Title: Prayer Taught by the Lord
Contents The prayer the Lord taught me (Matthew 6:5-13)
The Lord's Prayer is an exemplary prayer. It is a concise but complete prayer and a model for first-time believers on how to pray.
I. Our Father who art in heaven!" (Matt 6:9(2))
Before we pray, we need to know who the one who hears our prayers is. It is the “living God” who hears our prayers.
1. “Father”
The Old Testament saints did not dare to call God “the Father” when they prayed. But the Lord called God "Father." And he taught us to call him Father. “Father” is a translation of the Hebrew word “Abba,” and is the nickname children call him (Dad). The Lord prayed as intimately as children would talk to “Dad.
2. The word “our Father” first says that God is the Father of all people, the second that God is “the Father of all the saints who believe in Jesus”, and the third God says that “My own Father No, He is the Father of all churches.”
3. You should not think that God is only in heaven when you say “he is in heaven”. It is because God is “Holy and Almighty,” different from those who live on earth. If we only know God as our Father, our prayers can be lowly and spoiled, but we must have a heart of reverence, remembering that He is Almighty and Holy.
II. Part 1 of the Lord's Prayer - How Should We Pray to God?
The Lord's Prayer is divided into two parts: how to pray for God and how to pray for our needs.
1. Hallowed be God's name - The Jews did not call on God's name, "Jehovah" (Yahweh). While writing the Bible, when the word “Jehovah” (Yahweh) came up, I did not write the name until after I washed my writing brush and washed my body with water. We should pray that this will not happen, because the name of God is often blasphemed due to the wrong lives of Christians.
2. The kingdom of God is coming - It is said, "The kingdom of God is not in one place or another, but in your hearts." We must pray for the Kingdom of God to come into our lives, in our homes, and in the world. The specific meaning is a prayer for those who have pursued Satan to believe in the gospel and become God's people. It contains the deep meaning of mission and prays for the gospel to spread to the ends of the earth quickly. And they want the kingdom of God to be established soon through the Second Coming.
3. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. - What is God's will? It is a kingdom where God is king and God reigns. It is not a country where I am the master and my will is done. Jesus' prayer was a prayer that God's will be done. Prayer is confessing that you want the kingdom of God to be accomplished by overcoming your greed.
III. Part 2 of the Lord's Prayer - Prayer for Our Needs
1. Give us today our daily bread (Prayer for the present)
"Daily bread" means everything necessary to live in the world.
But why did he tell us to seek only “daily food” rather than “to seek food for the rest of our lives”?
First, to teach us that tomorrow is not our day. Second, believe that God will provide for you tomorrow as well. God commanded us to gather manna for that day each day in the wilderness. For this kind of obedience, it was necessary to have faith that manna would come again tomorrow. Why are so many people starving? Because some people gather too much and do not share it. We need an attitude to be satisfied with the amount of food we need and a heart to share with our neighbors.
2. Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. (Prayer for the past)
The saints are people who believe in God's promises, believe in Jesus, and have their sins forgiven. So, do we no longer have to ask God for forgiveness? Not like that. Jesus said to Peter, "He who has bathed in his whole body has no need to wash except his feet" (John 13:10). And the Lord didn't just tell us to ask, "Forgive us our sins." The Lord has clearly taught us to ask for forgiveness of our sins “as we have forgiven our sins.” He said, “If you forgive men your sins, your heavenly Father will also forgive your sins; but if you do not forgive men, your Father will not forgive you” (Matthew 6:14-15).
3. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil (Prayer for the Future)
Why should we pray that we will not fall into temptation? Satan is rushing in like a roaring lion to knock down even believers if possible, so we must pray to God every day in order not to fall into Satan's temptations.
John Stott in his book Commentary on Ephesians describes our adversary as very strong, very evil, and very cunning. Temptations can run over your head, but you shouldn't make them build houses. So I just have to pray for deliverance from evil.
4. In most (because) you are the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen!" (Conclusion of the Lord's Prayer)
The Lord's Prayer ends with a hymn that confesses that God is the source of all things. Amen says, 'Truly it is. It is a confession that "we want it to be done as we prayed". This is like getting a stamp after praying.
The Lord's Prayer is our prayer to God. The Lord's Prayer is a prayer that includes the past, present and future of man. If we come to the Lord in prayer daily through the Lord's Prayer, our lives will be filled with the power, glory, and peace that prayer provides.