Preacherwin’s Weblog

“For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, forever.  Amen.”

(Matthew 6:13b, KJV)

As we mentioned before, this is not the only prayer that a believer can pray, nor is it the only prayer that Scripture offers to us, but it is the model upon which all our prayers ought to be based.  And all of our prayers ought to have this as their goal—that God be glorified forever.  That God be glorified in our world.  That God be glorified in our families and in our own lives.  That God be glorified in all we think, all we do, and in all we say.  That God be glorified in every aspect of our living and that through whatever we do in life, that we convey to the unbelieving world that Jesus Christ is Lord and King over all creation.

This, dear friends, is our purpose in life and there is no other, that we glorify God with an aim to enjoying him forever.  Oh, that all the nations would come to hear and understand this one thing!  Oh, that missionaries would reach every corner of this planet to proclaim God’s glorious gospel!  Oh, to see that time when all of God’s elect will gather before the throne of the risen Christ—people from every tongue and tribe and land—singing praise to the King in one accord!  Oh, what a time that will be!  Believer, I look to join you at that time, but what about those we care about who have not joined us in faith?  Will you bid them to join us at the throne of Christ?  Will you share the gospel with them one more time and then another time again as the Lord allows?  

“May you not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.”

(Matthew 6:13)

“And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil; for thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory forever, Amen.”

(Matthew 6:13, KJV)

In this last verse of the prayer, we have the final two petitions—“lead us not” and “deliver us.”  The first of these addresses our mental needs and the second deals once again with our spiritual needs.  You will also notice, as you look at the two translations back to back, that the King James Version contains a benediction at the end of the prayer.  This benediction is not included as part of the oldest Biblical manuscripts that we have access to, which is why most English Bible translations do not include it.  It is likely that the last line was added somewhere in seventh or eighth century; never-the-less, it is a wonderful benediction and is a staple part of most of our prayers.

We must always remember that the act of being tempted is not sin.  Christ, our Lord, was tempted and tested in every way, yet was free from sin.  It is where temptation leads when we give in to it—that, as James tells us, is sin, and sin leads to death (James 1:14-15).  Thus, the language of this prayer is not one which pleads with God to prevent testing or tempting, but to be kept from being led into temptation—to be preserved from succumbing to the testing and to be preserved from its end—namely death.  This ties quite closely with the language of the fourth petition—to be kept from evil or from “the evil one.”  Though we may walk through dark roads, we are asking God’s provision and protection that we don’t find ourselves in the mouth of the roaring lion. 

The word ponhro/ß (ponaros), which refers to evil, wickedness, or being degenerate, is an adjective that occurs in this verse with a definite article.  In other words, the literal translation of this clause is: “deliver us from the evil.”  Usually, in Greek, when an adjective is used in such a way, it is used to refer to someone or something that embodies what that adjective describes, hence the translation, “deliver us from the evil one.”  It is a recognition that as believers we are in a battle with the evil one of this world—Satan himself—and that it is only by the strength of God’s hand that we can be delivered from such a foe.  Just as it took God’s hand to deliver his people from the ruler of Egypt, so too, it requires God’s hand to redeem us from ruler of this world, Satan.

Friends, these two petitions are prayers for provision in the battle.  Provision that our minds be kept sharp and straight and keep us from entertaining the lusts of our heart, and provision from falling prey to the dragon who only wishes to destroy the people of God (Revelation 12:17).  That provision we need every day and every moment of our lives.

“And forgive us our debts, even as we forgive our debtors.”

(Matthew 6:12)

“And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.”

(Matthew 6:12, KJV)

Though the language of this petition is financial language, in the context, Jesus is using this language to reflect that which we owe to others as a result of sin (which is why some people say “transgressions” here—though I have yet to find a translation of the Bible that reads “transgressions” and not debits).  This is the only petition of the prayer that our Lord actually goes back to and explains (see Matthew 6:14-15) and when he explains the petition, he does so in terms of our sins. 

This, indeed, is our great spiritual need—to be forgiven.  Christ begins the list of petitions for our needs by addressing our physical needs and now he moves to the spiritual—the mental will come next.  But also note, that while this is our great need, this is also the only petition of this prayer that is qualified by something that we must do—that is to forgive.

This is heavy stuff.  What we are praying to God is that he should forgive us in the same way we forgive others.  If we withhold forgiveness, we are telling him that he should withhold it from us as well.  This is a terribly high standard to have before us if we are entirely honest.  Certainly, there are some people who it is relatively easy to forgive, but then again, there are others who have hurt us so badly and so deeply that forgiveness seems impossible—yet loved ones, with God, all things, all things are possible.

You who have been forgiven so much in the eyes of God, how can you fail to forgive others?  We owe a debit to God for our sin that we could never even begin to repay, yet Christ chose to pay it on our behalf—and pay it he did, in his own blood.  No wickedness that another man can do to you, no matter how hurtful and severe, can come close to the wickedness of your sin in the eyes of a Holy God.  Even the angels shield their eyes in God’s presence.  Yet for you, believer, God has not withheld his forgiveness—how is it that you can withhold forgiveness from others? 

Jesus never ceases to stretch us as we grow in faith, and to take seriously the words of this prayer, we are forced to grow beyond ourselves.  The reality is that it is impossible for us to forgive some people on our own strength—the hurt is just too deep and it is not in our heart to do so.  That is why we ask God to change our hearts and conform them to his will—that we may forgive even where it seems impossible to do so.  Beloved, will you pray that God will enable you to forgive others as he has forgiven you?

“Give us today our bread, which we need to survive.”

(Matthew 6:11)

“Give us this day our daily bread.”

(Matthew 6:11, KJV)

There is some debate over whether Jesus is speaking of our physical needs or our spiritual needs—the bread that sustains physical life or the bread of life—God’s Word.  I would suggest that Jesus is talking about the food we need to sustain us during the day.  Note that this is the first request of the seven that deals with our needs for the day, and two of the following requests will deal with our spiritual needs and the other deals with our mental needs.  Thus, it is sensible to see this as a petition for our physical needs during the day.

As you study the gospels, you will not be able to help but notice the concern that Jesus has with all areas of our need—spiritual, mental, and physical.  It makes sense that the prayer that he would teach us would reflect all these things.  Jesus regularly speaks of God’s physical provision for his people as well.  Thus, we begin the four petitions that are directed toward our own lives with a petition that God supply our physical needs.

Note a few things, though.  First, just like the Israelites who were in the desert, being fed with manna only were given a day’s provision at a time, so too, when we ask, we ask for God’s provision on a daily basis.  We who walk in the church-age are much like the Israelites in the wilderness.  We are pilgrims in a land not our own, we are heading toward a promised land (this time one that has been kept free from corruption by Christ), and we still need God’s daily provision, lest we die.  Admittedly, there are times when God allows us to save up, but do not take those times for granted for savings can disappear overnight.  God won’t. 

Secondly, note that this is not a prayer for our “daily steak dinner with a lobster tail on the side.”  This is a prayer for our daily bread.  We are to ask God to provide that which we need.  How there is a difference between those things which we need and those things which we want.  The difficulty lies in understanding that difference.  There are a lot of things that I think I need that I don’t really need.  God sometimes blesses us with the wants, but it is the needs that he promises to his people.

And, thirdly, this is a prayer that recognizes that we are desperately in need of God to provide our daily needs.  It is a prayer that reminds us that without God, we cannot even provide the essentials of life (bread and water) for ourselves.  It recognizes our dependence upon God.

Friends, we are poor and weak creatures, desperate and bankrupt if left to our own.  But in the Lord’s hands, we will be provided for every day.

“May your kingdom come; may your will come to pass, as in heaven, so too on earth.”

(Matthew 6:10)

“Thy kingdom come.  Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”

(Matthew 6:10, KJV)

Beloved, in heaven, the angels wait, ready and prepared—anxious to serve God’s every command.  Their actions define absolute obedience, and while they wait for God’s next task, they stay busy worshiping before the throne.  So, tell me, does that describe your life?  Is perfect obedience to God’s will what you are striving toward?  If you are praying this prayer, then that is what you are asking God to make your life look like.  In heaven there is no hemming and hawing about doing what God commands, it is simply done.  To pray that his will would be done on earth is to pray that your life and every life around you will be conformed to that same image.

Now, there will come a time, when God remakes the earth, free from the effects of the fall, that His will will be done as eagerly on earth as it is done in heaven.  But right now, I don’t think that most of us fall comfortably into that category.  I know that I wrestled with my own calling to the ministry for 5 years before God finally said, “enough.” 

When you pray this prayer, you are asking God to conform you to obedience.  You are asking him to conform your every desire to his will.  Sadly, as I reflect on my own life and my own struggles to grow in obedience, I am not entirely sure whether I am ready for God’s will to be done in my life as it is done in heaven.  Are you ready?  Were God to call you to sell everything you own and leave for the mission field, would you be willing and ready to do it or would you hem and haw and find excuses not to?  Abram was 75 years old when God called him into service. 

As you reflect on this portion of the prayer, reflect on your motives for doing things in life.  Is Jesus the reason you do what you do?  Is he the reason you get up in the morning?  Is the reason you draw breath to do God’s will?  Do you live or do to the glory of God?  This is what you are praying for when you pray this prayer.

“May your kingdom come; may your will come to pass, as in heaven, so too on earth.”

(Matthew 6:10)

“Thy kingdom come.  Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”

(Matthew 6:10, KJV)

We now move to the second and third of the three petitions that we pray with an aim toward God’s glory.  Both of these petitions begin with an imperative (may it come and may it be done).  In Greek, when imperatives are used in this way, they place stress upon the request that is being made, but do so in a polite way (i.e. it is not a command).  In other words, the force of this request is found in the heartfelt desire that God fulfill these requests.

The first of these requests is that God’s kingdom come.  We must understand what we are praying for here.  God’s kingdom was inaugurated in the earthly ministry of Christ (Mark 1:15), yet, the fullness of God’s kingdom will not come until the full number of elect from every tribe and nation are gathered into the kingdom and Christ comes again.  Right now, we are somewhere in the middle, in the tension between what has already happened and what is yet to come (theologians cleverly call this “the already and the not-yet” J). 

Thus, when we pray for God’s kingdom to come, we are not praying for what has already happened, but we are praying for what has yet to come—namely the second coming of Christ.  Friends, for some of us, this is a dangerous prayer, for while I am ready to see my Lord and Savior return, there are many, many people I care about that are definitely not ready for such a thing to happen.  For me, Christ’s return means redemption from this fallen state into a glorified body that will know no sin and spend eternity in the presence with Christ himself.  For those who are not ready, Christ’s return means judgment and eternal condemnation.

Friends, make sure that when you are praying this prayer, you understand fully for what you are praying.  At the same time, as Jesus has not yet returned, make good use of the opportunities you have to share the gospel with those you are in contact with.  Find others who do not know the Lord in a personal and saving way and share the gospel with them as well.  Ultimately it is the Holy Spirit that brings someone to faith or not, but if you don’t take the gospel to them, they will not hear the words of life.

“Thus you shall pray in this way:  Our Father, who is in the heavens, let your name be reverenced.”  (Matthew 6:9)

“After this manner, therefore, pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.”  (Matthew 6:9, KJV)

I wonder whether we spend enough time in our own lives reflecting on the nature an attributes of our God.  God is to be reverenced; his name is hallowed; God is the very definition of holiness and righteousness and purity and power.  God is glorious above all things that we think of as glorious.  And he is wonderful and just.  He is light and truth.  He is the beginning of all things and the end of all things.  He is God and God alone. 

We should adore God for who he is.  All too often, when we speak of why we worship, we only speak of worship in relationship to what God has done for us.  Indeed, we should be eternally grateful for what he has done for us and worship him as a result.  But don’t let yourself fall into the trap of worshiping him wholly based on what he has done, because that will lead you to a self-centered relationship with him.  When things are good you will worship with gusto.  When things are bad, you will be lead to question.  Worship God first for who he is and then for what he has done.

Think about things in this manner.  When you go to a fine restaurant and dine on a fine meal, you naturally praise the chef.  You don’t praise him because he has done you any special favors.  You paid a fair price for the meal and it can be assumed that the chef prepares equally fine dishes for each and every patron of the establishment.  You praise the chef for two reasons.  First, because the chef has demonstrated his skills by creating a meal that was remarkable in every way.  It would be rude not to compliment him on his skills in the kitchen.  And secondly, you praise the chef because it brings a sense of satisfaction to you and it is pleasing to do so.  Given that we are assuming that none of us are world-renown food critics, writing for a prestigious culinary magazine and given that the chef has already secured for himself a good job at a respected restaurant, it would seem that the chef neither needs your compliments nor would be heartbroken without them, never-the-less, they are pleasing to him as well.

Now, let us turn our eyes toward God’s work.  Certainly, God is infinitely more remarkable than a fine chef.  He demonstrates his glory in his works of creation.  And just as God is infinitely more praiseworthy than a fine chef, it is infinitely more appropriate that he be praised.  He neither needs our praise nor is his existence based upon it—he is God—yet he gracefully accepts our praises and is pleased by them.  Just as it would have been rude to deny the chef praise for his fine meal, it is infinitely more rude—in fact, downright damnable—to deny God praise for his being who he is and for his revelation of his glory in the universe.  And, just as it is satisfying and pleasurable to praise the chef for his fine creation—it is infinitely more satisfying and pleasurable to praise God for his being.  In fact, since God is the most infinitely fine and good thing that we might praise, I would suggest that the praising of God brings the highest and most infinite pleasure and satisfaction.

Friends, it is a joyous thing to worship the great King of the Universe not just for what he has done, but simply for who he is, and that is why unbelievers who refuse to praise God stand guilty—because their offence, is infinitely condemnable.  We don’t often think in these terms, but we must.  One of the things that the Baptist preacher, John Piper regularly points out is that God desires us to worship him not because he is needy, but because we are needy and God understands that the worship of him is the highest pleasure that we can experience and he wants us to experience that pleasure.

“Thus you shall pray in this way:  Our Father, who is in the heavens, let your name be reverenced.”  (Matthew 6:9)

“After this manner, therefore, pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.”  (Matthew 6:9, KJV)

In the opening statement of this prayer, we also make a statement that calls for God’s name to be hallowed or reverenced.  The term that is used here is the Greek word a�gia¿zw (hagiazo), which is a verb that means “to make sanctified, consecrated, or reverenced.  It is related to the noun a‚gioß (hagios), which refers to something that has been dedicated toward holy use, and is the word we translate as “saint” when it comes to dealing with believers in Jesus Christ.  When we call someone a saint, we are not commending their Godliness as the Catholic church would suggest, but we are recognizing that God has set them apart for service—something that God does with every believer.  Thus, when we speak of God’s name in such terms, we are not speaking of making God’s name holy—for holy it is without our help—but we speak of recognizing the holiness of God’s name.  In fact, this verb is an imperative, which emphasizes all the more the urgency of recognizing the holiness of God and reflecting that in our lives.

Believers live with a sense of dichotomy.  On one hand, we say “Our Father…” yet on the other hand, we are to express the deepest reverence when we come into his presence.  Though you should adore the intimacy which God extends to us, when you come to him, it ought to make you tremble as well.  As one of my professors often says, we should come into God’s presence with goose-bumps.  It is he who spun the stars into space, who ordered the cosmos and everything in it, and who has written the history book of all creation who you are coming to and calling, “Daddy.”  Treasure that privilege; it came at a terrible price.

“Thus you shall pray in this way:  Our Father, who is in the heavens, let your name be reverenced.”  (Matthew 6:9)

“After this manner, therefore, pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.”  (Matthew 6:9, KJV)

This prayer begins with a wonderful statement of both faith and assurance.  This is not a “dear God, whoever you are and wherever you are…” statement, but this prayer begins with a confident statement of exactly who God is, where he stands, and where you stand in relationship to him.  The believer can refer to God as “Father” because of the work of Jesus Christ.  Jesus fulfilled the old covenant that Adam failed to fulfill and he died a sacrificial death to pay the debit of sin that his people owe to God.  He substituted himself in our place, taking the wrath of his father that we deserve, so that we might stand in his place and be adopted into his father’s household.  Thus, in the confidence of our faith in Jesus Christ, we can boldly proclaim, “Our Father.”

But not only is this a statement of confidence in your relationship with the heavenly Father, but this is a statement where you affirm from the depths of your heart that you know and understand where God is.  God is in heaven; he reigns over the earth, yet is not bound by the things of the earth; and God has the authority to do what he chooses for he is above all things.  We as sinners are infinitely separated from God on high, yet he has chosen to make a way to bring us to himself.  That in itself is an amazing statement!  God does not need us, nor does he derive any part of himself from our existence or relationship with him, but it is his good pleasure to bring us to himself that we might enjoy him.  That God would condescend to a relationship with a wretch like me is beyond my ability to comprehend—but I gratefully receive such grace and immerse myself in its awesome truth. 

One of the things we often struggle with is saying “who art in heaven” when times are bad.  When times are good, we revel in God’s sovereignty, but usually, when our lives fall apart, we cry out, wondering where God has gone to.  We like to think of God as sovereign over good, but when it comes to God’s sovereignty over evil we balk.  Yet, God is in control over all things.  Though God is not the author of evil, he is sovereign over it.  Evil does not frustrate his plans, but God uses the evil of this world to bring his plans to fruition.  The question is, can you stand on God’s sovereignty in the midst of personal loss?  Can you stand on God’s sovereignty when a loved one dies or a child dies suddenly?  Can you stand on God’s sovereignty when people rape or molest or torture?  These are not easy questions to answer, but if we are going to answer them Biblically, we must stand on the sovereignty of God, trusting that God has worked all things for the good of those who love him—even those things that are horrid in our eyes.

Introduction:

How many times have we prayed the Lord’s Prayer?  Hundreds?  Thousands?  Tens of Thousands?  I remember my parents teaching me this prayer as part of my bedtime prayers as a child, and as my son grows (and any other children the Lord may choose to give us), my intention is to teach this prayer to him as well.  Memorization is a good thing, but sometimes, when we become terribly familiar with a song or a prayer, we fall into the trap of simply repeating words rather than dwelling on what those words are saying.

Thus, I would suggest that it is a good idea to every once in a while take the time to reflect on what those words mean and what they imply.  And, in the case of the Lord’s Prayer, be sure that you know what it is that you are praying for.  Thus, I thought it good for us to do just that.  My prayer is that, over the next few days as we work through this prayer, you will gain a deeper appreciation for just what it is that Jesus has taught us to pray.

Yet, before we jump into the prayer itself, there are a few things by way of introduction that need to be laid out before us.  First, this is given to us as a model prayer.  This is not the only prayer we can pray, but it is set before us as a guide.  There are many other prayers in the Bible that are commended to God’s people to pray.  Jesus taught and prayed other prayers, though this is the one he most formally taught.  I would encourage you to not only pray this prayer, but look to the Psalms and begin praying through some of them.  Look to the prayers in Revelation or Paul’s epistles or in the book of Genesis.  We can go on and on.  The Bible is filled with prayers to support us in our spiritual growth—through both the good and the bad times.

Second, This prayer assumes that it is being prayed by a believer.  It begins with, “Our Father…”  Friends, if you are not a born again believer in Jesus Christ, you have no right to call God “Father.”  It is presumptuous and arrogant.  One of the problems with our culture is that people think that we are all God’s children.  The Apostle John makes it abundantly clear in first epistle that there are two families:  one of God and one of Satan (1 John 3:4-10).  Everyone has a spiritual father to which they belong—believers are given the privilege to call God their father because of the work of Jesus Christ, unbelievers may only call Satan their father.

Third, this prayer is a corporate prayer—it begins with “Our…”  While you may pray this for yourself, this prayer forces you to recognize that you cannot be inwardly focused as a Christian.  We are part of a body and we should pray in a way that reflects our unity.  When we pray, we pray for and on behalf of those we love, those in our Churches, and those in the Christian church worldwide. 

Fourth, this prayer begins with petitions for the glory of God.  It is a God-focused prayer, not a man focused prayer.  Nearly half of this prayer (3 of 7 petitions) is focused on God’s glory.  I wonder if our prayers reflect this.  All too often, when we pray, we pray as if God is just a celestial gumball machine—we put a quarter-prayer in and expect a sweet treat out.  God is not Santa Claus.  Yes, he gives good gifts, but our prayers should not be, “gimmie, gimmie, gimmie…” 

Lastly, when Jesus teaches this prayer, he teaches it on the assumption that prayer is a part of a believer’s life.  He does not say, “if you pray, pray like this…”  No, Jesus says, “When you pray…”  A healthy prayer life is something that many believers struggle with.  And one of the reasons that we struggle with it is because Satan loves to run interference, bringing us to frustration or distraction.  Prayer is one of the most amazing privileges that a believer has and it should be cherished and looked forward to.  It is something that should be so natural to us that it becomes a part of who we are—because it is a part of who we are. 

One last note:  when most of us learned the Lord’s prayer, we learned it with the language of the old King James Version.  Though I usually do my own translation work, this passage just does not sound the same outside of the King James English, thus, I have included it as well.  I pray that both translations of this wonderful prayer will speak to your heart.