The Lord's Prayer Pt. 2
This then is how you should 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 today 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 the evil one.”
Matthew 6:9-13 (NIV)
Jesus now invites the disciples to participate in a prayer that contrasts with that in Matthew 6:5-8 (see The Lord's Prayer Pt. 1)
The prayer is broken into two parts: the first focuses our attention on God and His glory, while the second focuses on the provision of our spiritual and physical needs. The use of the plural “our” and “us” throughout shows that this prayer model is for everyone and for use in community.
“Our father in heaven”. Jesus revolutionized the familiarity between God and His people by instructing the disciples to pray to God as “Father”. In the Old Testament God was known as being the father of the nation of Israel, but not the individual father of each believer. Jesus invites us to speak to God with the love and familiarity between a father and a child. “Our Father in heaven” brings together our relationship and our reverence to God as being above us.
“Hallowed be your name” is a call to remember and praise God’s holiness and give Him honor and glory.
“You kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” The Kingdom of God is an important topic in the book of Matthew, and Jesus urges us to pray for the kingdom as both a present and future reality. We are reminded that we are part of establishing God’s present Kingdom on earth as we minister and witness to others, but that in the future God’s Kingdom will be fully established and recognized by all. In our prayers we earnestly desire that God’s will would be realized on earth just as it is in heaven, that “at the name of Jesus every knee should bow… and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.” (Philippians 2:10-11)
“Give us today our daily bread” cues us to bring our needs to God. We display humility and dependence by trusting God with our physical needs each day, and we also relinquish anxiety when we believe in the promise that God will take care of those needs (Matthew 6:25-34).
“And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.” By sinning we incur a spiritual debt to God that only He can forgive. In prayer we confess our sins to God and in our actions we forgive those who have incurred a moral debt against us. Our forgiveness is always by grace alone and not dependent on our own works, but Jesus desires for us to forgive others (Matthew 18:21-35). Making a practice of unforgiveness while asking God to forgive us leaves us in a spiritual quandary. We’ll get deeper into this another day.
“And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.” Those who pray for forgiveness of sins should desire empowerment to not sin again. We ask God to keep us from situations that would cause us to be tempted to sin and we ask for safekeeping from the spiritual attacks from the devil, knowing that when the Kingdom comes in finality that we will forever be delivered from the evil one.
Father, as you taught the disciples how to pray teach me how to pray. Let my prayers reflect your glory, your holiness, your here now and yet to come kingdom, your provision, and your forgiveness. Amen