Looking Back, Seeing the Future

4th of July is a great time to look back and reminisce the great struggle this country endured in its battle for independence. There were many hard-fought battles on the battle field as well as the political field. The country stood united in its attempt to be autonomous. I am sure they dreamed of the great success this country could achieve. As we look back to that historic day we also can look forward to a future with even greater success and achievements. The greater success that we can look forward to does not have to be based on what our county can do or provide but rather on what God has install for us.

As we look back to the time when Jesus taught the disciples a lesson on prayer, He was not just wanting them to see prayer as a means of communication. He also wanted them to see it as a means of looking forward to a greater hope. the greater hope of the second coming. Looking forward to the realization of the entrance and final establishment of God’s kingdom. The great theme of the Gospel of Matthew is the presence of God or the kingdom of God. Matthew makes 52 references to God’s kingdom and looking at this prayer Jesus instructs His disciples and us that in prayer we are to look forward to His kingdom.

As we look at prayer, we might think that it is the means by which we are able to let God know what our difficulties are and also at times the way in which we would like God to address them.

As we look back to the time when Jesus taught the disciples a lesson on preyer He was not just wanting them to see prayer as a means of communication. He also wanted them to see it as a means of looking forward to a greater hope. the greater hope of the second coming. Looking forward to the realization of the entrance and final establishment of God’s kingdom. The great theme of the Gospel of Matthew is the presence of God or the kingdom of God. Matthew makes 52 references to God’s kingdom and looking at this prayer Jesus instructs His disciples and us that in prayer we are to look forward to His kingdom.

Jesus says that we should not pray with vein repetition thinking that they will be heard. The reality is that God already know what we need even before we ask, and He also knows in what way to answer that is for our best regarding eternity. Jesus was saying that the heathen ways of believing had not hope but in God we have all the hope. He already knows what we need. Although most of the time we do not know what we need. Jesus was trying to get the disciples and us to see that we need to be dependent of God. Jesus express what the kingdom of God also points out and uplifts the law of God to point where obedience to it is out of our ability.

As we look at prayer we might think that it is the means by which we are able to let God know what our difficulties are and also at times the way in which we would like God to address them. Jesus says that we should not pray with vein repetition thinking that they will be heard. The reality is that God already know what we need even before we ask and He also knows in what way to answer that is for our best regarding eternity. Jesus was saying that the heathen ways of believing had not hope but in God we have all the hope. He already know what we need. Although most of the time we do not know what we need. Jesus was tying to get the disciples and us to see that we need to be dependent of God. Jesus express what the kingdom of God also points out and uplifts the law of God to point where obedience to it is out of our ability.

As Jesus continues His sermon in He is teaching that prayer is looking forward to His kingdom while at the same times letting His kingdom impacts us in the present. Jesus is saying that prayer is leaning on God to supply all of our needs, direction, wisdom, and matters of salvation. speaks to this point, Your kingdom come. Your will be don on earth as it is in heaven. The disciples nor us can bring God’s kingdom into existence through our own effort. The hope of the kingdom of God and the present reality of it can only be manifested in and through Jesus. These is a sense of urgency in asking for the kingdom to come.

Your kingdom come.

Your will be done

On earth as it is in heaven.

Jesus continues to stress our total dependence on Him as we ask for our daily bread. Yes, this can speak to our physical need of food however we also know that Jesus is the bread of life. As He is the bread of life, He is the only one that can supply us that which we need spiritually in this world. There is also a looking forward to the supper that Jesus said He would only eat again a new in His Kingdom. Once again Jesus is calling, encouraging us to look to the future. Not to let our eyes become over whelmed with the needs we see we have. Rather to set our treasures in Heaven where they cannot spoil. Jesus is trying to get us to look to Him for all that we need.

Prayer is to give us hope for now while we look to the future. The knowledge that God’s kingdom will be realized is hope for the present. Because in the present there are continual challenges that are endured and if there is no hope for relief giving up is easier. With the hope of the future we are encouraged to pray that God will sustain us in the challenges of life.

Prayer is to give us hope for now while we look to the future. The knowledge that God’s kingdom will be realized is hope for the present. Because in the present the are continual challenges that are endured and if there is no hope for relief giving up is easier. With the hope of the future we are encouraged to pray that God will sustain us in the challenges of life. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. These are great challenges that we all face. The request is not God leads us in to temptation to sin for says, Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. The temptation here should be understood as testing. All of us experience times when we feel like we can not carry on. the circumstance of life are just too difficult. The prayer is that God will sustain us that He will carry us. Not only know but at the time of the end when the lie is so close to the truth that we are unable to determine the truth. The plea from us is that God will look after us. Satan can use these very moments in our lives to pull us aways from God. Satan not only tempts us to sin but will also use the times when we are tested to pull us away from God. Jesus says that we need to rely only on Him. He is the only one that carry and sustain us through the testing times of life and He is the only one that gives us victory of satan.

And do not lead us into temptation but deliver us from the evil one. These are great challenges that we all face. The request is not God leads us in to temptation to sin for says, Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. The temptation here should be understood as testing. All of us experience times when we feel like we cannot carry on. the circumstance of life is just too difficult. The prayer is that God will sustain us that He will carry us. Not only know but at the time of the end when the lie is so close to the truth that we are unable to determine the truth. The plea from us is that God will look after us. Satan can use these very moments in our lives to pull us away from God. Satan not only tempts us to sin but will also use the times when we are tested to pull us away from God. Jesus says that we need to rely only on Him. He is the only one that carry and sustain us through the testing times of life, and He is the only one that gives us victory of satan.

Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone.

But deliver us from the evil one.

God’s kingdom in Christ has been realized it is because of this that we have hope, victory and a future. As we look forward to the second coming knowing that we have been forgiven we may ask the question, how am I to live now? The answer is given that we are to live in the new life that we have received by Jesus. As Jesus lives in us, we are then to extend His kingdom to those around us. We are to forgive in the very same way that we have been forgive. The instruction of prayer concludes by tying verses 12 and 14,15 together. If we claim that we are living in the hope of the kingdom of God because we have been forgiven, then we are to extend that same unconditional forgive to others regardless if it has been requested.

Looking back at this prayer it gives us hope for the future. It establishes that the kingdom of Jesus is real and that He reigns now. So, in our prayers we look forward to the blessed hope of the second coming and that hope should and must give us strength for the present. Jesus has promised us that He will be with us till the very end. When we pray it is not just for help with the now. But we pray now knowing that we are part of Jesus’ kingdom which will reign in power and glory forever.

Amen