The Disciples’ Prayer

The Disciple’s Prayer Matthew 6:913 Prayer Emphasis: 2023 • 4x per week, Guided Prayer • Monday: Praying God’s words for FBC • Tuesday: Praying with/for your prayer partner • Wednesday: Praying for our missionaries • Weekend: Praying in preparation for worship Matthew 6:9-13 • The Lord’s Prayer – Designed by Jesus to be a pattern to follow (literally, “You all, therefore, be praying thusly.” • Part of the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) and is preceded by other prayer instruction: (1) pray so as not to be recognized by others; (2) pray with certainty that God is omnipotent and kind; He does not need phrases repeated over and again. • The Pattern: Frequent, God-Focused, Familiar, Spiritual, and Collective. Frequent • Present Command – Be praying/Keep praying. • Prayer for today – lit, “Give us today today’s bread.” • Assumed prayer – verses 5, 6, and 7 all begin with the assumption that those who follow God pray regularly. God-Focused • The prayer begins by addressing God and affirming His sovereignty. • The prayer is focused primarily on the things of God: 1. Your name be sanctified – Make your name special 2. Your kingdom come – Kingdom arrives with the King 3. Your will be done – more literally, “may your will come about; may it be” Familiar • The prayer begins with an admonition to address God as Father – see Isaiah 63:15-16, “For you are our Father, though Abraham does not know us, and Israel does not acknowledge us; you, O LORD, are our Father, our Redeemer from of old is your name.” • See also John 1:12 – the Lord’s prayer is a prayer not for the world, but for born-again Christians (see also Galatians 4:6). • Note all the “you’s”: 7x the familiar “you” is employed Spiritual • Jesus encourages us to pray with great confidence in God’s sovereign goodness toward our material needs: (1) pray simply; (2) pray knowing that God already knows; (3) pray for today’s needs • Jesus encourages to spend the bulk of prayer on unseen things: God’s kingdom, God’s will, forgiveness, deliverance, temptation. • Jesus models spiritual dependence: see Matthew 4:4; John 4:34 Collective • Note all collective pronouns: our, we, and us: our Father, our daily bread, give us, our debts, we have forgiven, our debtors, deliver us, rescue us. • Not once I, me, or my. • “We pray ‘give it to us; not to me only, but to others in common with me.’ This teaches us charity, and a compassionate concern for the poor and needy. It intimates also, that we ought to pray with our families; we and our households eat together, and therefore ought to pray together.” ~Matthew Henry Example #1 – Your Kingdom Come Father, please bring your Kingdom to the Ogden Valley, North Ogden, and beyond. Would your Kingdom manifest itself in the salvation of souls and in the redemption of people. Make me and all of my brothers and sisters of Fellowship Bible Church agents in the advance of this Kingdom. Example #2 – Give us Today Father, I know that So-and-So has some material needs today – please provide for him/her. And please bless my church family so much that we could be the ones who help him/her through this challenging time. Example #3 – As We have Forgiven I pray for So-and-So. They were wronged and are owed an apology that is years delayed. You have forgiven us such enormous debts and so we forgive the one who wronged him/her. Would you bring repentance to the one who did the wrong? Would you give my brother/sister grace to forgive even when the one who wronged him/her isn’t asking for it? Would you give my brother/sister grace to wait on you while you work out all things for our good and your glory. Example #4 – Your Will Be Done Father, I pray for your will to be done at FBC. May we select the leaders of your choice and may we have your mind for the stewardship of your resources. May our shepherds know how to use their time for your glory. Father, so-and-so has an important decision coming up – please grant them clear direction and the courage to follow it.