Category Archives: Prayer

A WALK THROUGH THE LORD’S PRAYER – 5

Prayer, ,

Give us today our daily bread.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭6‬:‭11‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Sadly, Jesus’ next prayer request is often misunderstood and misinterpreted, and completely misses the point. 

As western, non-Jewish-thinking people, we are conditioned to focus on ourselves and our needs first. Why would Jesus teach His disciples to ask for their “daily bread” when He had just taught them that the Father knows their needs before they ask Him? Would He be so foolish as to contradict Himself almost in the same breath? 

Let’s think “Hebrew” to understand Jesus’ intention. 

Bread was, for Jewish readers, a symbolic reminder of two things…God’s “bread from heaven” provided in the wilderness and the weekly “Bread of the Presence” set out in the Tabernacle. Bread symbolised God’s provision of nourishment as they moved through the terrain that offered them nothing. God, as their provider, acted supernaturally for them during their forty years of wandering. 

Jesus Himself interpreted this event, after He had miraculously fed five thousand people…

“So they asked him, “What sign then will you give that we may see it and believe you? What will you do? Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written: ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’” Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” “Sir,” they said, “always give us this bread.” Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.”

‭‭John‬ ‭6‬:‭30‬-‭35‬ ‭NIV‬‬

As always, Jesus infused the natural with spiritual truth.  Would it not be reasonable to think that He was referring to Himself in that request…”Give us today our daily bread”? If the Father supplies our needs because He is a faithful and loving Father, why would we need to ask Him for bread whenever we pray?

Surely, in keeping with Jesus’ focus on God’s kingdom, we need to be fed daily, with the “bread of God” that has come down from heaven! In a world of deception and distractions, our attention must be drawn back to the one who is our source, the one who gives us life and is our life. 

Jesus urges us…

“Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.”

‭‭John‬ ‭15‬:‭4‬ ‭NIV‬‬

It is only through the presence and ministry of the Holy Spirit in us that we can stay in constant contact and communion with our source of life, the Lord Jesus Christ. 

“But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.””

‭‭John‬ ‭16‬:‭13‬-‭15‬ ‭NIV‬‬

So, as we pray, 

“Give us today our daily bread…”

…we are asking the Father to nourish our spirits, daily, with Jesus, the bread of life, without which we would starve to death. 

A WALK THROUGH THE LORD’S PRAYER – 3

Prayer,

Hallowed be your name.”

Two seeds of truth in these four words! The first is “hallowed”. 

What does it mean to hallow?

Says Google…

“In the Bible, “hallowed” means to make holy, to set apart as sacred, or to treat with deep reverence. The most prominent example is in the Lord’s Prayer, where “Hallowed be your name” is a request that God’s name and character be recognized, honored, and revered throughout the world. This concept of hallowing extends to people, places, and things dedicated to God’s service.”

Jesus begins, after the address, where every prayer should begin, “Our Father in heaven”, to flesh out our awareness of who God is.  God is holy. We are to approach Him as holy. 

Our address to God as Father must never be dragged down to God as “ buddy”, reducing Him to our level by familiarity, or by treating Him as on our level by misunderstanding who He is. 

We are to hold in awe, respect, and reverence His name, the title that designates Him to be all that He is. He is God in every attribute that reveals and exemplifies Him. To make Him holy is not to make Him something He is not already, but to honour Him in our own hearts because He is holy.. 

When Moses asked the Being in the burning bush to identify Himself, he received the enigmatic answer, “I am”.  Jesus, the “I am”, in His revelation to John on the Isle of Patmos, explained…”I am the one who was, who is, and who is to come”, His way of saying “I am the eternal now.” 

Just as God’s name implies every characteristic and attribute that sets Him apart and above us as God, so we speak to Him in the attitude of awe, reverence, and submission as creature to Creator.

How often, in attitude or in prayer, we drag the Father down to our level by informing or advising Him, or even demanding answers to our prayers in our time and in our way.  

Even worse, an expression, an expletive, spawned in America, has crept into the vocabulary of many around the world. “O my God!” is thoughtlessly and carelessly used to express any emotion appropriate to the occasion…and even abbreviated to “OMG” because everyone knows what it means!

Instead, we are to approach Him as creature to Creator, remembering that He is God and we are creatures of dust. We are forever joined to Him by the spirit He put in us and the life we have from Him but we are also always subordinate to Him since He exercises all authority over us. 

Despite human rebellion, God holds our destiny in His hands and He directs our paths. He has written our days in His book and He determines the path we are to walk. In the mystery of His sovereignty, we are free to choose and are accountable to Him. 

When I pray, “Hallowed be your name,” I am choosing, not only to honour Him above all else but also to place myself under His authority unconditionally and without question. 

So, I ask that His name be held in honour everywhere on earth as the one and only holy God but…it begins with me!





A WALK THROUGH THE LORD’S PRAYER – 4

Prayer, ,

Matthew‬ ‭6‬:‭10‬ ‭NIV‬‬

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

‭‭

As in His own life, so Jesus taught His disciples that their first consideration should be the Father’s business…His kingdom and His will. Prayer, after all, is His idea and is about Him. Our wants, needs, and human frailties must always take second place to His will and purposes. 

“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭6‬:‭33‬ ‭NIV‬‬

We start with the bigger picture. God’s design was to create a place for the crown of His creation, humans, to live and to serve their apprenticeship for their ultimate role as co-heirs with Jesus and co-rulers of the planet. His plan was to join earth with heaven, so that He could always be with His family in union and communion. 

Although the first man blew God’s intention out of the water, God had already devised a rescue plan before the disaster happened. He planned that humans would work with Him to restore the earth to its original purpose, and to restore His image in the people on it, by conforming them to the image of His Son and His pattern for living. 

Prayer is God’s chosen way of communication between the Father and His sons and daughters.  Through our Mediator, Jesus, and our Helper, the Holy Spirit, and the many facets of prayer…worship, adoration, meditation, intercession, petition, etc…that enable us to draw near to God, He plants His seed, His word…His promises…in our spiritual “womb”. Through our faith and patience, He brings them to birth in His time and in His way. 

God always works through His word, and He guarantees that His word will always accomplish His purposes. He uses our declaration of His word in our prayers as a bridge between heaven and earth to carry out His will on earth. 

God values this partnership in prayer since it is His way of including His family in His redemptive work on earth. As we recognise, acknowledge, and submit to His authority, we bring to Him, in prayer, the issues that concern us in our “world” of circumstances and events. 

He gives us, in response, His solution, His word which is the expression of His will. Now let’s look at the Scriptures that show us how this works. 

“His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.”

‭‭2 Peter‬ ‭1‬:‭3‬-‭4‬ ‭NIV‬‬

This is God’s blueprint for prayer. His promises are His way of telling us what His will is and what He plans to do. How do we implement His plans on earth?

“For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God.”

‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭1‬:‭20‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“Amen” means “Let it be as you have said.” Can you see how simple God has made it for us to partner with Him? He speaks His promises in heaven…He authorises us to speak His promises on earth…and His word does the work on earth through two agencies…

His power, 

“For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.”

‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭4‬:‭12‬-‭13‬ ‭NIV‬‬

And our participation, 

“Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.”

‭‭James‬ ‭5‬:‭14‬-‭16‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Did you get the impact of James’ final statement?

Prayer…powerful and effective…speaking God’s word to accomplish His will on earth.  However, the key to this transfer is faith!  

Now, Jesus told us, in a nutshell, how to transfer heaven’s will to earth’s needs by the bridge of His spoken word. 

“The Lord gives the word, and a great army brings the good news.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭68‬:‭11‬ ‭NLT‬‬

“It is written: “I believed; therefore I have spoken.” Since we have that same spirit of faith, we also believe and therefore speak,”

‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭4‬:‭13‬ ‭NIV‬‬

What a world of possibilities, adventures, miracles, is contained in Jesus’ simple prayer. When we 

harness God’s word as Jesus taught His disciples to do, God releases His power on earth to move His redemptive plan forward wherever

A WALK THROUGH THE LORD’S PRAYER – 2b

Prayer, ,

“This, then, is how you should pray: “ ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭6‬:‭9‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Before we move on to the next facet of this prayer, we need to look more closely at the words Jesus used and their impact on His disciples. 

“Our Father” immediately connected the disciples with one another on a new level. They were much more than a group of individuals chosen by Jesus to walk with Him. They were family! 

In Jesus’ words, He stated God’s intention, before time began, to have a family… sons and daughters resembling Him…living and working together with Him to administer His earth under His authority. 

This meant that they would enjoy the bonds of family love and family unity in their allegiance and submission to a loving Father. “Fellowship” was what this family was all about. 

“We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.”

‭‭1 John‬ ‭1‬:‭3‬ ‭NIV‬‬

This fellowship with the Father would be brought about by the Holy Spirit in them, centred in Jesus, and experienced within the circle of the Trinity. Maintained by honesty and transparency with one another, their love and unity would tell the world that Jesus had come from the Father to set things back in order on earth. 

“…In heaven…” speaks of the reconnection between heaven and earth. Adam’s defection had shattered the oneness God had planned. His spirit realm is everywhere since God cannot be confined to any particular space, but humans have lost that awareness and live as though God does not exist. 

“Am I only a God nearby,” declares the Lord, “and not a God far away? Who can hide in secret places so that I cannot see them?” declares the Lord. “Do not I fill heaven and earth?” declares the Lord.”

‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭23‬:‭23‬-‭24‬ ‭NIV‬‬

David clearly stated God’s intention…

“…What is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them? You have made them a little lower than the angels (“God”, the original meaning), and crowned them with glory and honor. You made them rulers over the works of your hands; you put everything under their feet: the birds in the sky, and the fish in the sea, all that swim the paths of the seas.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭8‬:‭4‬-‭6‬, ‭8‬ ‭NIV‬‬

The Bible is the story of everything God has done to restore that connection so that He and His people can live in fellowship and function as one in His universe. 

Revelation reveals the end of the story. 

“Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.”

‭‭Revelation‬ ‭21‬:‭1‬-‭3‬ ‭NIV‬‬

In Jesus’ prayer, then, we are constantly reminded that God functions in a realm that is all around, as near to us as our breath, but separated from us by our fallen humanity. We draw near to Him as we acknowledge who He is, our Father, who we are, His human family, and where we function, our earth joined to His heaven to do His will on earth as it is done in heaven. 

A WALK THROUGH THE LORD’S PRAYER – 2a

Prayer, ,

I used to think, when I was much younger, that Jesus taught His disciples to pray a prayer in the secret place instead of showing off in public like the Pharisees or babbling like the pagans. 

As a lonely teenager, I prayed the Lord’s Prayer in a hotel room, first, because my family was without a home while our new home was being built and, second,  because I didn’t know how else to pray… and God answered my prayer by saving me a few weeks later! So, that’s what I prayed as a new believer, but I dutifully prayed the Lord’s Prayer like a recitation, as often as I remembered, which wasn’t that often, I must admit.

However, I have come to realise, as I have grown in my knowledge and understanding of prayer, that Jesus didn’t say, “Pray this,” but He did say, “Pray like this.”

“This, then, is how you should pray: “ ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭6‬:‭9‬ ‭NIV‬‬

This is a “pattern” prayer, with great truths expressed in seed form, each new thought loaded with the truth that grows, like a seed, as we meditate and pray each thought. 

Let’s start at the beginning. 

“Our Father in heaven…” Imagine the reaction of the disciples to this simple address. They would have been raised on the prayers recorded in the Tanach, and particularly in the Psalms which were the personal expressions of faith and cries for help written down for posterity. Their prayers were mostly the repetition of the prayers of others. 

To utter a simple two-word address to the great God of heaven must have been unfamiliar to them, to say the least! To address God as Father would have been equally unfamiliar.  

One of Jesus’ purposes on earth was to teach His people to know God as Father. John’s gospel, in particular, is peppered with this truth that God is our Father and we are His children by the miracle of new birth…and by faith in Him, Jesus!

Again, Jesus has also come to reconcile the Father’s children to the Himself through His death. 

Look at this !

One of the first things Jesus said to Mary after His resurrection was…

“Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’ ”

‭‭John‬ ‭20‬:‭17‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Brothers…my Father and your Father…the status of the disciples had radically changed. As the writer to the Hebrews explained…

“Both the one who makes people holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters.”

‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭2‬:‭11‬ ‭NIV‬‬

In the dispensation of the Old Covenant, and especially in the ritual worship of the tabernacle/ temple, a holy God could only be approached through sacrifice and  the priesthood as the people’s representatives. His people prayed to Him, yes, but in the awareness that He was not obligated to answer because of their sin. In fact, on many occasions, God refused to answer their prayers because they stubbornly defied and disobeyed Him. 

“When you spread out your hands in prayer, I hide my eyes from you; even when you offer many prayers, I am not listening. Your hands are full of blood!”

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭1‬:‭15‬ ‭NIV‬‬

What, then, had made the difference between the then and the now? Was Jesus saying that His people were entering a new dispensation when they would no longer need to go through animal sacrifice and human mediators to reach God… that He would no longer be to them a far-off deity but a loving Father? 

What would happen to make the difference to them in this life-changing transfer from Old to New Covenant?

Again, the writer to the Hebrews gives us the answer…

“Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.”

‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭10‬:‭19‬-‭22‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Did you notice the words, “confidence” and “full assurance”? The disciples, at that moment, when Jesus uttered those words, “our Father in heaven”, were still under the  old dispensation but He was introducing them to a new status. They were standing on the threshold of a radically transforming event. The God who had held them at arm’s length, so it seemed to them, was in fact, the God who embraced them as sons and held them close to His heart because of His own Son. 

All barriers had been destroyed. The debt of sin was paid. They could step right up to God’s throne, in the heavenly realm He reigns over as King of His kingdom, and  whisper, “Abba, Father!” and be heard.