERY DAY OF YOUR LIFE. MOST NOT LIKELY NOT. IF YOU WERE NEVER AGAIN TO ASK HIM FOR THESE THINGS, WOULD HE SUPPLY THEM? YES. GOD SUPPLIES OUR DAILY NEEDS WHETHER WE ASK OR NOT, THANK OR NOT. WHY BOTHER TO PRAY THIS PETITION? IN PRAYING IT,
1. WE DO NOT ASK GOD TO GIVE US DAILY BREAD. HE GIVES IT WHETHER WE ASK OR NOT.
2. WE ACKNOWLEDGE THAT HE PROVIDES ALL WE NEED DAY BY DAY TO SUPPORT LIFE.
3. WE TRUST HIM TO SUPPLY OUR DAILY NEEDS. HE CLAIMS THAT AS HIS RESPONSIBILITY WORRY IS UNNECESSARY. HE HAS PROVIDED, DOES PROVIDE, AN WILL PROVIDE.
4.WE ASK TO BE GIVEN AN ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE.
PETITION: 5 FORGIVE US OUR TRESPASSES, AS WE FORGIVE THOSE WHO TRESPASS AGAINST US.
1. GOD KNOWS THAT WE ARE SINNERS. HE FORGIVES US AND ACCEPTS US AS WE ARE, AS WE BECOME IN CHRIST.
LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION; BUT DELIVER US FROM EVIL
JESUS CLOSING WORDS STRATEGICALLY PLACED AND BLUNTLY REALISTIC. HE LOOKS BACK OVER ALL THE NOBLE THINGS HE ASKED US TO PRAY ABOUT, AND EXHORTS US TO REMEMBER THAT OUR CHRISTIAN WALK THROUGH LIFE WILL NOT BE EASY. THE "OLD EVIL FOE" IS AROUND AND IS A DEADLY FORCE. THE WORLD TREATS SATAN AS A COMIC STRIP CHARACTER. JESUS BIDS US TO ENTERTAIN DIFFERENT THOUGHTS ON THE SUBJECT (JOHN 8:44; 1 PETER 5:8,9.) HE PULLS THE SAME OLD TRICK, HE PULLED ON "EVE" IN THE GARDEN, BY CONVINCING HER AND NOW US THAT THEIR SIN IS OF LITTLE CONSEQUENCE.
THE CLOSING WORDS OF THE LORDS PRAYER ARE NOT FOUND IN THE EARLIEST AND BEST GREEK MANUSCRIPTS. HOWEVER, THEY BECAME AN ESTABLISHED PART OF THE PRAYER OVER A PERIOD OF CENTURIES, FOR THEY WERE A RESPONSE
TO THE CONGREGATION TO THE PRAYER.
THEY ARE BASED ON [1 CHRONICLES 29:11].
THE WORD "AMEN" IS NOT AN ANCIENT WAY OF SAYING "THE END."
IT IS A HEBREW WORD WHICH SIGNIFIES " TRUELY, TRULY, OR "CERTAINLY," "CERTAINLY,."
IN PRAYING IT, WE RECOGNIZE WHAT HAS BEEN SAID IS VALID, MAKE IT OUR OWN AND COMMIT OURSELVES TO CONFORM TO IT.
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