“In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. 10 Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as [it is] in heaven. 11 Give us this day our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors. 13 And do not lead us into temptation But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.” – Matthew 6:9-13 NKJV
This prayer is known familiarly as “The Lord’s prayer,” but “The Disciples Prayer” would be a more accurate title. Jesus did not give this prayer to us to be memorized and recited a certain number of times. In fact, one of the reasons, He gave this prayer was to keep us from using vain repetitions or “continuous babblings,” Matthew 6:7 (NIV).
Jesus did not say, pray in these words. He said pray “in this manner” that is, use this prayer as a pattern, not as a substitute. The ultimate purpose of this prayer is to glorify God’s name (elevate His attributes) and to ask for His 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.
6:9 “Our Father in heaven,”
The words, “Our Father in heaven” demonstrate the loving closeness and the awesome transcendence of God to his child.
6:9 hallowed be your name.”
The verb hallowed means “to sanctify, to make holy.” We tend to take this line as a statement of fact, when in fact, it is a request. Jesus was teaching us to make the request, “Lord, may Your Name be sanctified and set apart.” Why should we pray to God that He would sanctify His own Name? Probably as a reminder to us, to live a life that advertises His Divine character. Also, this kind of greeting was a form of blessing on the one addressed.
6:10 “Your kingdom come.”
The Kingdom servant sees God’s Kingdom (His rule and reign in us and through us) as not yet completely fulfilled on earth. This prayer is not only for the future coming of Christ (although this can be included), but it is also for the spreading of God’s Kingdom around the world through His Kingdom servants. Therefore, it is a prayer that we, His servants would be faithfully obedient and effective in living His Kingdom principles in our own lives and then spreading the Kingdom through our actions and our words.
6:10 “Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”
This request assumes God’s will is done in heaven, but not yet on earth (in the same full way). Sin and rebellion are absent in heaven, but hindrances are present on earth. This is another request for the spreading of God’s Kingdom rule on earth, through individual Christ followers empowered by the Holy Spirit. Our prayers are to be a continual reminder to ourselves to “get with” the Kingdom program. The rule and reign of our King, Jesus Christ, ought to be the preoccupation of our lives and our prayers. This is one of the reasons why my favorite verse in the Renewed Covenant (NT) is Matthew 6:33. “Seek first the Kingdom of God and all these things shall be added unto you.”
6:11 “Give us today Our Daily Bread.”
Most people in Jesus’ day lived hand to mouth. This was true particularly among the lower classes to whom Jesus’ message appealed most. This request acknowledges God as the provider of every physical need, but it also reminds the petitioner to trust God to provide as the needs arise.
For most of us who are present-day Followers of Christ, because we don’t live day-to-day for food, we ought to every day give thanks to Him for His constant recognizable and sometimes unrecognizable physical provisions.
6:12 “Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.”
The choice of the word “debt” is intended to mean “sins” or “transgressions.” The selection of this word reflects the fact that all sins place us in debt to God, needing forgiveness.
Believers should forgive as those who have received forgiveness when we were justified by faith. When the heart is filled with such a forgiving spirit, your heavenly father will also forgive you. Believers cannot know the parental forgiveness, which keeps fellowship with the Lord rich and blessings from the Lord profuse, apart from forgiving others in heart, in word, and in actions. Forgive literally means to hurl away or to release!
This is the only petition that has a conditional prerequisite to its fulfillment and two full verses of explanation (Matthew 6:14-15). I will cover them below.
6:13 “and lead us not into temptation, but to deliver us from the evil one.”
This is a powerful necessity in our prayers. This is an inner desire and inclination that causes a believer to want to avoid the danger and trouble sin creates. It is an expression of the redeemed soul that so despises and fears sin that it wants to escape all prospects of falling into it, choosing to avoid rather than having to defeat temptation.
A Follower of Christ has three enemies—The World, The Flesh, and the Devil.
The World (Demonic system)
“Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you.” – 1 John 2:15 NLT
The word for “world” is the word “Cosmos.” The main usage of this word describes the order, or system, that runs this inhabited world. It is a spiritual system of things that opposes God and the Lord Jesus Christ.
“For all that is in the world–the lust and sensual craving of the flesh and the lust and longing of the eyes and the boastful pride of life [pretentious confidence in one’s resources or in the stability of earthly things] –these do not come from the Father but are from the world.” – 1 John 2:16 AMP
The Flesh (lower nature sometimes called old nature)
“6 So letting your sinful nature (“flesh” NASV) control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace. 7 For the depraved nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey God’s laws, and it never will.” – Romans 8:6-7 NLT
The “flesh” is the human propensity to be inclined to always do evil. Each one of us has this internal nature to disobey God. Jesus Christ made this very clear in Mark 7 where he specifically says that it is not what goes into a man that defiles him, but the inner compulsion to do evil that comes out of him (Mark 7:15). It is only by walking in the power of the Holy Spirit that we gain victory over our evil nature (Romans 8:4).
The Devil (Evil One)
“Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.” – 1 Peter 5:8 NLT
The originator and instigator of all the evil around us is Satan! He and his emissaries pull the strings of the cosmic warfare that is waged against us using the world system and appealing to our lower nature.
As we consider our warfare against Satan, two extremes must be carefully avoided.
- The first extreme is the tendency to ignore this enemy and to treat the whole subject of demons lightly. Another tendency is to attribute demonic influences to purely psychological disorders. One of Satan’s clever strategies against us is to keep us in ignorance of his power and his working. In our present day there are countless intelligent, sophisticated, articulate, charismatic and influential people who are significantly influenced by the evil one. Please test the spirits (1 Timothy 4:1) and be aware of false teachers and false prophets (Matthew 7:15).
“But the [Holy] Spirit explicitly and unmistakably declares that in later times some will turn away from the Faith, paying attention instead to deceitful and seductive spirits and doctrines of demons,” – 1 Timothy 4:1 AMP
- The other extreme to be avoided is a fearful preoccupation with Satan and his Kingdom. His strategy is to make us more conscious and aware of Satan and his kingdom then we are of our Holy Father, the Lord Jesus Christ, or to the Person and power of the Holy Spirit.
“Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world.” – 1 John 4:4 KJV
“For yours is the Kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.” – Matthew 6:13b
Although these words were not in the original text, the words are perfectly fitting in this passage, and expressed truths that are thoroughly Scriptural! They form a beautiful doxology, declaring the preeminence of God as seen in the greatness of his eternal Kingdom, … power, and… glory. They are also an echo 1 Chronicles 29:11 and so, to the minds and hearts of Matthew’s Jewish readers, would have been a moving and appropriate climax.
The Lord concludes this section on prayer focusing on forgiveness.
“14 For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.”
This is our Savior’s own commentary on our petition to God for forgiveness and the only one of the petitions to which he gives an added insight. Thus, its importance is amplified.
6:14 For if you forgive other people when they sin (transgress) against you,
does not mean that believers need to ask daily for justification, since believers are justified and forgiven forever from the moment of our initial saving faith (Romans 5:1). Rather, this is a prayer for the restoration of personal fellowship with God when fellowship has been hindered by the sin of unforgiveness. Those who have received such forgiveness should be so moved with gratitude toward God that they also eagerly forgive those who are debtors to them.
6:15 but if you do not forgive them, then your father will not forgive your transgressions.
This states the truth of verse 14 in a negative way for emphasis. The sin of an unforgiving heart and a bitter spirit (Hebrews 12:15) forfeits blessings and invites judgment–-the burning-up of our works. (1 Corinthians 3:14,15).
“14 If the work survives, that builder will receive a reward. 15 But if the work is burned up, the builder will suffer great loss. The builder will be saved, but like someone barely escaping through a wall of flames.” – 1 Corinthians 3:14-15 NLT
Every believer must seek to manifest a forgiving spirit (Colossians 3:13 ESV). To receive pardon from our perfectly holy God, and then to refuse to pardon others when we ourselves are sinful, is the epitome of the abuse of mercy. And we know that:
“judgment will be merciless to the one who has shown no mercy; Mercy triumphs over judgment” (James 2:13).
You might find my article: “Do you need to forgive Someone?” dated July 16, 2023 on my blog, www.daleebel.org helpful.
Now let’s pray according to Christ’s Model following these six ingredients:
His paternity, priority, provision, pardon, protection, and preeminence.
The following are only my samplings of putting the six ingredients into prayer:
#1 His paternity and prominence,
“Our Father, who is in Heaven.” “What an honor Lord to call You my Father as you have accepted me, adopted me, and love me as Your child! I know I am sacrificially loved by you because of Your Son Jesus Christ. I celebrate and praise you out loud, for you are powerful, full of grace, and kindness. You are also a God of wrath, holiness, love, justice, and faithfulness.” — Please friends keep celebrating His goodness!
#2 His priority
“Your Kingdom Come, on earth as it is in Heaven.” “By the authority of You, Jesus the Christ, I anticipate You to move mightily in advancing Your Kingship into our Government–the Judicial, Legislative and Executive branches, our Schools, Churches, Families, Israel, and America.” — Please be specific, pray expectantly, and boldly!
#3 His provision
“Give us today our daily bread.” Yahweh Jireh, (the God who provides), I acknowledge that you are the ultimate provider of our food and daily necessities. I thank you for the abundance of nutrients that you provide from our rich lands. I am reminded of our responsibility to help feed the biblically poor whenever we have an opportunity.
#4 His pardon
“Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.”
“Lord, my forgiving Father, I also forgive and “hurl away” the sins of ___________________ that he/she has committed against me. Because you have wiped the slate clean in my life through the blood of Jesus Christ I release _______________. I call a blessing down on ___________. Reward __________, his/her mate, his/her children and give them good success spiritually, emotionally, and physically.”
#5 His protection
“And lead us not into temptation, but to deliver us from the evil one.
“Oh, Holy Father, I submit to and ask you for Your protection from the evil one, for myself, for my family and my Christian friends. By the power of the Holy Spirit I resist the devil, refuse to embrace, and buy-in to the world system, and I surrender my mind, will, and emotions to your authority to overcome my inner propensity to sin. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PROTECTION!”
#6 His preeminence
6:13b “For thine is the Kingdom, and power and the glory, forever. Amen!”
“El-Elyon (God Most High), I join in with the future angels in Revelation by praising You!
Great and marvelous are Your deeds Lord God almighty. Just and true are Your ways, King of the ages. Who will not fear You, O Lord, and bring glory to Your name? For you alone are holy. All the nations will come and worship before you, for your righteous acts have been revealed. Praise God, and Selah! (Revelation 15:3-4).
In humble expectation I anticipate your response!
In Your Holy Name, The Name of Jesus Christ,
Dale