Lesson Fifty-Four: The Lord's Prayer
54.1 Jesus taught us that God is our heavenly Father - good, gracious, kind, loving, forgiving, and gentle. Like children in their daddy's lap beholding their father's face - we can come to Him - expecting all His love. So Jesus taught us the "Lord's Prayer."
54.2 "The Lord's Prayer" is the greatest prayer ever given. Jesus takes us into the presence of God, our Father, and to His throne room in heaven - in right relationship with God and with our fellow man.
54.3 All great teachers teach their lessons more than once. With some differences this prayer is repeated in Luke 11:2-4.
54.4 Our Father God is not distant. In fact we are held in His lap and carried in His arms. This truth is taught in the Old Testament and in the New Testament.
I have made, and I will bear; Even I will carry, and will deliver you. Isaiah 46:4
Our Father God carries us just like a Father carries a small child. It is a close relationship. Children have the inherent right to come to their daddy at any time, expecting his love and blessing.
54.5 Since we have such a loving and tender heavenly Father (who knows our needs before we pray), Jesus made it emphatic, "This is how you (as my disciples) should be praying..." (In this manner, therefore, {you} pray)
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 forgive our debtors.
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 Matthew 6:9-1354.6 The Jews were fond of saying "blessed be His name" or "blessed be He" whenever they mentioned God in their prayers. Jesus took it one step further, He said, "hallowed be Your name." The phrase could be translated like this: "Let your name be holy to all men." It is a prayer that all people everywhere should know God - as holy - and worship Him in holiness!
54.7 "The kingdom of heaven" was the name Jesus gave to His redemptive movement. The prayer "Your kingdom come" is asking God to further that kingdom.
54.8 Jesus envisioned the Kingdom of Heaven as an ever expanding group of believers, powered by the Holy Spirit of God, spreading the gospel of grace and peace. Doing so would require them to follow His example. They would have to surrender their will to the Father's will. "Thy will be done (perfectly) on earth - as it is in heaven."
54.9 Of course the believers would need provisions for the task of spreading the gospel. So the prayer makes just claims upon God as the source... "Give us this day our daily bread."
54.10 If there is any one mark of a believer that sets him apart from others as one who knows GOD, it is his ability to forgive those who have wronged him. The Lord's prayer gently reminds us... "And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors." This forgiveness of sins is the greatest witness of the kingdom of heaven. Without forgiving those who have wronged us -- our witness is null and void. How can we say we know grace if we cannot practice - grace? God has already forgiven us - much more wrong than anyone can ever do, or ever has done, to us. Forgiving others is the real evidence that God's grace has worked in us and made us His children. This witness draws men to Christ. We could even tell them so... "I forgive you, as God for Christ's sake has forgiven me." Children find it easy to forgive. Unwillingness to forgive is an adult problem. But the problem is solved.
54.11 Falling into temptation would also ruin our witness - so the prayer continues...
And lead us not into temptation.
or
do not bring us into temptation.Our Father knows the weakness of His children. This prayer reminds us that we need His leading. We ask our Father to take charge of us. There are some situations that our faith could not endure. But He knows that - and has promised to answer...
No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it. I Corinthians 10:13
54.12 Older translations of the Bible record the next part of the Lord's prayer as "but deliver us from evil." That is not a correct translation. Jesus said "deliver us from the evil one." In other words let all the plans of the devil be destroyed.
54.13 "For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever, amen." This recognizes God as the source - not just a resource. If it is God's kingdom, then it is His work, and He supplies the power to do it. The kingdom, the power, and all the glory are eternally His.
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