Our Prayer
Notes
Transcript
(Matt 6:7-15)
Have you ever seen these religious? prayer systems
Tibetan Prayer Flags & Prayer wheels –for karma’s sake
Introduction
Introduction
“By hanging flags in high places the Lung ta will carry the blessings depicted on the flags to all beings. As wind passes over the surface of the flags, which are sensitive to the slightest movement of the wind, the air is purified and sanctified by the mantras.” [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prayer_flag]
But you have to hang the flags with good intentions of helping the world, otherwise their effect is limited.
Muslim Prayers –for salvations sake
The person who doesn't pray five times a day is either an unholy sinner or an unbeliever! [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salah#Purpose_and_importance]
Roman Catholic Prayers – for penance sake
Rosary: Pope John Paul II placed the rosary at the very centre of Christian spirituality and called it "among the finest and most praiseworthy traditions of Christian contemplation." [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosary]
Penance: Remission of temporal punishment. "The payment of the temporal punishment due on account of the offence committed against God by sin" (St Thomas; Summa Theologicæ Supplement.12.3) [http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/11618c.htm]
Our Prayer
This is an extended version of the Luke 11 prayer
For some reason, we call this the “Lord’s Prayer”, but who is this prayer for? Jesus didn’t need forgiveness! It’s for us, this is “Our Prayer”.
Model for prayer, often repeated in the Church through the centuries.
Let us look at prayer in 4 components as Jesus teaches us to pray:
Jesus instructs Us on Prayer
Jesus instructs Us on Prayer
Jesus intructs us – Not in showy, not protracted, not for the sake of self
“And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
This doesn’t mean no corporate prayer (Jesus prayed publicly), but it means personal prayer should remain personal.
“And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
In v7 & 8 Jesus instructs: don’t “heap up empty phrases”. Not specifically about repetition, rather it is an onomatopoeic word that the closest equivalent in English is “babble” – mindless or mechanical words. Possibly related to the idea of when you hear another language, and you notice particular syllable or sounds that seems to come up often – as if they were repeating themselves or babbling on.
Not like the heathen do
Heathen: Barbarian language – sounds like babble (i.e. not Greek)
Not like the Pharisees – not hypocritical
Implication: Not endless repetition - See 1 Kings 18:26
Implication: Not like many today: Buddist, Muslim, RC examples
Implication: Not like our own mindless repetition, or endless babbling
You know when you sign up to a new insurance policy on the phone, and the operator reads out a policy statement, that they’ve already read 50 times that day. You can hear the change in their tone as they mindlessly churn out the words and phrases. They don’t mean it; they are simply relaying a pre-set message. It’s that kind of mindless mechanical prayer that Jesus speaks against. Our prayers should be the opposite; thoughtful and genuine in our supplication.
We can use pre-written prayers, or even have a set habit of saying certain prayers at certain times – but our traditions should not enslave us or turn off our mind and heart. If our set prayers become a simple outward act of holiness and are not from the heart, then we must be careful to return to heartfelt genuineness toward God.
The psalms, this prayer we are looking at today, and other scriptural prayers are powerful;
they teach us to pray,
they remind us of our awesome and terrible (terror-inspiring) God
they teach us of our insignificance in His sight
they teach us of our glorious father who stoops to us to comfort us in our distress
they give us words to speak when we have none
they show us peace in the midst of war
Yet these beautiful words inspired by the Spirit himself can become sour when offered from a prideful heart. Like the Israelites of old who were delivered the Law on Sinai, they had the precious instructions of God, yet there came a time, that though they would attend the temple and offer sacrifices, their hearts were far from him. God was and is more concerned with a contrite heart than a lengthy offering of words or an eloquent oration.
So with our offerings of prayers; let us not seek the face of the Living God by placating him with many words or vain repetition, as if he could somehow be appeased by our meagre attempts. Rather we approach Him in fear and trembling through our Mediator Christ, with sincerity, genuine appreciation and a realistic appraisal of the circumstances.
Remember, God knows what we need before we ask, he already knows how great and wonderful he is, he already knows his plans for us and our prayers will not alter his plans, so when we come to him, we come to communicate of ourselves. We come to offer our confession that He is great, we are not, and we rely on him for every breath and morsel he lavishes on us.
While our prayers are an offering to God, and involve praising and glorifying him, ultimately genuine prayer is for our own good.
As Calvin says: 'Believers do not pray with the view of informing God about things unknown to him, or of exciting him to do his duty, or of urging turn as though he were reluctant. On the contrary, they pray in order that they may arouse themselves to seek him, that they may exercise their faith in meditating on his promises, that they may relieve themselves from their anxieties by pouring them into his bosom; in a word, that they may declare that from him alone they hope and expect, both for themselves and for others, all good things’
Praising God (Adoration)
Praising God (Adoration)
Let us move to the next verses, 9-10.
Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Jesus instructs: “Pray like this:…” In the Luke recording of the prayer, Jesus is specifically responding to a request “Can you please tech us to pray?” (Luke 11:1-2). This is a beautiful occasion where Christ specifically instructs his followers on how to relate to God.
Note how Christ in this example prayer opens with a declaration of who God is. This statement is a way of praising God, recognising His holiness, authority and power.
It’s like when we use titles. Unfortunately our Aussie culture has done too well at deconstructing systems of respect and honorific titles, but there remains yet a bit of honour associated with certain titles. A politician is still addressed as “the honourable member for so-and-so”. While we may doubt the integrity of such human persons, there is still honour and respect simply because of the position they hold. In a similar way, when a person is called “Doctor” we immediately know that they hold a certain position and have a certain amount of learning for which they deserve respect. When it comes to God, who is greater and higher than any human institution, it makes sense that we should show him the honour and respect he deserves, yes, because of his authority over us, but also because he is intrinsically praiseworthy. We recognise who he is in his being by describing Him, using certain names that have meaning and by recounting his deeds and abilities which imply his character and attributes.
God resides in heaven
“Our Father” As Jesus open the prayer, he addresses God as Father. It is not only Jesus as God’s Son who gets to address him as father, but we as his children may address him this way too. How precious it is that we may refer to him this way!
“Father in heaven” Let us not use this familiarity as an excuse to be flippant, but rather Christ here reminds us of the nearness of God to us, yet simultaneously sets his presence in the heavens.
This phrase of Christ’s calls to mind numerous verses that speak of God in heaven, the one I think of most clearly is
“O Lord of hosts, God of Israel, enthroned above the cherubim, you are the God, you alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth; you have made heaven and earth. Incline your ear, O Lord, and hear; open your eyes, O Lord, and see; and hear ....
Here Hezekiah is opening his prayer to God, and he immediately recognizes God as the Ruler of the Universe, enthroned high above man, established in power and authority.
So with his opening address, Jesus calls to our imminent father, who transcendently resides in heaven.
God is Holy, his name is Holy
Next Jesus says “hallowed be your name.” This isn’t a word used often in English but it means “make holy”, “consecrate” or “honor as holy”. In other words, Jesus is saying “let you name be kept holy” or “May your name be treated with reverence”.
Once again, this is a recognition of God’s holiness and ‘otherness’. This statement recognizes the need to give proper reverence to God, even in the way he is represented through his name.
Think about it, when we say this we are not thinking that somehow the letters G O and D strung together ought to be more holy than other words, but rather “hallowed be your name” invites us and God to keep holy and pure the way in which he has made himself known to us. The word “god” is an English equivalent of a Hebrew word, intending to communicate to us something of the Living God’s nature and being, and that’s what we seek to “make holy” the revealed nature and person of God. He has shown himself to us as the “I AM”, thus we should glorify him in this. He has shown himself to be “above all other gods”, so we shall hold him in such high regard worthy of his person. We are not hallowing the letters of a language, but rather the revealed person of God.
Jesus here is almost asking God to protect his reputation, not that God’s name may ever be ‘unholy’, but it is more a hope and desire to see God’s name exalted and treated as holy.
God is sovereign
Next Jesus turns to God’s kingdom. He is asking for the extension of God’s kingdom on earth. He recognises that the Father resides in a position of authority and power, and that he has the ability to bring his will to pass in all spheres of existence.
This little phrase is almost two different ways of saying the same thing: you could say “Your kingdom come” or “your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”, yet here Christ says both, emphasising his desire for God’s consuming kingdom to take over.
This is not a tacit admission that God’s will is not taking place on the earth currently, but rather recognition that God’s plans and purposes for this creation are still underway. Those purposes have not been fully realised during Christ’s day, and they have not yet been completed, so we can join in with Christ in his request.
Interestingly, Jesus says “as it is in heaven”. We know that there has been rebellion even in heaven amongst those spiritual beings that serve God, most notably Satan. Yet Jesus still prays that God will would be done on earth as in heaven. Once again, there is the sure and steadfast knowledge that God is in authority; he has power and control.
This portion here, like the last one, is both a declaration and a request. A declaration of God’s ability and character, but also a request to make these things so across the Earth.
How does this relate to us?
Requests (Petition)
Requests (Petition)
Here we reach a point where Christ’s exemplary prayer turns from focusing on God and his purposes to the more immediate needs of the human condition.
Request for our earthly needs – First he asks for our material need.
Jesus has just said “your Father knows what you need before you ask him” and later he will go on to say “do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on”, yet he still brings this request to God. There is here a humble recognition that it is God who provides all of our needs.
Give us this day our daily bread,
Our very breath is a gift from God, and we should receive it with gratefulness and appreciation, and here Jesus asks, “Can you give us food for tomorrow?”
Note that he does not ask for food for the week, or the month, rather he relies on a loving Father who provides for his children. And where he appears to withhold from his children, we can understand that he does it as a father with reason. Think of the little child, whose father one night does not feed him dinner. The child goes to bed distraught and hungry. Perhaps he is even angry and sad, feeling unloved. Yet, that father, has borne a hard burden that evening to keep his dear and precious child from his dinner for he knows that tomorrow the child goes into surgery, and he must fast beforehand. The child does not understand the workings of the human body, or the intricacies of the surgery, he only sees his father withholding something good from him. For us, it is all too easy to see what is being withheld, or what is not known, yet we can ask with Christ for sufficient for tomorrow, safe in the knowledge that he will give us what we need on this day, and that we don’t know the mind of God.
As for us, we ought to ask for this same thing. We may understand how economics work, and how agriculture works to grow food and get it to my fridge, but ultimately God provides every step of the way. Let us not be like the man who haughtily tore down his barns to build bigger ones in his pride of abundance, but let us humbly thank God for his abundant mercies to us in this regard. Let us thank him for every morsel, every rain drop and every seed.
Remember also for the sake of your unbelieving friends and family; thank God on their behalf, for he makes the rain to fall on the just and the unjust. Though they do not acknowledge our heavenly Father, he graciously provides their daily bread too.
Request for our spiritual needs
Next Christ shows us how to ask for forgiveness. He uses terminology that is translated “trespass” or “debt”, the implication being the wrong we have done against God, whereby we need him to forgive us. This need, unlike the material need of food, is spiritual. One could argue this is more important than daily bread, as it relates to eternity.
and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
Debt implies the need to payment to be made. There must be satisfaction. In order for a debt to be cancelled someone has to loose. Like a mortgage, which many of us unfortunately have, if the bank was to ring up tomorrow and say “we have decided to cancel your debt, you now owe us nothing.” You would be over the moon! But it’s not as though all the money you borrowed came from nowhere, the bank is now worse off because they have lost money. If they did it for too many people they would go out of business because there would be no money left!! Here in asking for the cancelling of our debt, we are actually asking God to deal with the consequences of our debt. We are acknowledging there’s a problem, and it can only really be fixed by him. Lord would you please forgive the debt if have accrued?
This concept of confessing our sins to God is central to our faith, not only for conversion, but in a life of devotion to Christ. If Christ has cleansed us from our sin, and clothed us in righteousness then when we trip and fall into the mud of sin, we ought to run back to be refreshed by him again. As John said: “9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
Sinfulness is out of character in the life of the Christian, it is unnatural. It should feel unnatural. We have a new life in Christ, with the indwelling of the spirit. Thus in our prayers to God we seek to be rewashed through his glorious grace, and reminded of his tender mercy. It’s not as though we are not forgiven for some sins until we confess them, but this practice is a means by which we become more dependent on God, and more God focused. Through confession and repentance we are conformed more and more to Christ’s character who never needed to confess or repent of sin.
This also reminds us of the very need of forgiveness. The very notion that Christ wishes us to pray for forgiveness tells us that it needs addressing. Thankfully the same man who gave us this great prayer would purchase that forgiveness for us with his own blood, sweat and tears. How great is our God that he would send his own Son to die that we might have life???
“As we forgive others” – Jesus example here did not just pertain to the forgiveness of the askers, but it was modelled after forgiveness we’re willing to offer others; “forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.”
What a scary notion, forgive us as we have forgiven others!! Have you forgiven your grudges in the same way you wish to be forgiven? Think now of the person who inspires the most frustration and anger in your life… … …now think, God wants you to forgive them. Yes, even them with all of their detestable issues, he wants you to forgive them. He expects you to.
If you do not forgive those who have sinned against you why should you expect to receive God’s forgiveness? We will talk on this more in a moment.
Request for our protection
This is a further recognition that God is in control, and that we are weak
At first this verse would seem contradictory to scripture, because James says “Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one.”
God cannot lead us into temptation, so why bother praying this? Because God is the one who can prevent it. He has the power to protect us from such temptation and from evil of all kinds.
Interestingly, God does not simply save us and then prevent all evil and temptation taking place in life, rather he uses it to train us. Just before this verse on screen, James had said something counter intuitive: “2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”
God uses the evil in this world to test us and train us, but we pray this prayer knowing that we can’t do it ourselves. As we walk through the fiery trials, and crippling testing, we need the protection of God lest we fall away. One commentary says “The forgiven pray this petition because they trust God and they distrust themselves”. As we have already noted in this prayer there is a continual recognition of God as powerful and merciful, and us as weak and dependent on his mercies.
Here in the closing of the prayer Christ gives us an example of how we might pray for protection and a righteous way of life
How do we relate to these earthly requests?
Forgiveness leads to Forgiveness
Forgiveness leads to Forgiveness
Parallel – Forgive others, and God will forgive. Do not forgive, and God will not forgive. Jesus is driving home the point, even after he said it in the prayer!
For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
Forgiveness is not a way to purchase life or assuage God, rather being able to forgive in our own life is a sign that the Spirit is at work in us, softening our hearts and transforming us. Withholding forgiveness is a sign of an impenitent heart, who holds the minor infractions of others against us as greater than those sins we have committed against God.
Now this is hard. Some of us have experienced hurt that is deep and piercing. We have been sinned against in ways that are difficult for others to imagine. Such hurts are often covered over with various coping mechanisms, like anger, revenge, destructive habits, passive aggression, psychosomatic symptoms and often depression. As hard as this is, we cannot use the symptoms of such hurt to hold onto grudges and resentment. It may be that the sins against you are so deep and resounding that you will need the help of others to uncover the issues and start to learn to forgive, but even so, forgive you must!
Matt 18:23-35 “23 “Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. 24 When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. 25 And since he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made. 26 So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ 27 And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt. 28 But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii, and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay what you owe.’ 29 So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ 30 He refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt. 31 When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their master all that had taken place. 32 Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. 33 And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’ 34 And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt. 35 So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.”
While forgiveness on our part does not purchase or retain eternal life, it is certainly the fruit of a softened heart. We know those who are the true followers of Christ by their fruits, and those who bear resentment and revenge are not bearing good fruit of the spirit.
This is a hard saying to hear, especially in the light of the New Covenant Jesus heralds in here in the Sermon on the Mount. But this warning is often repeated in the New Testament, for example James who says Ja 2:13 “For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.”
If we wish to receive the glorious wonderful mercy of Christ, we ought to be ready to forgive those who annoy, anger and hurt us, as we have done the same things in our sinning against God.
What now?
What now?
This prayer is often called the Lord’s Prayer, but this is a bit of a misnomer. Rather it is “Our Prayer” as it was used to instruct Jesus followers on how to pray, and instruct the Church down through the millennia.
Jesus instructions on prayer - This prayer along with the ending doxology “for yours is the kingdom, the power and the glory forever. Amen” has been used in church liturgies since that time. We may surely pray this prayer ourselves as a part of our own church services or in private, but we must take care not to fall into the trap of mindlessly mumbling the words in the hope that God would hear us because they are repeated often, or somehow more special. We endeavour to pray with sincerity of heart, with genuine interest in speaking to our heavenly father. Sometimes the best way to do that is to pray this prayer often as it both helps us to speak to God, and informs us about God and ourselves. God is not impressed with eloquent words and lofty rambling, he is however please with the contrite heart and humble petition.
Jesus opens with 3 statements that are directed toward God in his person. They are both declarations and requests. Praises and petitions. I hope that our own prayer may be modelled after this one. Let us not be so quick to turn our prayers to ourselves, but rather let us revel in the beauty and glory of God; extolling his virtues and lifting up His name.
When it does come time to ask for ourselves and others our prayers may take into account our earthly needs, our spiritual needs and our need for protection to live a holy and upright life. Jesus example does not prattle on about the inconsequential and selfish desires, rather it addresses our true needs. If you read Pauls letters you will see there a genuine concern for the same things; the Church’s material needs, their spiritual condition and their purity in life.
Lastly in this passage Christ reminds us that forgiveness is a two way street – “14 For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, 15 but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”
This is a truly wonderful and beautiful prayer, and praise be to God who makes it for us through the shed blood of Christ.
It is only through Christ that we may come before God with our prayers
It is only through Christ that we may see God’s beauty more fully
It is only through Christ that we may yearn for his pure reign to abound on earth
It is only through Christ that we may receive forgiveness, and extend such mercy to others.
It is only through Christ that we may be saved from evil and learn to turn away from it.
Truly we may with gusto add the doxology to all our prayer “for yours is the kingdom, the power and the glory forever. Amen”
Let me pray this prayer for us.
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
Forgive us our debts as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
Yours is kingdom, the power, and the glory, now and for ever. Amen.
