The Lord’s Prayer Unpacked
The Lord’s Prayer Unpacked
Why are we praying? When we pray to connect with God, we set in motion the direc tion that our thoughts, words, and deeds can go; if we choose to be connected they will go that way.
How are we praying?
Jesus tells us how to pray:
Pray with Simplicity
“And when you come before God, don’t turn that into a theatrical production either. All these people making a regular show out of their prayers, hoping for stardom! Do you think God sits in a box seat?
“Here’s what I want you to do: Find a quiet, secluded place so you won’t be tempted to role-play before God. Just be there as simply and honestly as you can manage. The focus will shift from you to God, and you will begin to sense His grace…This is your Father you are dealing with, and he knows better than you what you need. With a God like this loving you, you can pray very simply.”
Matthew 6:5-9 MSG
When we consider our relationship with God the words unpretentiousness, rever ence, intentionality and sincerity come to mind. By understanding who God is and whose we are we can pray with simplicity straight from our heart regardless of the words with authentic humility and sincerity.
Jesus then tells us what to pray. They are not to be empty words that are memorized but consider what they mean when we pray, every time we pray.
“Our Father in heaven, help us to honor your name.”
Matthew 6:9 CEV
Who are we praying to? Not only are we praying to the God who created all things we are praying to our heavenly Father. Our Father that loved us so much He gave His only begotten Son to pay the price for all of our sins so we would have a pathway home to Him. We are praying to the one who loves us so much He gave us the Holy Spirit so we would have the ability, when we chose to depend on Him to be in perfect relationship with God our Father.
“Come and set up your kingdom, so that everyone on earth will obey you, as you are obeyed in heaven.” Matthew 6:10 CEV
Understanding that He came into the world to give us a way home to heaven but didn’t leave us alone to do it on our own but sent the Holy Spirit to empower us to live the principles of heaven here on earth.
“Give us our food for today.”
Matthew 6:11 CEV
Give us what we need not necessarily what we want but what will help us stay on track with Your plan God to bring your love, and freedom to others.
“Forgive us for doing wrong, as we forgive others.”
Matthew 6:12 CEV
Humbly acknowledge our need for forgiveness and with our understanding our fail ures, weaknesses and sins that we are eager to forgive those who harm us. Our sins may be different but our need to be forgiven is the same.
I was in treatment years ago for alcoholism. I was just a new Jesus follower and felt the guilt of my failures and sin. My counselor was a professed agnostic who chal lenged me by saying; “Aren’t you a Christian? Don’t you believe God sent His Son for the forgiveness of sin? Well until you are willing to forgive yourself you need to put your name above God’s name because you are telling God, by not forgiving yourself you would require more than He does. ”In essence by not forgiving others or ourselves we are saying we are greater than God we have been hurt more than He has been and we would require more for the forgiveness of our transgressions or trans gressors than He does. That is arrogant pride not humility.
“In prayer there is a connection between what God does and what you do. You can’t get forgiveness from God, for instance, without also forgiving others. If you refuse to do your part, you cut yourself off from God’s part.”
Matthew 6:14 MSG
Jesus goes on to let us know we have our part as well, what He does needs to be evi dent in our lives or we’re just talking, talking, talking to make ourselves feel better. He goes on to say:
“Keep us from being tempted and protect us from evil.”
Matthew 6:13 CEV
When we pray asking Him to keep us from being tempted and protect us from evil, when sincere, we submit our will, thoughts and actions to His authority. It is the only way it works. God will not violate the very freedom to choose that He sacrificed so much for us to have. In order for God to keep us we have to submit to His protection.
The entire “Lord’s Prayer” is about complete submission to God in thought, word and deed. It is about us knowingly acknowledging God for who He is and our desire to be a part of His life in us and His plan in the world. It is an intimate, decisive, and unconditional acceptance and agreement to have Him in control of our lives with evi dence that we walk it and not just talk it. Because we have given God control of our thoughts, emotions and lives, we can love and forgive with grace; by the same grace we were loved and forgiven.
Do we search inside ourselves and decide if we can willingly pray the Lord’s Prayer? Are we consciously making the decision to submit our will, thoughts, words, and ac tions to God? Do we know that because He brought heaven to earth through Jesus’ live, resurrection, and gift of the Holy Spirit we are able to pray the Lord’s Prayer in confidence?
We don’t have to live this prayer alone, He is right here with us empowering us to cause the principles of heaven to be active here in the earth.
The Lord’s Prayer:
Pray then like this:
“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 our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.”
Matthew 6:9-13 ESV
Will you pray this today?