The Lord’s Prayer

What Can We Learn About Praying From Jesus’ Prayer?

“Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.” – Matthew 6:9-13

1  See God as Your Father

(Our Father who art in heaven)

This may not seem like much, but it is EVERYTHING when it comes to prayer. When we approach God we must remember this. This means He loves you and sees you as His child. He wants you to come to Him at any time with anything. Your loving Father sent His one and only Son to die so that your sins would be forgiven. This has given you the right to be called children of God. Jesus’ death has given you access to the throne of God in prayer!  

2  Exalt God

(Hallowed be thy name)

     When we pray, it is crucial to remember that it is God we are speaking to. He is our loving Father, but He is also the God of all creation. When we approach Him in prayer, we should be mindful that God is seated on the throne in heaven. He is glorious, holy, and without rival. He is good and just in all of His ways, and His ways are higher than ours. Consider God as He is: a great king ruling over all of creation. And you are His humble servant coming before Him with a request.

     In prayer, you are literally approaching the throne of God above with your request; Pray with this in mind. Remember all the qualities of God. Think of what He is like, and address Him in these ways. Part of prayer is exalting God, but it is also humbling ourselves before Him so we might see more clearly. Pride before God is often blinding for the proud.

3 Pray for God’s Will

(Thy kingdom come, thy will be done)

     The children of God should desire the will of God. We should also long for His kingdom, and that His perfect will to be done on the earth. People have rebelled against God in many ways, but make no mistake, the will of God will be accomplished even though Satan and man try to thwart His plans. The good news for us is that God’s will is for the greatest good in our lives. God’s will is perfect love for us, and glory for Him. Ephesians 1:1 reminds us that God “works all things according to the counsel of His will.”

     We can never fully understand God’s perfect will because God’s will of command and decree often confuses men, but God is sovereign over all things. Psalm 115:3 assures us, “God is in the heavens; He does all that He pleases.” When you pray, long for the perfect will of God in your life. Long for the return of Jesus and the establishing of God’s kingdom. As John says at the end of Revelation, “Even so, come Lord Jesus!”  

4  Ask for God’s Provision

(Give us this day our daily bread)

     Jesus wants us to ASK! James tells us, “we don’t have because we don’t ask.” Jesus tells us to ask like a little child. He tells us to keep asking and not lose heart, just like the woman who continued to plead with a judge for her case. God is concerned with your needs, but He is also concerned with your wants. This doesn’t mean you will get everything you want, but God tells you to ask. As you grow in Him, your wants will become His wants.

     When Jesus tells us to pray for our daily bread He isn’t simply speaking of bread. More appropriately, He is speaking of money! Jesus is telling us to pray for anything we may feel we need. This can be physical, emotional, mental or spiritual needs. God will always answer the prayers of faith. He will say yes, no or wait. Pray specifically for things. Pray that your desires will be in line with His for your life, but never hesitate to ask. 

5  Confess Your Sins

(Forgive us our trespasses) 

     Guess what? God already knows, doesn’t He? Confess your sins to God when you pray. Our confession does not keep us saved, but it does keep us in fellowship with God. If the goal of prayer is our conformity to the image of Jesus, then confession in prayer is one of the greatest means of helping us be more like Jesus. As you confess your sins, ask God to reveal your sins. As we confess ask for God’s Spirit to help you with that sin.

     Without the help of the spirit, you can not fight your sin. We fight because He is first fighting in us. He uses prayer as a means of war against sin. Make War! Make war in the depths of your heart. Prayer is a battlefield for your desires. Our flesh is indeed weak, but the spirit is willing. Always remember as you pray that your sins have been paid. The apostle John reminds us of this in 1 John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”  

6  Forgive Others

(As we forgive those who trespass against us)

     When Jesus finishes giving His disciples the model prayer, He says something very interesting: He tells them that they must forgive others, or their sins will not be forgiven. When Peter asks Jesus how many times he must forgive his brother, Jesus tells him there is no limit. Without getting deep into the theology of God’s unearned forgiveness, we must take Jesus words at face value. It really matters how we forgive! So much so, that our forgiveness is in some way tied to it; Jesus said these things clearly. It was once said by someone, “you don’t have to go into heaven to see if your sins are forgiven, just look in your heart and see if you have forgiven others.”

     The person who has experienced saving grace is a person that naturally gives grace to other people. So, when you pray, ask for God’s help to forgive. Jesus told us to ask for forgiveness AS you forgive others. We have no right to hold on to another person’s sin. Jesus illustrates this for us when they bring the woman caught in adultery to Him. They wanted to stone her and trick Him. Jesus answered wisely by saying, “he who is without sin, cast the first stone,”  And they all left. Forgive others as you pray, because it conforms you to the image of Jesus.

7  Pray for Spiritual Protection

(And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil)

     Our battle is a spiritual one. Paul reminds us that we wrestle not with flesh and blood, but with spiritual forces. So, if we are going to have any chance at prevailing day to day, then we must have the protection of God. Jesus tells us to ask God not to lead us into temptation. But, James reminds us that God does not tempt. Yet here we are in need of asking God that HE not lead us INTO temptation.  Our steps are numbered by God, and He allows us to go through various tests. He even allows us to be tempted. Even Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted.

     Therefore, we pray for help. We will be tempted daily, there is no doubt about that. Satan is roaming around like a lion looking for his prey. So we must ask for the help of the spirit so that we do not fall INTO temptation. Please be mindful of the spiritual battle waging around us every day. Remember stan is always at work to deceive. Be ready to stand in that day.

8  Address God as Sovereign

(For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever, Amen)

     In Daniel 4 we learn a great deal about the sovereignty of God. The greatest king in the world at that time had been humbled by God. King Nebuchadnezzar learned how sovereign God is. He said, “all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, and he does according to his will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand or say to him, “What have you done?”
     

     Sovereign means possessing ultimate power. God must be honored by us this way. This is why Jesus ends His model prayer with an acknowledgment of God’s ultimate rule. Even Jesus honored His Father this way. All kingdoms will bow to Him, all power has been given by Him, and HIs glory will fill the universe. As His servants, we must humble ourselves before Him. We should long to be men and women who bring glory to God in our lives. What an honor it is to be people that have been made to bring glory to the great God of the universe.

9  Make this your Daily Habit

(Give us this day)

Jesus shows us that our prayer life should be a daily thing. We learn in Mark,“in the morning a great while before the day He arose and went out into the desert or solitary place and there prayed.” Jesus made it a habit in His life. He was always getting away to spend time with HIs Father. Our prayer life should mimic the prayer life of Jesus. We are now children of God, and we desperately need this time every single day. Find a place and find a time that works for you and give that time to daily building up your relationship with God.