THE LORD’S PRAYER!
By Bibleman
Jesus taught us how to pray. Did you ever wonder just how significant the Lord’s Prayer really is? Ever wonder how sufficient this prayer is to meet every need? This study will show you just how important and how powerful this prayer really is! Find out why this is definitely one prayer we need to pray every day!
“OUR FATHER”
Jesus is showing us how his born again disciples are to address the one true God of the universe! God is our heavenly Father and we are that if reconciled sons and daughters who now have new life from the Spirit of the living God infused within us (Rom. 8:14-16). We are appropriately addressing Almighty God as His adopted children who have been born into His family through faith in Christ (Gal. 3:26). We acknowledge this Father-child relationship as we begin this awesome prayer with “Our Father.” As an earthly father cares for his family so also does our heavenly Father supremely love us, care for, protect us, and provide what is best for us (Ps. 55:22; 1 Pet. 5:7).
“WHO ART IN HEAVEN”
Jesus wanted us to know, when saying the Lord’s Prayer, that we are addressing the eternal, all-powerful, transcendent God of the universe! Our heavenly Father is as infinite as the heavens He created. We acknowledge and comprehend that our heavenly Father is not bound by earthly limitations but has magnificent heavenly qualities. He is without limitations being eternal, omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent. This is the magnificent and majestic God whose throne in heaven is forever and ever (Ps. 46:2-6)! Father God is the one who governs the earth and the universe from his throne in heaven (Ps. 11:4; Mt. 5:34; Rev. 4:2; 21:5). Through prayer we have the opportunity to boldly come before His throne of grace to obtain mercy and help in time of need (Heb. 4:16). God reigns on His throne in heaven with holiness and righteousness (Ps. 45:4,7; 47:2-8; Isa. 16:5). From His great and mighty throne in heaven our majestic God will judge the ends of the earth (1 Sam. 2:10).
“HALLOWED BE THY NAME”
Jesus is showing us the need to hollow the name of Almighty God. To hallow means to magnify, set apart as holy, and to highly esteem and greatly respect. We are to hallow and reverence God by recognizing who He is and how great he is. The holy priesthood of the Levites understood this and began their prayers by magnifying the name of God. “Blessed be thy glorious name which is exalted above all blessing and praise (Neh. 9:5)” Hallowing the name of God is an appropriate act of praise and worship to our Heavenly Father. “Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name; worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness (Ps. 29:2).” We should always begin our prayers to God with an attitude of thankfulness, worship, and praise, by hallowing His name (Ps. 100:4). When we hallow the name of God we recognize and acknowledge that God Almighty is a God of everlasting strength and salvation (Isa. 12:2; 26:4; Mt. 1:21; Acts 4:12), a God of forgiveness and justification (Isa. 53:6, 11), our wonderful counselor and Prince of peace (Isa. 9:6; 53:5), our God of healing and miraculous restoration (Ex. 15:26; 17:6, 15,16; Isa. 53:5; Acts 3:16), our great deliverer and protector (Jud. 6:13,16,24) our great provider to all who obey His voice (Gen. 22:14-18) and the Most High God who reigns over all the earth (Ex. 6:3; Isa. 9:6; Ps. 83:18)! When you address the Lord in your prayers remember He is the God who of all these things, therefore, hallow His glorious name!
“THY KINGDOM COME”
Jesus told us that seeking the kingdom of God and his righteousness is our first priority. As we do this everything else we need will be provided by God (Mt. 6:33). As Christians our principle aim is to seek righteousness for our own life and then strive to advance and promote God’s righteous standards to those around us (Mk. 1:15). Seeking the righteousness of God is to ask Christ to be Lord over every area of our life (Lk. 6:46). Everyone who seeks the coming of Christ and his kingdom upon this earth will purify himself becoming like Christ. When we ask, “thy kingdom come,” we are seeking to be more Christlike. We as Christians eagerly look forward to the coming of Christ when Christ takes over all the kingdoms of this earth to be our supreme king and ruler who will restore His righteous government on earth (Lk. 1:30-33; Rev. 1:5-7).
“THY WILL BE DONE”
The mission of Jesus was solely to do the will of His Father and this should be our primary goal in life also. When we pray the Lord’s Prayer we are asking for God to establish His will in our hearts and lives. If we desire to be a part of His kingdom we must surrender our lives to the obedience of His Lordship in all things ( Jam. 4:6,7; 2 Pet. 1:1-12). Fulfilling the will of God is not an option for the believer but is an obligation to embrace and accept by following the supreme example of our Savior (Mk. 21:31; Jn. 4:34). We are asking the Lord to help us to do His will rather than the sinful desires of the flesh (Jn. 4:34; 5:30; 1 Pet. 4:2). It is important that we ask the Lord to fill us with the knowledge of His will and the wisdom and prudence to walk in it (Col. 1:9; 4:12; Eph. 1:9). When we ask for the Lord’s will to be done in our life we are surrendering our life to God and asking for Him to transform our mind with his word so we will not be conformed to the world (Mt. 6:10; Rom. 12:2). Discovering the will of God requires self-preparation, obedience to the truth, walking in purity and holiness and a disciplined prayer life (Mk. 21:31; Lk. 12:47; 1 Cor. 7:37; 1 Thes. 4:3; 1 Jn. 5:15). Walking in Gods will is important because it enables us to walk in a pleasing and worthy manner before God, be fruitful in every good work, knowledgeable of His word, and to be strengthened spiritually with might according to His glorious power (Col. 1:9). Fulfilling the will of God is essential for all believers and is indicative of having a right relationship with Christ (Mt. 7:21; Mk. 3:35; 1 Jn. 2:27).
“ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN”
Jesus is telling us that God’s will is the same for us as it is in heaven. There is no sickness, sorrow or death in heaven. If the will of God was fulfilled in the lives of all citizens on the earth it would certainly be a heavenly experience. Jesus died and shed His precious blood to destroy the works of the devil and save us from our sins and the consequences of sin. It is God’s will that righteousness prevail on the earth as it does in heaven. Christ will create a new earth that will be like a heavenly paradise. “And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and their shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall their be any more pain: for the former things are passed away (Rev. 21:3,4).” This will be a welcome time to behold! This is what we are asking for in the Lord’s Prayer!
“GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY BREAD”
God is our great Jehovah Jireh, our provider. He it is who will supply all our daily needs as we ask Him and place our trust in Him (Phil. 4:19; Ps16:1; 68:19). We need not worry about any daily need when we can ask the God who created all things. If the Lord provides for the birds of the air will He not also meet your daily needs (Mt. 6:26-31). God know what we have need of before we even ask him (Mt. 6:32). The key to receiving your daily needs from God is to: 1. seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and every thing you need in life will be supplied by God (Mt. 6:33). 2. Trust God for all your provisions and do not worry about the future (Mt. 6:34). As you put God first in your life, and walk uprightly, the Lord will provide for all your needs.
“FORGIVE US OUR DEBTS AS WE FORGIVE OUR DEBTORS”
Jesus taught that if we desire forgiveness from God we must be willing to forgive others of their offences against us. If we do this we can be confident that the Lord will forgive us each day of all our unworthiness. We can humbly and confidently receive His mercy and forgiveness if we also have forgiven others. God’s forgiveness, healing, and restoration is given to us as we walk in love and are willing to forgive. As you fall short of God’s righteous and holy standards and need His grace for healing and cleansing; remember that you will reap what you sow—so walk in His love and reap good things from God.
“AND LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION BUT DELIVER US FROM EVIL”
We all need to ask the Lord every day for strength to resist and overcome temptation and evil. The Lords pray provides for this added strength and power to overcome all the allurements and sinful enticements of the devil (Jam. 1:12-15). Through our faith in Christ we can become a victor over the devil and his temptations. You cannot defeat satan in your own strength so remember to say the Lord’s prayer every day and let the Lord help you resist and defeat every temptation. “But thanks be to God, who giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Cor. 15:57).”
“FOR THINE IS THE KINGDOM AND THE POWER AND THE GLORY FOR EVER”
I Love the way the Lord’s Prayer ends! Jesus is showing us how to ascribe the praise and worship that is due to our Heavenly Father. This gives us an opportunity to recognize His sovereignty, His Almighty power and his Majesty. The Bible tells us that God’s kingdom is everlasting, glorious, holy and majestic (Ps. 145:11-13). God sits upon His heavenly throne clothed with strength, honor and majesty (Ps. 93 & 104). As we end the Lord’s Prayer we are humbly surrendering to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, who is the Almighty and All-Powerful Son of the living God and the soon coming King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. All power was given to Christ in heaven and on the earth (Mt. 28:16). I love this magnificent prayer of praise that was offered up by King David:
“Blessed be thou, Lord God of Israel our father, for ever and ever. Thine, O Lord, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O Lord, and thou art exalted as head above all. Both riches and honor come of thee, and thou reignest over all; and in thine hand is power and might; and in thine hand is to make great, and to give strength unto all. Now therefore, our God, we thank thee, and praise thy glorious name.” (1 Chron. 29:10-13)
Thank you Jesus for teaching us this magnificent, glorious, and powerful prayer! Amen!
