The Lord’s Prayer
Introduction
Dr. John Hoole – March 12, 2017
In Matthew 6:5-8, we have studied the topic of Prayer. In these verses, Christ warns against the perversions of prayer that was exhibited by the hypocrite. They conducted their prayer on the street corners and in the synagogues. They did it only for show – in front of others who would think of them as being very spiritual.
And Christ follows those warnings by giving us a divine pattern by which the citizens of His kingdom can pray in a way that pleases God. This example by which to pray has become known as “The Lord’s Prayer.” It is probably the most well-known prayer among Christians – and maybe non-Christians as well. I believe it is worth noting that Jesus was not actually recorded as praying this prayer. He delivered these words as a template on prayer for his disciples. Thus, it more accurately could be called “The Disciples Prayer.”
While it is not wrong to memorize this prayer patter, it seems to me that Christ never meant it to be a prayer that is often repeated. 1) Jesus has just included in his warnings in verses 5 – 8 not to be guilty of “meaningless repetition (vs.7). To then give a prayer whose primary purpose was to be recited verbatim would have been an obvious contradiction of Himself. And 2) Nowhere in the New Testament – gospels, Acts, or the epistles do we find an instance of that or any other prayer being repeated by anyone or used in a repetitious, ritualistic manner by a group.
The Lord’s Prayer, or more accurately, the Disciples’ Prayer, is not a set group of words to repeat. It is fine to recite it, as we recite many parts of Scripture. It is certainly fine to memorize it and to rehearse it in our minds and meditate on it in our hearts. But it is not so much a prayer in itself as it is a skeleton which believers are to flesh out with their own words of praise, adoration, petitions, and so one. It is not a substitute for our own prayers but a guide for them.
From time to time, I will make note of this prayer as it is given in Luke 11:2-4. The Lucan passage only gives part of the prayer, and has led some scholars to believe it occurred on a separate occasion. In Luke 11:1, we are told that Jesus is praying, and when he is finished praying, He is asked by one of His disciples, “Teach us how to pray.” But in Matthew 6, Christ is in the middle of his longest recorded sermon. Let’s read Matthew’s account.
Matthew 6:9-13 NKJV (Slide uses KJV)
9 In this manner, therefore, 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 this day our daily bread.
12 And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors.
13 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.
As we begin to examine the statements of this prayer pattern, I want to begin it with a dialog between a human and God.
This is in two parts............. the prayer (in blue type) and GOD (in red type) in response............... it is very, very good.
"Our Father Who Art In Heaven."
YES?
Don't interrupt me. I'm praying.
BUT -- YOU CALLED ME !!
Called you? No, I didn't call you. I'm praying. "Our Father who art in heaven."
THERE -- YOU DID IT AGAIN!
Did what?
CALLED ME. YOU SAID, "OUR FATHER WHO ART IN HEAVEN" WELL HERE I AM. WHAT'S ON YOUR MIND?
But I didn't mean anything by it. I was, you know, just saying my prayers for the day. I always say the Lord's Prayer. It makes me feel good, kind of like fulfilling a duty.
WELL, ALL RIGHT. GO ON.
Okay, "Hallowed be Thy name.."
HOLD IT RIGHT THERE. WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY THAT?
By what?
BY "HALLOWED BE THY NAME"?
It means, it means . good grief, I don't know what it means. How in the world should I know? It's just a part of the prayer. By the way, what does it mean?
IT MEANS HONORED, HOLY, WONDERFUL.
Hey, that makes sense. I never thought about what "hallowed" meant before. Thanks. "Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven."
DO YOU REALLY MEAN THAT?
Sure, why not?
WHAT ARE YOU DOING ABOUT IT?
Doing? Why, nothing, I guess. I just think it would be kind of neat if you got control of everything down here like you have up there. We're kind of in a mess down here you know.
YES, I KNOW; BUT, HAVE I GOT CONTROL OF YOU?
Well, I go to church.
THAT ISN'T WHAT I ASKED YOU. WHAT ABOUT YOUR BAD TEMPER? YOU'VE REALLY GOT A PROBLEM THERE, YOU KNOW. AND THEN THERE'S THE WAY YOU SPEND YOUR MONEY --ALL ONYOURSELF. AND WHAT ABOUT THE KIND OF BOOKS YOU READ?
Now hold on just a minute! Stop picking on me! I'm just as good as some of the rest of those people at church!
EXCUSE ME. I THOUGHT YOU WERE PRAYING FOR "MY WILL TO BE DONE". IF THAT IS TO HAPPEN, IT WILL HAVE TO START WITH THE ONES WHO ARE PRAYING FOR IT. LIKE YOU -- FOR EXAMPLE.
Oh, all right. I guess I do have some hang-ups. Now that you mention it, I could probably name some others.
SO COULD I.
I haven't thought about it very much until now, but I really would like to cut out some of those things. I would like to, you know, be really free.
GOOD. NOW WE'RE GETTING SOMEWHERE. WE'LL WORK TOGETHER -- YOU AND ME. I'M PROUD OF YOU.
Look, Lord, if you don't mind, I need to finish my prayer. This is taking a lot longer than it usually does. "Give us this day, our daily bread."
YOU NEED TO CUT OUT THE BREAD. YOU'RE OVERWEIGHT AS IT IS.
Hey, wait a minute! What is this? Here I was doing my religious duty, and all of a sudden you break in and remind me of all my hang-ups.
PRAYING IS A DANGEROUS THING. YOU JUST MIGHT GET WHAT YOU ASK FOR. REMEMBER, YOU CALLED ME -- AND HERE I AM. IT'S TOO LATE TO STOP NOW. KEEP PRAYING.
..pause...
WELL, GO ON.
I'm scared to.
SCARED? OF WHAT?
I know what you'll say
TRY ME.
"Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us."
WHAT ABOUT CAROL?
See? I knew it! I knew you would bring her up! Why, Lord, she's told lies about me, spread stories. She never paid back the money she owes me. I've sworn to get even with her!
BUT -- YOUR PRAYER -- WHAT ABOUT YOUR PRAYER?
I didn't -- mean it.
WELL, AT LEAST YOU'RE HONEST. BUT, IT'S QUITE A LOAD CARRYING AROUND ALL THAT BITTERNESS AND RESENTMENT ISN'T IT?
Yes, but I'll feel better as soon as I get even with her. Boy, have I got some plans for her. She'll wish she had never been born.
NO, YOU WON'T FEEL ANY BETTER. YOU'LL FEEL WORSE. REVENGE ISN'T SWEET. YOU KNOW HOW UNHAPPY YOU ARE -- WELL, I CAN CHANGE THAT.
You can? How?
FORGIVE CAROL. THEN, I'LL FORGIVE YOU; AND THE HATE AND SIN WILL BE CAROL'S PROBLEM -- NOT YOURS. YOU WILL HAVE SETTLED THE PROBLEM AS FAR AS YOU ARE CONCERNED.
Oh, you know, you're right. You always are. And more than I want revenge, I want to be right with You..., (sigh). All right...all right...I forgive her.
THERE NOW! WONDERFUL! HOW DO YOU FEEL?
Hmmmm. Well, not bad. Not bad at all! In fact, I feel pretty great! You know, I don't think I'll go to bed uptight tonight. I haven't been getting much rest, you know.
YEAH, I KNOW. BUT, YOU'RE NOT THROUGH WITH YOUR PRAYER ARE YOU? GO ON.
Oh, all right. "And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil."
GOOD! GOOD! I'LL DO THAT. JUST DON'T PUT YOURSELF IN A PLACE WHERE YOU CAN EASILY BE TEMPTED.
What do you mean by that?
YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN.
Yeah. I know
OKAY. GO AHEAD. FINISH YOUR PRAYER.
“For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen."
DO YOU KNOW WHAT WOULD BRING ME GLORY -- WHAT WOULD REALLY MAKE ME HAPPY?
No, but I'd like to know. I want to please you now. I've really made a mess of things. I want to truly follow you. I can see now how great that would be. So, tell me .. how do I make you happy?
YOU JUST DID!
From this dialog, I hope we see that if this prayer is simply memorized and repeated without heartfelt commitment and sincerity, it then become the same sort of prayer as the hypocrites that he mentions in the verses just prior to this prayer. The prayer was never meant to be as the hypocrites in their “vain repetition,” (verse 6:7). This prayer was given to serve as an outline or guide for our approach to God.
If you study the many prayers in Scripture, you can’t help but notice that all of them are brief and simple. Prayer that is heartfelt, urgent and unfeigned most often is short. Windbaggery and verbiage are usually badges of insincerity, especially in prayer. The prayer of the Publican in Luke 18:13 is as short and to the point as possible. “God, be merciful to me, a sinner.”
Then there is the prayer of the thief on the cross, who said: “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.” (Luke 23:42).
Brevity was also true of Peter’s cry for help when he was walking on water, sometimes cited as the shortest prayer in the Bible: “Lord, save me!” (Matt. 14:30).
The Bible records very few long prayers. Much of Psalm 119 is addressed to God in the language of prayer, and of course, that is the Bible’s longest chapter (176 verses). Other than that, Nehemiah 9:5-38 contains the longest prayer in all of Scripture, and it can be read aloud with full expression in less than seven minutes. John 17 is the New Testament’s longest prayer. It is a prayer of Jesus Christ – only 26 verses in length – and is the real Lord’s Prayer.
We know, of course, that Jesus prayed much longer prayers than that, because Scripture records several instances where He prayed in solitude for extended periods of time (Matthew 14:23; Mark 6:46). When it suited Him, He would even spend an entire night in prayer (Luke 6:12). It was also Christ’s habit to pray both privately and with His disciples (John 18:2). It appears that His long prayers were those where He was private. His public prayers were perfect examples of crisp, forthright, plain speaking.
Listening to Jesus pray and observing His constant dependence of private prayer gave His disciples an appetite for prayer. So they asked Him, “Lord, teach us to pray” (Luke 11:1). And in the pattern prayer He gave, there is no wasted word, not a hint of vain repetition, and not a single note of ostentation or ceremony in the whole prayer.
The Lord’s prayer could be outlined a number of different ways.
1 - Our Father in heaven
2 - Hallowed be thy Name
3 - Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done
4 - Give us this day our daily bread
5 - Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us
6 - Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil
7 - For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory.
We will look at each of these points. From this prayer, we should learn the correct focus and emphasis in prayer.
OUR FATHER WHO ART IN HEAVEN
The model prayer Christ gave to His disciples stands in stark contrast to that kind of rambling repetition of the hypocrites If we are not careful, our prayers can easily and quickly fall into a rut. We can pray often without any thought as to what we are saying, or whom we are saying it to. Again, as I said a moment ago, every word in this prayer is deliberate, intentional, and loaded with spiritual significance.
The first phrase – “Our Father who art in heaven,… “ is more than just an introduction. The first words of this prayer are a reminder that God is our heavenly Father.
We go to Him not only because He is a sovereign Monarch, a righteous Judge, and our Creator, but because He is a loving Father. That beautiful expression reminds us of the grace that gives us unlimited access to His throne (Hebrews 4:16).
Let me review a verse from Isaiah 49.
Isaiah 49:16 NKJV
16 See, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands.
Whenever we say “Our Father,” does God look at his hands, where we are etched? Mother Theresa said of this phrase: “What a beautiful description and also an expressive of the personal love God feels for each one of us.”
Only two words form the opening of this prayer, but both words are essential for the understanding of the Lord’s Prayer. The word, OUR, determines the nature of the whole prayer.
All the pronouns in this prayer, starting with the very first word, are plural.
• “OUR Father”
• “Give US our daily bread.”
• “Forgive US our debts, as WE forgive our debtors.”
• “Lead US not into temptation.”
• “But deliver US from the evil one.”
It is an example that, yes, we have a personal relationship with our Heavenly Father, but that our prayers should go beyond just prayer for ourselves alone.
The word, FATHER, obviously tells us to whom the prayer is addressed. But it also speaks of the intimacy a child has with a loving father.
The reason I used the phrase, “loving father,” is because not everyone has a positive image of their earthly father. So, this term “father” may cause some difficulty. After all, if the word “father” brings up memories of abuse, shame or absence, it would be hard to carry on with this prayer. So, what kind of Father is God? Just what kind of Father are we praying to?
It is only when we know we have a loving Father, that we will come boldly to him in prayer. There are many verses in both the Old and New Testaments that speak of God as our Father. There are also many verses that present us as being sons and daughters of our heavenly Father. Let’s look at a few of them.
Isaiah 64:8 NKJV
8 But now, O Lord, You are our Father; We are the clay, and You our potter; And all we are the work of Your hand.
That is the proper attitude in prayer: “Lord, you made us. You gave us life”
1 John 3:1 NKJV
1 Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!...
Galatians 4:6 NKJV
6 And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, "Abba, Father!"
Perhaps the best example that our heavenly Father is a loving and caring Father, is seen in the story of the Prodigal Son. The son rejects his father. In effect, he was saying he wished his father were dead, because that’s when an inheritance is given. He squandered his new wealth. When the son finally returns home, his father totally contradicts what this son expected. He runs out to meet him when he sees him approaching home. He pours out his love for him. This is the Father we address as we begin the Lord’s Prayer.
In the times of Jesus on earth, children would watch their fathers carry out their work, and would be expected to learn their trade alongside their father. Jesus became a carpenter by watching Joseph and helping him in his work. So, when Jesus addresses God as “Father”, He is not just using a term of intimacy, but He is claiming to be working alongside the Father in his great work of building the Kingdom.
When we say, “Our Father,” we are stating very boldly where we want to be in relation to God.
IN HEAVEN
Where is Heaven? What is heaven? If God is in Heaven, then we ought to know something about Heaven. If He is our Father and Heaven is His natural environment, we should understand what that realm is really like.
Actually, in the Scriptures, heaven is used to describe three rather distinct and different realms. First, we find it used over and over with reference to the earth’s atmosphere. It is used to describe the envelope of air that surrounds our planet, conditions our climate, and sustains life.
Isaiah 55:10 NKJV
10 For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, And do not return there, But water the earth, And make it bring forth and bud, That it may give seed to the sower And bread to the eater,
Second, there is a much broader sense in which the word Heaven or Heavens is used to describe outer space. It specifically refers to the sun, moon, stars, and sky.
Psalms 19:1,2,6 NKJV
1 The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork.
2 Day unto day utters speech, And night unto night reveals knowledge.
6 Its rising is from one end of heaven, And its circuit to the other end; And there is nothing hidden from its heat.
There is a third heaven referred to throughout the New Testament. It is used to describe realm of God. It is often described as a definite place, a heavenly country.
The apostle Paul write about a man – most likely himself, who had been lifted up, into this third heaven. He declared that he declined to speak of it or even describe it. On the other hand, John, much beloved prophet of God, went to great pains to recount all he had been shown of heaven in Revelation.
It is to the Lord’s Prayer as describing this Heaven.
Matthew 6:9 NKJV
9 In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name.
We will continue our study of the Lord’s Prayer in our next lesson.