UNDERSTANDING THE LORD'S PRAYER... AND ITS TEACHINGS!

In the early days of Christ's ministry on earth, He is speaking to His many new followers, while seated on the Mount of the Beatitudes, a hill in northern Israel that overlooks the sea of Galilee. It is considered to be Christ's most famous and complete sermon, and may have occurred in one very long day or over several days. But it is the sermon's setting that is illuminating for us because, against this beautiful panorama of nature, His teachings often best illustrate His message to His disciples about GOD, Creation and the sinful nature of man and the forgiveness of a Holy, Righteous and Just Heavenly Father. So, it should come as no surprise that Jesus would lecture those in attendance about their way of communicating with their Heavenly Father. As any good orator would do, Jesus told them what NOT TO DO, and then taught them HOW THEY SHOULD PRAY...what we today in Scripture know as THE LORD'S PRAYER.  Before you read on, turn in your Bible and read Matthew 6:5-8 and then read the remaining verses Mt. 6:9-13. Please pay particular attention to verse 5, where Jesus says, "AND WHEN YOU PRAY"...not IF YOU PRAY or SHOULD YOU PRAY.....

BUT, WHEN YOU PRAY..... For this is a MUST FOR THOSE WHO WOULD FOLLOW HIM...TO PRAY AND PRAY WITHOUT CEASING!

1) Why does Jesus teach His disciples to begin the prayer with…OUR FATHER? When we think how the Jewish nation was taught to revere God....they had to come up with a word that they could say and not offend the HOLY ONE OF HEAVEN...JHWH (JAHWEH) or break the third commandment and take the Lord's name in vain. In fact, the only one that was allowed to say the name, JAHWEH, was the High Priest in the Holy of Holies during the celebration of Yom Kippur; however, Jesus is breaking new ground with those that He will entrust to share the name of Jesus, God's Son, with the rest of the world upon His departure. Jesus wants to teach His disciples that God is HOLY, but HE IS THEIR FATHER....ON WHOM THEY CAN DEPEND.

 2) And so the natural progression in this new relationship, HALLOWED (or HOLY) is your name....this instantaneous reminder for each of us is not to get TOO CASUAL WITH A HOLY, RIGHTEOUS AND ALL-POWERFUL, ALMIGHTY GOD!

 3) Let us learn to obey here on earth as all those who obey in Heaven. Jesus is teaching the disciples about the Heavenly order and their need for obedience. Remember, He and He alone knows what is coming and what they will face when He is gone. And they will only be able to move forward by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit that will come upon them as they learn of Him and follow in obedience to His leadings.

 4) AND I THINK ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT PARTS...and it comes in the middle of the prayer. We have taken care to honor and treat God as HOLY and SUPREME. We are told to be obedient and do here on earth, what God is doing in Heaven. So after taking care of our Heavenly responsibilities, Jesus teaches His disciple to then, and only then, to think of their needs ....and they can do that best by turning them over to God. GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY BREAD....not enough for next month, next week or even for tomorrow...for just as God supplied the Heavenly manna each morning to the ungrateful nation of Israel; how much more will He supply to a willing and obedient heart of His faithful followers?

 5) And since we are now on more solid footing with a Holy God, Jesus turns the prayer to our relationships with others....reminding us that we MUST LEARN TO FORGIVE OTHERS FOR THEIR SINS AGAINST US; AS GOD HAS FORGIVEN US FOR OUR SINS AGAINST HIM! And that is something that can ONLY be done through the power provided by GOD to forgive and let go of any resentment, pettiness or grumbling of how we have been wronged. In God's Book of Sins, the page with our name on it, as a BELEIVER IN CHRIST.... is BLANK!!!

 6) And lastly, ask God to keep temptations to do ANYTHING OUTSIDE OF HIS WILL FAR FROM US; to keep the ways of destruction from the Evil One at bay so that we are FULLY PROTECTED FROM HIS TRICKERY AND OUR FLESHLY DESIRE TO SIN.

Matthew 6:9-13     Contemporary English Version

⁹ You should pray like this: Our Father in heaven, help us to honor your name.¹⁰ Come and set up your kingdom, so that everyone on earth will obey you, as you are obeyed in heaven ¹¹ Give us our food for today. ¹² Forgive us for doing wrong, as we forgive others. ¹³ Keep us from being tempted and protect us from evil.

Poem for the day.....

JUST START PRAYING.....
 Maybe your life is filled with pain; overcome with many sorrows;
Your life will be much better...you're just waiting for tomorrow.
But I am here to tell you that if your life is filled with sin;
It won't get any better 'til you invite the Savior in.

 Until you ask for His forgiveness, turn to Him and thus repent.
You won't come to know His blessings that are waiting to be sent.
So if you want to know His peace that wipes away the shame;
Then my friend, swallow your pride... and call on Jesus' name.

 For Jesus has promised He will never leave you alone.
He is standing by His Father; who is seated on Heaven's throne.
For our Heavenly Father looks down on us; He alone is waiting;
For the child who would reach out to Him...to just start praying.

To ask for His forgiveness...to see Him make your pathway straight;
And though time is rushing by...at least for now, it's not too late.
Our Father has made a plan and from that plan He is not straying;
He is ready to forgive your every sin ....if you just start praying.

For the chasm that separates us from the love of our Creator
Is as wide and deep and immovable as the world's largest crater.
But the Father has provided us a way to know His love,
And that is why He sent His Son from His glory up above.

So don't wait forever until that last chance has passed by;
And you're lying on your death bed, praying not to die.
Instead, why not lift a prayer that will seal your eternal fate....
Do sooner rather than later...
OR IT JUST MIGHT BE TOO LATE!!!
 

WPQ  June 2024