PROPER PRAYING
I. THE PROBLEMS OF PRAYER
Some seek to be seen. Vs. 5
Standing is from a verb implying the practice of taking a position and keeping it for a long time.
And street is not just any street, but a wide street, implying one heavily traveled, thus a street where the most people would see a person praying.
Jesus was certainly not forbidding public prayer
Some use vain repetition. Vss. 7-8
Because these gods were so much like humans, the pagan worshiper believed he needed to pray repetitively to get their attention. Once a worshiper got a god’s attention, he continued to pray repetitively to ensure that he was heard correctly and to convince the god that his request was worth granting.
Biblical prayer is an act of faith, an expression of dependence on God. Meaningless repetition signifies dependence on oneself to manipulate or badger God into compliance.
Some refuse to forgive. Vss. 14-15
II. THE PLACE OF PRAYER - Vs. 6
Again the emphatic you at the beginning of 6:6 separates the kingdom servant from the crowd of hypocrites.
III. THE PATTERN OF PRAYER - Vss. 9-13
It is worth noting that there are no singular pronouns in this prayer; they are all plural.
The Lord's prayer is a pattern. It is a model prayer.
Jesus did not give this prayer to us to be memorized and recited a given number of times. In fact, He gave this prayer to keep us from using vain repetitions. Jesus did not say, “Pray in these words.” He said, “Pray after this manner”; that is, “Use this prayer as a pattern, not as a substitute.”
Hallowed has to do with something or someone being different or set apart. We must come before God with an attitude of reverence for God’s perfection (in contrast to our imperfection), his wisdom (in contrast to our foolishness), his power (in contrast to our impotence), and his love (in contrast to our selfishness).
For instance, when I pray "Thy will be done",
The purpose of prayer is to glorify God’s name, and to ask for help to accomplish His will on earth. This prayer begins with God’s interests, not ours: God’s name, God’s kingdom, and God’s will.
Robert Law has said, “Prayer is a mighty instrument, not for getting man’s will done in heaven, but for getting God’s will done in earth.”
Give us this day our daily bread
When I pray "Forgive us our debts",
And when I say, "as we forgive our debtors",
One does not gain forgiveness by forgiving. But a person evidences his or her own forgiveness by forgiving others. Since this is family forgiveness, our sense of forgiveness is denied us when we deny forgiveness to others. As God’s children, we are commanded to be forgiving. When we fail to forgive, we reap the consequences of spiritual and moral defeat.
Lead us not into temptation
to cause someone to enter into a certain event or condition, bring in
It is right to pray for daily physical needs, for forgiveness, and for guidance and protection from evil. “Lead us not into temptation” does not mean that God tempts His children
In this petition we are asking God to guide us so that we will not get out of His will and get involved in a situation of temptation
but deliver us from evil
To be kept from the evil of sin is a far greater mercy than deliverance from the trouble of temptation.
We may paraphrase: ‘Father, let us not fall victim to the temptations of the evil one; on the contrary, rescue us from his mighty power.’
For thine is the Kingdom, and the Power, and the Glory forever amen
From the Divine perfections the suppliant is to take encouragement to expect a gracious answer. There is nothing in or from ourselves which is meritorious, and therefore hope must be grounded upon the character of Him to whom we pray.
doxology—A brief hymn which expresses God’s glory and power; a declaration of praise to God.
Jewish prayers, some of which are similar to the Lord’s Prayer, typically ended with doxologies, some of which are quite close to this one.
