The Lord's Prayer - Our Father

“Pray like this:

These words seem to have caused much confusion over the years - What did Jesus really mean when he said, “Pray like this?”

Is it wrong to pray the Lord’s prayer? No

Did Jesus mean that, this is exactly how you should pray it? No

Descriptive not Prescriptive

Prescriptive means - enforcing a rule or method

Descriptive means - seeking to describe (Framework, example, model)

If we want to understand what Jesus meant by the words of this simple prayer, let’s take a look.

Jesus is perfectly positioned to teach on the subject of prayer

He’s fully God - understands prayer from God’s perspective and knows what He wants

He’s fully man - understands prayer from a human perspective; understands our perspective of living life and what we experience

Chris, let me begin by asking you a question. Do you ever struggle starting your prayers? I do. What should we begin with? Is there a right way to start prayer? Is there a wrong way? Sometimes the hardest part is the beginning. The introduction can be the hardest thing in so many things!

Jesus begins with such an important word; it’s incredible, but often grossly overlooked when we pray. It’s so significant in how it frames our prayers. Jesus beings challenging the very premise that so many of us go to God in prayer. He challenges our individualism. He challenges our single-mindedness. He challenges our consumer mentality. He challenges our inward focus. He challenges our sinful & selfish motive.

He begins with the word - “OUR”

“Our”

There’s no “I” in TEAM; There’s no “I” in prayer!

Albert Mohler wrote, “Jesus is reminding us that when we enter into a relationship with God, we enter into a relationship with his people. When we are saved by Jesus, we are saved into his body, the church.”

Ever look through the Lord’s prayer and count how many first-person plural pronouns you find? (We, Us, Our) Around 9! Ever look for how many first-person singular pronouns you find? (I, Me, My, Mine) Not one!

What a great reminder that our identity is not found in an “I”, but in a “WE”. We need to get out of the way of our prayers.

Next time you think about how you are going to start your prayer, think We, not Me

Another question for you, Chris. What are some names given to God in the Bible? Lord, Most High, Almighty, King. There are also some big theological words that some people use to describe God - Omniscient, Omnipotent, Omnipresent, Immutable, Transcendent, Imminent.

Riddle me this, Chris, What did Jesus call God in the beginning of the Lord’s prayer? Father.

Chris, What does your daughter Elaina call you? You mean she doesn’t call you “Most Excellent”? She doesn’t call you Almighty protector?

Jesus is using more than a word to describe God, He is speaking of a relationship.

Father is a word that speaks of family.

Jesus is indicating that we are connected in a familia relationship. In fact, we use this type language around here. Another name for church is God’s family. When we enter into a relationship with Jesus we are adopted into God’s family. When we are adopted into God’s family we receive the right to pray.

But not only that - we get to pray - knowing that God wants his sons & daughters to pray.

God is approachable as our father.

For those of you who are Fathers, mothers, or even children. The relationship is different with family. Chris, Heath - I love you guys - but family is different.

And here’s the thing - He’s OUR Father; Not MY Father.

Do you know Him as the approachable Father?

Family is First

But we can’t get too much further without Jesus reminding us that He’s our father IN HEAVEN. It’s a reminder that our father is HOLY. We must continue to approach God with reverence, adoration, awe, & wonder.

The next line in the prayer says, “May your name be kept holy.”