THE LORD'S PRAYER (Part #2) - "Pray then like this: 'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.'"
The Lord's Prayer is by far one of the most common passages in the entire Bible, and arguably one we gloss over more easily due to its familiarity. It is a tutorial on what to say and how to say it, when we find ourselves caught in the unfamiliarity and awkwardness of praying. In many ways, the Lord's Prayer is far more than just an example to follow. It provides perspective and clarity for those of us who need a daily reminder of who we are in respect to God's supreme authority. In a world where celebrities are idolized and post-modernistic thinking is widespread, we can rest assured that the Lord is still sovereign and hears the cries of His people. Therefore, we confidently exalt, "Who is like you, O LORD, among the gods? Who is like you, majestic in holiness, awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders?" (Exodus 15:11). God not only hears our cries but has the power to meet our needs, albeit not what we prefer at times because His will is not fully visible for us to comprehend. He chooses what He wants to share with us, just as we choose whether to submit to His authority or not. No man can admit to being held captive against his will when the Lord is involved, for we have free will to embrace or reject His gift of salvation. But to those who accept Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior, blessing and honor arise as we embrace the call to fulfill His great commission throughout the world. "You are my friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you" (John 15:14-16).
As we break down each stanza of the Lord's Prayer, we must realize this format is a tool to build off of, not an end in and of itself. There are indeed times when we struggle with what to say to God in prayer. Our emotions elevate to the point where words simply fail to convey what's on our heart, and we're left silently frustrated by our inability to express how we're truly feeling. In those moments, God's Word teaches: "Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God" (Romans 8:26-27). How amazing is this promise! No matter what we face, we can know with complete certainty that God hears our cries and more importantly, understands how we feel. There is no wondering whether God is listening because the Spirit intercedes for those who trust in the name of Jesus. Friends, this should liberate us; for no longer do personal fears and insecurities have any authority to hinder our prayers. Rather, we are empowered to take the Lord's Prayer and use it as a launching pad to freely express our hearts to the Lord, under the guidance and direction of Christ's teaching and the Spirit's intercession. Contrary to popular "religious" belief, Jesus never intended this teaching to be a mantra used by certain denominations as an all-encompassing prayer to eliminate the need for creative expression. No, the Lord's Prayer is rather like a map chartering our course along the seas of life—stopping at key ports along the way in order to equip us with needed supplies for the spiritual journey ahead.
Jesus emphasizes adoration as the quality we should begin our prayers with, giving praise to God for who He is. "The LORD reigns; let the peoples tremble! He sits enthroned upon the cherubim; let the earth quake! The LORD is great in Zion; he is exalted over all the peoples. Let them praise your great and awesome name! Holy is he!" (Psalm 99:1-3). Often times, we judge God and determine our level of respect for His authority based on the outcome of our prayers. In other words, we trust His sovereignty more if our prayers are answered as we see fit, compared to mistrust when things don't go our way. We must understand that adoration conveys sentiments of love, reverence, worship and respect. None of these qualities are conditional opportunities for doubt, but assurances that God is worthy to be glorified because His hallowed name speaks for itself. Therefore, we can boldly proclaim, “Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; for the LORD GOD is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation" (Isaiah 12:2). Beginning our prayers by referring to God as "Abba" or "Father" sets the tone for personalizing our prayers, yet does not undermine our respect for His authority. God desires for us to come to Him as little children who long for the guidance and protection of their heavenly Father. Even "Jesus said, 'Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven'" (Matthew 19:14), in order to emphasize the importance of approaching God's throne with complete trust in the Father's love, just as a child would. Therefore, who are we to elevate ourselves in any way that undermines the Father-son or Father-daughter relationships we are freely given in Christ? It is important to point out that "hallowed be your name" is also translated, "Let your name be kept holy," or "Let your name be treated with reverence." The name of the Lord affirms His character and integrity, and we wise to recognize how revering His name (and not using it in vain) establishes our submission to His sovereign authority. "There is none like you, O LORD; you are great, and your name is great in might" (Jeremiah 10:6).
Keep in mind, the holiness of the Lord is so immense that the prophet Isaiah immediately professed when He saw God in a vision, "Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!" (Isaiah 6:5). The holiness of the Lord magnifies our sinfulness as sons and daughters of Adam, and whether we trust the Lord more than ourselves. Calling for God's kingdom to reign is one thing, but aligning our hearts with the will of the Lord is where we step forward from adolescence to adulthood, spiritually-speaking. We need not look any further than Jesus' example in the garden of Gethsemane to understand what it means to relinquish control of our lives for God's will. "Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, 'Sit here, while I go over there and pray.' And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to them, 'My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me.' And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, 'My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will'" (Matthew 26:36-39). If there is one aspect of prayer we often miss, it is relinquishing control of our lives and allowing God to use us for His glory any way He sees fit—which may thrust us into trials, calamity or persecution. For if we desire for the glory of heaven to displayed, our prayers must compel us into faith application where humility and reverence testify to our salvation. "In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence" (Hebrews 5:7).
Similar to surrendering our personal will, Jesus encourages us to relinquish selfish desires and embrace contentment. This plays out by asking the Lord to simply provide for our daily needs, that we may be well equipped to serve Him to our full potential. Of course, this casts an overwhelming shadow on how comfortable or content we are with God's provision in our lives, and even more-so regarding what we petition God for during prayer requests. The apostle Paul wrote, "But godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction" (1 Timothy 6:6-9). We should never be afraid to present our desires to the Lord, but we are encouraged to pray with proper perspective and wisdom, because the treasures of this world can become a stumbling block if we are not careful. Moreover, we must continually recognize how indebted we are to the Lord for the price He paid for our salvation. Entitlement is a dangerous cancer in the life of a Christian. It pridefully declares we are owed something and have the right to judge the motivations of others as we see fit. The minute we begin feeling entitled, we become lazy admitting our sins but keenly aware of the sins others commit against us. How ironic! Therefore, we must shift our focus inward by seeking forgiveness for our sins and freely forgiving others because of the debt Christ paid for us. "How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take out the speck that is in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the log that is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take out the speck that is in your brother's eye" (Luke 6:42).
The final conclusion to the Lord's Prayer is a sincere plea for God to protect us from evil dangers which seek to destroy our faith. Notice that Jesus does not model a request for God to dispel every spiritually compromising and tempestuous situation that could potentially come our way. He did not spare (Simon) Peter by foretelling his denial (nor will He spare us as well), because He knew the testing of Peter's faith would produce perseverance (just as it will ours). "Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers" (Luke 22:31-32). Therefore, we are encouraged to posture our hearts in such a way where we embrace trials and tests of faith the Lord allows, and trust He will never leave us or forsake us despite our struggles and failures. "No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it" (1 Corinthians 10:13). The more we understand the meaning behind each stanza of the Lord's Prayer, the better equipped we are to pray without ceasing, empowered by the Spirit, and with thanksgiving for who He is and what He has done for us. May we never forget the immeasurable love God has for those of us who trust His Word with confidence, submit to His authority without reservation, and obey His commands unconditionally. For we are loved by our Father in heaven with words inexpressible, proven by the sacrifice of His Son for sinners who least deserve grace and mercy. "I love the LORD, because he has heard my voice and my pleas for mercy. Because he inclined his ear to me, therefore I will call on him as long as I live" (Psalm 116:1-2).
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