The Lord's prayer has often perplexed me. Jesus says that "this is how we should pray," and yet I have heard countless times by countless preachers, professors, and mature Christians that there is no magic formula for how you should pray to the Lord. So which one is it?
Well, I think that Jesus in Matthew 6 is not trying to give us a script of exactly what to say to the Lord when we pray, but rather an example of the priorities that our hearts should have. Let's look at His prayer one line at a time.
"Our Father in Heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven." First, above all and before everything else, our priority should be on the kingdom of God, on the glory of God's plan, and on the fulfillment of His plan. If we're focusing on that, then everything else is going to fall into place - for His glory, mind you, not ours.
"Give us today our daily bread." God knows what we need. But He wants us to ask Him for it, anyway. He wants a dialog. He doesn't promise to give us all of our desires - Jesus doesn't say to give us today our daily iPad - but he does promise to give us all of our needs. All you have to do is ask Him for it.
"And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors." Holding onto bitterness and grudges is no way to live a fulfilled life. The only way that you can truly move on and live your life, knowing that your sins and faults have been forgiven by the Almighty God, is if you don't turn around and hold onto the faults that others have committed against you. Let go and let live, and let God do the judging.
"And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one." One of the biggest mistakes that Christians make is to forget that there is both a God and a devil - either that, or they picture him as a little man in a red suit with a pitchfork, not like the roaming lion waiting to devour us, as he is pictured in the Bible. Don't make the mistake of ignoring him, thinking that you'll be alright if you don't protect yourself against him.
That's what Jesus really wants us to pray. Not His specific words, but rather His sentiments. Prayer should first and foremost worship the Lord. It should ask God for the things that are burdening your heart. It should ask forgiveness of the wrongs that you have committed against God and against others. And it should beg protection from the attacks of the evil one. Don't get so hung up on the words of your prayers; focus on the heart of it.
Well, I think that Jesus in Matthew 6 is not trying to give us a script of exactly what to say to the Lord when we pray, but rather an example of the priorities that our hearts should have. Let's look at His prayer one line at a time.
"Our Father in Heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven." First, above all and before everything else, our priority should be on the kingdom of God, on the glory of God's plan, and on the fulfillment of His plan. If we're focusing on that, then everything else is going to fall into place - for His glory, mind you, not ours.
"Give us today our daily bread." God knows what we need. But He wants us to ask Him for it, anyway. He wants a dialog. He doesn't promise to give us all of our desires - Jesus doesn't say to give us today our daily iPad - but he does promise to give us all of our needs. All you have to do is ask Him for it.
"And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors." Holding onto bitterness and grudges is no way to live a fulfilled life. The only way that you can truly move on and live your life, knowing that your sins and faults have been forgiven by the Almighty God, is if you don't turn around and hold onto the faults that others have committed against you. Let go and let live, and let God do the judging.
"And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one." One of the biggest mistakes that Christians make is to forget that there is both a God and a devil - either that, or they picture him as a little man in a red suit with a pitchfork, not like the roaming lion waiting to devour us, as he is pictured in the Bible. Don't make the mistake of ignoring him, thinking that you'll be alright if you don't protect yourself against him.
That's what Jesus really wants us to pray. Not His specific words, but rather His sentiments. Prayer should first and foremost worship the Lord. It should ask God for the things that are burdening your heart. It should ask forgiveness of the wrongs that you have committed against God and against others. And it should beg protection from the attacks of the evil one. Don't get so hung up on the words of your prayers; focus on the heart of it.
Matthew 6:5-15
5 “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 7 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
9 “This, then, is how you should pray:
“‘Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
10 your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us today our daily bread.
12 And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.’
hallowed be your name,
10 your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us today our daily bread.
12 And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.’
14 For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.
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