Living the Lord's Prayer (Part II)

A sermon preached at Hebron Baptist Church, Denham Springs, Louisiana on February 3, 2013 by Pastor Joe Alain.

Scripture Reading: Matthew 6:9-13
That the disciples had a great desire to learn how to pray (see Lk. 11:1), tells us (1) that they realized just how dependent they were on the strength and wisdom of the Lord. (2) and how they were also encouraged to learn how to pray because Jesus’ prayer life was so dynamic and effective. Jesus was a man of prayer and consequently a man of purpose and peace. The disciples saw Jesus’ example and were saying, “Lord, we want what you have, but more importantly, we need what you have!”

Last Sunday we began to explore what we call “The Lord’s Prayer” or “The Disciple’s Prayer,” since Jesus is teaching the disciples how to pray in response to their request (Lk. 11:1). Following is a review of what I shared in last week’s message on the nature of prayer.
1. Prayer is a relationship. Believers know God as “Our Father in heaven.”

2. Prayer is an expression of faith. In prayer we acknowledge God’s reality, that we are trusting in Him, and that we receive from “Our Father” in prayer.

3. Prayer is an ongoing dialogue. Prayer is a conversation with God.

4. Prayer is learned. We’re all beginners in prayer, we’re children. However, prayer is a spiritual discipline that can be cultivated. This is why Jesus provides a “How to” model for praying.

We also identified two models of prayer that Jesus said to avoid.
1. The Hypocrite’s Prayer (6:5)

2. The Heathen’s Prayer (6:7)
Both of these models lack authenticity, they are not based on a personal relationship with God. In prayer we are to be real, genuine, honest. Relationships are built on honesty, not deception. So it is with our relationship with God.

After teaching us how not to pray, Jesus then gives us the specifics of how to pray. What does Jesus say about how to pray?
“This is how you should pray:”
1. Pray that God’s name is honored (6:9b)
The word “hallowed” means “to make holy” or “to treat as holy.” God is holy, he is pure, he is separate from sin, he is glorious and mighty. This very hour in heaven the angels are singing to the Father with joy singing “Holy, holy, holy,” praising the One who is worthy of all praise and adoration. The Father is holy and his name is holy. The “name” has to do with character. God’s names reveal His being, His character. So to hallow God’s name is to honor or praise His character, His attributes, His person, who He is. Prayer begins with an acknowledgment of God, an honoring of God for who He is.

How can we hallow, honor God’s name? How do we bring glory to God’s name? To honor God’s name means we will . . .
    (1) Take God seriously (Ex. 20:7). The third commandment tells us to not take God’s name in vain (i.e., lightly) (Ex. 20:7). To honor God’s name means we are taking God seriously, we are not taking Him for granted, we are not living our lives as if He did not exist.

    (2) Trust in His name (Jn. 1:12; Acts 4:12). This means we will have faith in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ.

    (3) Grow in our understanding of His name (2 Pet. 3:18). As we grow in our understanding of God, our prayer life/relationship will deepen.

    (4) Praise His name (Ps. 8:1; 9:1-2; 34:1-3; Heb. 13:15).
It is good to begin our times of prayer with praise for some aspect of God’s character represented in His names. For example, He is . . .
    Jehovah Jireh . . . “The Lord will provide” (Gen. 22:14)
    Emmanuel . . . God with us! (Isa. 7:14)
    Jesus . . . God come to save us from our sins! (Matt. 1:21)

    (5) Live a life that honors His name (Matt. 5:13-ff.; 1 Pet. 1:15-16). Praying that God’s name is honored means we will seek to live our lives in such a way that we bring honor to His name. As children of God we bear “Our Father’s” name, we bear the name “Christian.”

Our enjoyment in prayer, our effectiveness in praying, our relationship with God in prayer is all connected with how we live our lives. “My living effects my praying, and my praying effects my living.” As Jesus described him, the hypocrite can pray eloquently, impressively, and not give it any thought to being real and living holy, because the hypocrite is not talking to God, he’s talking to himself and others. The pagan, the person without Christ can pray long formulas mumbling repeatedly for days on end, not concerned about living holy before God because there is no connection with the living God. The line is dead. But Jesus says “When you pray,” it will be different because you have knowledge of the “Father in heaven” through Me. Your living does effect your praying, but your praying also effects your living.

2. Pray that God’s kingdom will come on earth (6:10)
The kingdom of God is “His rule.” The coming of our Father’s kingdom will bring about the full reign of God when it is ultimately consummated at the end of time. To ask for God’s kingdom to come on earth implies that it is not fully here yet. So we are praying, longing for that final establishment of God’s rule over all His creation.

We as followers of Jesus live in the tension of the kingdom being present in the ministry of Jesus and among us who call Him our King. Where there are followers of Jesus, there is the kingdom in part. But it’s not fully hear yet, so we are to pray for it to be fully realized. This is pretty radical when you consider what we’re praying for. We’re praying for God’s kingdom and will to be done not only among us, but in all the earth, among every people group, in every nation!

The question is, “how does God’s kingdom come?” The second phrase of verse 10 tells us. God’s kingdom comes when and wherever His “will” is done “on earth as it is in heaven.” Where you find God’s will being done, you will find the kingdom. When a Dad and Mom love one another, treat each other with respect and show the fruit of the Sprit in their home, there is the kingdom. When parents love their children by teaching them the things of God so they will come to know the Lord and love Him, there is the kingdom. When an employer treats his employees the way that he would seek to be treated, with honesty, integrity, there is the kingdom. When nations deal with their problems at the negotiating table, choosing to be peace makers rather than the battle field, there is the kingdom. When a community has concern for the least among us and seeks to minister God’s love in tangible ways, there is the kingdom. When and wherever you see God’s will being done, there is the kingdom.

We live on planet earth (well most of us do), but the problem from our perspective of being in Christ is that we see much in our world that does not look like God’s kingdom. We see heartbreak, families in disarray, strife, works of the flesh – the effects of sin. So we pray for God’s will to be done “on earth as it is in heaven.” But implied in praying for this is our willingness to carry out God’s will on earth.

Are we satisfied with all of the “heaven” on earth that we see? In our family? In our community? Are we satisfied that young people are killing one another, that people wander in sin without direction and without any hope, that our society is moving farther away from God, that fewer people fear God, that Christians make such little impact in our culture, that injustice and wickedness is increasing? If not, then we must pray for God’s kingdom to come on earth, that His will be done, and let it begin in me! If we do long for God’s kingdom, we will pray, “Lord, Your holy will be done in my life, my family, my home, church, community, country, world.” If God’s kingdom is going to come on earth as it is in heaven, if God’s will is to be done on earth as it is in heaven, it will begin with those who hallow, who honor His name. 

Have you noticed that all of what Jesus has said about prayer so far is God-centered. Prayer is first directed vertically, to “our Father in heaven” (6:9). Only then does prayer move in the direction of making personal requests. Prayer is so much more than reciting to God our grocery list of needs. God-honoring prayer will begin with honoring Him as holy in all of my life and praying for His kingdom to come and His will to be done in my life first, then the world.

There is no question that we need help from God. “Our Father” understands that and He has given us permission to ask Him to meet every possible need we will ever have.
3. Pray about our daily needs (6:11)
Your Father knows that you have needs. He knows that you need food on the table, clothes on your back, shoes for your feet. He knows you need a roof over your head, a car that runs, and a job to sustain all of these needs. Most people do not consider daily needs very spiritual. They see nothing particularly spiritual about paying the mortgage or rent, washing dishes, or fixing a leaky toilet. But for the Christian, these daily routine matters provide ongoing evidence that God is at work in our lives and He cares deeply about every detail of our lives.

Aside from the fact that God does meet our needs, the immediate “take away” from praying about our daily needs, is that we are released from worry. Jesus refers to anxiety or worry five times in the short passage that follows closely after the Lord’s prayer (Matt. 6:25-34). As children do not worry about what they will eat, or where they will sleep (unless we as adults project our anxiety upon them), so we can live a worry-free child-like existence. This doesn’t mean that we will live a “trouble free” existence, but we can live a “worry free” one. This is the kind of relationship that God invites us to experience when we pray about our daily needs. What are you anxious about? What keeps you up at night? What pressing daily need do you have? Bring it before your “Father in heaven” and experience His peace that surpasses all human understanding.

The other side of this request is that praying for our needs makes us keenly aware that God is the source of our blessings. This in turn makes us grateful to God for His blessings. People that pray about their needs are grateful people. In prayer we realize that God has been faithful, he has provided our needs and we are reminded that every thing we have is a gift from God. People that pray much, give thanks much.

4. Pray for forgiveness (6:12)
Debt is a concept we all understand. We worry about debt, we work hard to get out of it, sometimes it keeps us up at night. But when is the last time your sin kept you up at night because you realized that you were in debt to God? Sin is always serious and it drives a wedge between us and our “Father. Clinging to sin and seeking His kingdom cannot happen at the same time.

For us to honor His name, we desperately need the freedom of a clear conscience. One of the sweetest blessings in life is to live with a clear conscience. You say, “how is this possible?” God has provided a way for us to be forgiven, to be released from guilt. And this promise is for all wh will pray for forgiveness. However, our confession of sin needs to be specific (1 Jn. 1:8-9). “Anything less than full disclosure always brings less than full release.” A wise man once told me when I was a young Christian, “Be sure to keep a low ‘Sin Account.’” What he meant was that I needed to make sure that I did not let sins accumulate in my life. Instead, I needed to keep a “0" balance by seeking God’s forgiveness and cleansing immediately and daily. I discovered that in Jesus not only am I “sin debt” free, I can free because of God’s provision in Christ!

In asking God for forgiveness, it is assumed that we will forgive others, “as we also have forgiven our debtors.” Does this mean that forgiveness is conditional? Those who are willing to forgive (release) others show that they have been truly forgiven (see Matt. 18:21-35). A true experience of grace makes us gracious toward others who have wronged us. When we refuse to forgive, we are the ones held captive.

5. Pray for protection from evil (6:13)
Ken Hemphill says, “The quickest way to make this request a reality . . . is to realize that we can make no headway in holiness without God’s constant provision. Not only are we no match for our adversary the Devil, but we cannot even trust ourselves for help in keeping our lives clean.”

Temptation is the pull of our own lust, which leads us to sin. When we pray for protection from temptation, we are asking God to protect us from situations that would test our vulnerability. As you start your day, ask God to keep you far away from compromising situations as possible. These situations might included the gossip at the office, ungodly internet sites, or situations that would compromise your integrity. 

You know the sins that cause you the most trouble. You know the warning lights when you’re in the wrong place with the wrong people. Pray to be kept from these situations and you will find strength from the Lord to avoid these situations. When Jesus was tempted He quoted Scripture (Matt. 4:1-11). What Scripture could you quote when dealing with specific temptations? Whatever your weakness is, there’s an “ap” for that (i.e., God has provided a Word from Scripture to help you).

Our living effects our praying, and our praying effects our living. Do you need freedom from worry about our needs? Do you need a clear conscience? Do you need strength in temptations? Then pray and keep on praying to your “Father in heaven.”