|
THE LORD'S PRAYER
One of the disciples asked Jesus how to pray, so He gave them the Lord's prayer which is an excellent model for prayer. There's so much in it that books have been devoted solely to expounding its meaning, relevance and application.
We are commanded to pray at all times and without ceasing (Eph 6v18,1 Thess 5v17) Also another helpful memory aid is ACTS. Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving and Supplication.
'In this manner, therefore pray: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us for our debts, as we forgive our debtors. 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 6v9-13 NKJV)
Here's a few of my thoughts concerning it...
Firstly do we address, esteem and honour our heavenly Father with the respect that is due to Him in terms of what we say, what we tolerate and by our actions? Is our heavenly Father God Almighty or God our Matey? Malachi 1 v6 reads 'A son honours his father, and a servant his master. If then I am the Father, where is my honour? And if I am a Master, where is my reverence? Says the Lord of hosts to you priests who despise my name. Yet you say, 'In what way have we despised Your name?'
Are we hallowing (honouring) and allowing His holy name to be sanctified in our lives? Ezekiel prophesied of the time when 'Thus I will magnify Myself and sanctify Myself, and I will be known in the eyes of many nations. Then they shall know that I am the LORD'. (Ezekiel 38v23) Also when Israel is restored to her land in its entirety... 'When I have brought them back from the peoples and gathered them out of the enemies lands, and I am hallowed in them in the sight of many nations, then they shall know that I am the LORD their God, who sent them into captivity among the nations, but also brought them back to their land, and left none of them captive any longer.' (39v27-28)
Are we looking forward to His Kingdom coming and rule to be established? I certainly am! Jesus will rule with a rod of iron for a literal period of one thousand years whilst Satan is bound (See REV 20). No one will be able to justify their shortcomings by saying the Devil made me do it because he will be out of the way and it will reveal the wickedness of the human heart (see Jer 17v9) and the grace of our Messiah. Are we excited about the second coming, well we should be and I need to take a long hard look at my life and actions and ask myself whether the way I am living honours the fact that I am waiting His return!
Jesus is the bread of life and we need to be continually feeding on the word of God too. Man cannot live by bread alone! I simply don't pray enough and there is no escaping the fact that all who profess to be believers, need to spend time alone waiting on God, praying and reading scripture. For those who claim they are busy, too busy to pray or read Scripture myself included, we simply need to radically change our priorities and make our lifestyle agree with our actions and what we sing about on Sunday mornings and make Him the priority!
What is the biblical mandate for forgiveness? It's not difficult! Matthew 6v14-15
'For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.'
'And do not lead us into temptation' Expect God to test you! Expect to be chastened, as every child that He loves He chastens and anyone who does not endure chastening by Him, is considered illegitimate in His sight! It is obviously not pleasant at the time, but yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness (see Heb 12 v5-11)
God will not tempt you though and don't believe anyone who tells you otherwise! 'Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. LET NO ONE SAY WHEN HE IS TEMPTED, "I AM TEMPTED BY GOD"; FOR GOD CANNOT BE TEMPTED BY EVIL, NOR DOES HE HIMSELF TEMPT ANYONE.' (JAMES 1V12-13)
We should pray that He will deliver us from the evil one. James reminds us to resist the Devil. We shouldn't be foolhardy looking to actively engage in warfare with the Devil, as we are called to submit to God and resist the Devil, who will flee from us!
Finally Psalm 24 confirms that the earth is the Lord's and all its fullness (see v1) We are merely stewards under his stewardship (macro system, government) of this earth. God never changes although He does operate governing under dispensations according to His will and purpose. There have been several dispensations. A few of these include a dispensation of innocence until the fall, a dispensation of human government from the Noachic covenant until the Abrahamic one, a dispensation of the law from Moses and currently we are under His grace!
For Yours is the Kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. |
