All Bible verses are from NIV, if not otherwise
mentioned.
Matthew 6:9-13
9 This,
then, is how you should 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 today our daily bread.
12 And
forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And
lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’
Matthew 6:13 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. (KJV)
Luke 11:2-4
2 He
said to them, “When you
pray, say: “‘Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come.
3 Give
us each day our daily bread.
4 Forgive
us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not
into temptation.’”
Two
versions
Lord’s Prayer has two versions.
In Matthew 6:9-13
and in Luke
11:2-4
In Mathew it is longer and expanded, in Luke it is shorter.
The occasion in which our Lords told this prayer is also slightly
different.
Matthew 6:5-9
5 And
when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in
the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell
you, they have received their reward in full.
6 But
when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who
is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
7 And
when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be
heard because of their many words.
8 Do
not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
9 This,
then, is how you should pray: “‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,
Luke
11:1, 2
1 One day Jesus
was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to
him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.”
2 He
said to them, “When you
pray, say: “‘Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come.
It is because Jesus told them at two different
occasions..
1.
Rabbis of the
time of Jesus taught everything orally.
Disciples had to
memorize all the teaching.
So it was usual and
natural for the Rabbi to teach the same thing repeatedly at different
occasions.
2.
The disciples were
not recording everything as Jesus spoke.
They
wrote the Gospels at a later period recollecting everything from their memory.
And they
were not recording every incident and every word.
They
certainly made a selection by the guidance of Holy Spirit and recorded them for
their target audience.
So they
recorded only whatever they thought necessary to transfer the message to the
readers.
Bible scholars have agreed upon that the Prayer in
Matthew is complete and better.
Introduction
The Lord’s Prayer has two sections:
1.
The first
teaches us things we need to know about God
2.
The second
teaches us those things which are to know about ourselves.
Knowing
God and knowing ourselves is, then, the theme of this prayer.
Putting these two things together sums up the
entire corpus of things that we need to know in order to live for God.
The prayer is about the
Kingdom of God.
The Gospel proclaimed by Jesus was the good news about
the Kingdom of God.
Kingdom of God is the core of His teaching.
The prayer is about:
1.
The relationship
between the King and the citizens.
2.
The nature of the
kingdom
3.
An intend for His
kingdom
4.
Prosperity in the
kingdom
5.
The eligibility
of the citizens
6.
A request for
protection from the evil one.
7.
A doxology
1. The
relationship
Matthew 6:9 This, then, is how you should pray:
“‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,
Everything revolves around the relationship.
The relationship defines everything that is stated in
the prayer.
Psalms 23 starts with a statement that:
Psalms 23:1 The Lord
is my shepherd,
I lack nothing.
Everything stated in the psalm is applicable only to
those who are under such a relationship with the King.
It is a father-son relationship.
The prayer begins with acknowledging the son ship of
His citizens.
Romans 8:14-16
14 For
those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.
15 The Spirit you
received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the
Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba,
Father.”
16 The
Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.
Galatians 4:4-7
4 But
when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under
the law,
5 to
redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship.
6 Because you are his sons, God sent the
Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba,
Father.”
7 So
you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God
has made you also an heir.
2. The
nature of the kingdom
Matthew 6:9 This, then, is how you should pray: “‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,
The word hallowed means, to render or pronounce holy.
God's name is essentially holy.
The meaning of this petition is, "Let thy name be
celebrated, and venerated, and esteemed as holy everywhere, and receive of all
men proper honours."
The kingdom is a holy
nation because the King is holy.
The King is the Kingdom.
Leviticus 11:45 I am the Lord, who brought you up out of Egypt to be your God; therefore be
holy, because I am holy.
1Peter 1:15, 16
15 But just
as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do;
16 for it is written: “Be holy, because I am
holy.”
Peter refers to Leviticus 11:45
3. An
intend for His kingdom
Matthew 6:10 your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
The prayer ‘your kingdom come’ and
‘your will be done’ is one and the same thing.
Kingdom of God is the redemptive hope of the Old
Testament saints.
The
Kingdom of God was the central message of Jesus.
The
gospel of Mark introduces Jesus and His mission with these words:
Mark 1:13-14
14 After
John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of
God.
15 “The
time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come
near. Repent and believe the good news!”
Matthew’s
summary of Jesus’ ministry is similar:
Matthew 4:23 Jesus
went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news
of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people.
Luke
chimes in on the same note with this comment:
Luke 4:43
But he said, “I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God
to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent.”
What is the Kingdom of God?
The
Hebrew word for kingdom is malkut and its Greek counterpart is basileia.
Both
terms primarily mean “rule” or “reign.”
Both
terms have a dynamic or active meaning, and refer to the exercise of God’s power, dominion, or
sovereignty.
Only secondarily do they denote a realm,
sphere, or territory over which a rule or reign is exercised.
This
is clear in the Old Testament.
Psalm 22:28 for dominion belongs to the Lord and he rules over the nations.
Psalm 103:19 The Lord has established his throne in
heaven, and his kingdom rules over all.
Here
kingdom is associated with the ideas of God’s rule, sovereignty, and power.
The New
Testament term
The
New Testament term means the same
thing.
When
we pray, “your kingdom
come, your will be
done, on earth as it is in heaven (Matt. 6:10),” we are asking God to exert His authority in the world so
that His purposes are achieved.
In
Colossians
1:13, Paul teaches that redemption amounts to an exchange of rulers over our lives,
stating that God has delivered us believers
Colossians 1:13 For he has rescued us from the dominion of
darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves,
Thus,
the New Testament nuance for kingdom in these verses connect it with the
exertion of God’s will, the act of ruling
or reigning, the exercise of authority.
John the Baptist announced that the Kingdom of God was at hand.
He
meant that God’s rule was just about
to break into the world through the Messiah.
Jesus Christ
preached and proclaimed the Gospel of the Kingdom of God.
He
meant that in and by Himself, God was exercising His power and authority in a
redemptive way against all the evil in the world!
Kingdom of God does refer to:
The active, dynamic exercise of God’s rule,
authority, dominion, and power in the world.
The rule
of God manifested in Christ
to bring redemption to the
earth.
Kingdom
of God is the redemptive reign of God.
It
is dynamically active to establish his rule among human beings.
It
has already come into human history in the person and mission of Jesus to
overcome evil, to deliver people from its power, and to bring them into the
blessings of God’s reign.
The Apocalyptic appearance of the Kingdom
The
Kingdom will appear as an apocalyptic act, with signs and wonders, at the end
of the age.
The
Kingdom of God involves two great moments:
1.
Fulfillment within
history [already]
2.
Consummation at the
end of history [not yet].
Praying for two kind of
Kingdom (rule of God)
1.
You are a kingdom
The prayer is an agreement for the rule of God in your
life.
1Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation,
God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called
you out of darkness into his wonderful light.
Peter echoes the verse from Exodus 19:5,6
Exodus 19:5, 6
5 Now if
you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my
treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine,
6 you
will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words you
are to speak to the Israelites.”
Revelation 1:6 and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and
Father—to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.
2.
The future fulfillment of the Kingdom
We
are praying for the future manifestation
of the Kingdom.
The
apocalyptic discourses in the synoptic gospels leave no doubt about Christ’s
bodily second coming, and the final establishment of God’s rule in the world.
Matthew 25:31-34
31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and
all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne.
32 All the nations will be gathered before him,
and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the
sheep from the goats.
33 He will put the sheep on his right and the
goats on his left.
34 “Then the King will say to those on his right,
‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom
prepared for you since the creation of the world.
Hebrews 11:13-16
13 All
these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive
the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance,
admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth.
14 People
who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own.
15 If
they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had
opportunity to return.
16 Instead,
they were
longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not
ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.
Hebrews 13:12-14
12 And so Jesus also suffered outside the city
gate to make the people holy through his own blood.
13 Let us, then, go to him outside the camp,
bearing the disgrace he bore.
14 For here we do not have an enduring city, but
we are looking for the city that is to come.
2 Peter 3:9-14
9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise,
as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone
to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief.
The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire,
and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare.
11 Since everything will be destroyed in this way,
what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives
12 as you look forward to the day of God and speed
its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire,
and the elements will melt in the heat.
13 But in keeping with his promise we are looking
forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.
14 So then, dear friends, since you are looking
forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace
with him.
Revelation
11:15 The
seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, which
said: “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his
Messiah, and he
will reign for ever and ever.”
Revelation 19:11-16 depicts the King of Kings and Lord of Lords returning to
bring judgment upon the nations.
Revelations 19:11-16
11 I saw heaven standing open and there before me
was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges
and wages war.
12 His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head
are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself.
13 He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and
his name is the Word of God.
14 The armies of heaven were following him, riding
on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean.
15 Coming out of his mouth is a sharp sword with
which to strike down the nations. “He will rule them with an iron scepter.” He
treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty.
16 On his robe and on his thigh he has this name
written: king of kings and lord of lords.
Revelation 21:1-5 conveys the glory of our final estate in very hopeful
terms.
Revelation 21:1-5
1
Then
I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth
had passed away, and there was no longer any sea.
2
I
saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God,
prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.
3
And
I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now
among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God
himself will be with them and be their God.
4
‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’
or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”
5
He
who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said,
“Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”
According to His promise we are looking for new heavens and
a new earth, in which righteousness dwells.
4. Prosperity
in the kingdom
Matthew
6:11 Give us today
our daily bread.
Give up the negative attitude to this prayer.
This is not a prayer for a scarce life, but for a
prosperous life.
A manifestation of the Kingdom is seen in the Desert Church
of the Israel.
It was a nation, chosen people, ruled by the King.
They were provided food, drink, shelter, clothes,
healing and protection against enemies.
This is prosperity.
Prosperity is the well being of
1.
Soul
2.
Health
3.
Material
3 John 1:1, 2
1
The elder, To my dear friend Gaius, whom I love in the truth.
2
Dear
friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with
you, even as your soul is getting along well. (NIV)
1 The elder
unto the well beloved Gaius, whom I love in the truth.
2 Beloved, I
wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy
soul prospereth. (KJV)
Adam Clarke’s
Commentary
The prayer of St. John for Caius includes three
particulars:
1. Health of body
2. Health of soul
3. Prosperity in secular affairs.
Prosperity and luxury are
two things.
Prosperity is living
peaceful with no worries.
Shalom
Shalom is commonly translated as “peace”.
It is used as both a greeting and farewell.
Shalom
– Hebrew meaning
“Peace” is an accurate translation of the term.
But shalom implies more than lack of conflict.
Strong’s Exhaustive
Concordance, (7965 from 7999)
Completeness
Wholeness
Health
Peace
Welfare
safety
soundness
tranquility
prosperity
perfectness
fullness
rest
harmony
the
absence of agitation or discord.
Perfect
(root verb)
Full
(root verb)
Shalom
comes from the root verb shalam (shalem) shalom meaning to be complete, perfect and full.
Shalom is
applicable to an external peace between two entities—such as individuals or
nations—and to an internal sense of peace within the individual.
In
modern Hebrew the obviously related word Shelem means to pay for, and Shulam
means to be fully paid.
Numbers
6:22-27
22 The Lord said to Moses, 23 “Tell Aaron and his sons, ‘This is how you
are to bless the Israelites. Say to them:
24 “‘“The Lord bless you and keep you;
25 the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you;
26 the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.”’
27 “So they will put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless
them.”
Judges 6:22-24
22 When
Gideon realized that it was the angel of the Lord, he exclaimed, “Alas, Sovereign Lord! I have seen the angel of the Lord face to face!”
23 But the Lord said to him, “Peace! Do not be
afraid. You are not going to die.”
24 So
Gideon built an altar to the Lord there and called it The Lord Is Peace. To this day it stands in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.
(NIV)
22 And
when Gideon perceived that he was an angel of the LORD, Gideon said, Alas, O
Lord GOD! for because I have seen an angel of the LORD face to face.
23 And
the LORD said unto him, Peace be unto thee; fear not: thou shalt not die.
24 Then
Gideon built an altar there unto the LORD, and called it Jehovahshalom: unto this day it
is yet in Ophrah of the Abiezrites. {Jehovahshalom: that is, The LORD send
peace}
(KJV)
Isaiah 9:6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and
the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful
Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince <sar> of Peace <shalowm>.
The desert life is a prosperous life.
5. The
eligibility of the citizens
Matthew
6:12 And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
Matthew 18:23-35
32 “Then the master called the servant in. ‘You
wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged
me to.
33 Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow
servant just as I had on you?’
34 In anger his master handed him over to the
jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.
35 “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each
of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”
Luke 7:36-48
47 Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been
forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little
loves little.”
48 Then
Jesus said to her, “Your
sins are forgiven.”
Genesis 41:50-52
50 Before
the years of famine came, two sons were born to Joseph by Asenath daughter of
Potiphera, priest of On.
51 Joseph named his firstborn Manasseh and
said, “It is because God has made me forget all my trouble and all my father’s
household.”
Matthew 5:23-24
23 “Therefore,
if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother
or sister has something against you,
24 leave
your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then
come and offer your gift.
6. A
Request for Protection from Sin and Its Punishments
Matthew
6:13
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the
evil one.’
Offence
is better than defense.
There are
several explanations for getting around this.
The first
is that temptation is not an accurate translation.
Fowler
suggests that the Greek term peirasmos can mean temptation, but can also
mean "test of character".
At
several points in the Bible God tests his followers, and this could be a plea
to avoid such unpleasant testing.
Schweizer
notes that this would be a departure from the Judaism of the period where the
faithful would pray to be tested, so that they could prove their loyalty to
God.
The confusion arises because ever since the
seventeenth century, we have tended to use the word tempt in a restrictive
negative sense.
But the word is capable of a positive rendition
in the sense of "testing".
And in the Greek the same word is used of
both senses.
"Temptation is not sin," says J. I.
Packer, "for Christ was tempted as we are, yet remained sinless (Hebrews
4:15).
Temptation becomes sin only when and as the
suggestion of evil is accepted and yielded to."
James 1:13-15
13 When
tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by
evil, nor does he tempt anyone;
14 but
each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and
enticed.
15 Then,
after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is
full-grown, gives birth to death.
And Jesus
is teaching us to pray that we may be protected when we find ourselves faced
with situations and enticements that would drag us away from loyalty to him.
The prayer is: “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.”
The second part is the expansion of the first part, an explanation.
It is talking about the “evil one”.
So it is sound to assume that the temptation Jesus spoke about is a temptation or trial brought upon us by the evil one.
Jesus is asking us to pray for protection against the evil one and his evil schemes.
Luke 22:40 On reaching the place, he said to them, “Pray
that you will not fall into temptation.”
John 17:15 My prayer is not that you take
them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one.
2 Thessalonians 3:3 But the Lord is faithful, and he
will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one.
2 Timothy 4:18 The Lord will rescue me from every
evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory
for ever and ever. Amen.
7. A Doxology
Matthew 6:13
13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil:
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen. (KJV)
Doxology is a hymn or verse in Christian liturgy
glorifying God.
It is the concluding part of the prayer, praising God.
____________________
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