“And when you pray, you are not to be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners so that they will be seen by people. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. But as for you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door, and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you. And when you are praying, do not use thoughtless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard because of their many words. So do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him. Pray, then, in this way:
‘Our Father, who is 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 do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil." Matthew 6:5-13
I recently came across a great description of the Lord’s Prayer in my Bible that I want to share with you. This is a prayer many of us know by heart but might not think about its application too often. Jesus purposefully chose the words He did to teach us something about prayer. This model prayer teaches the manner and method of prayer and shares matters for which to pray. Each of the bold “P” words below can help give us focus in our prayer life. Take some time today to pray by using the example Christ set and consider each of the passages below.
Here’s the descriptive breakdown:
|
Phrase |
Meaning |
References |
|
“Our Father in heaven” |
Recognize who He is: the PERSON |
Romans 8:15, Isaiah 64:8 |
|
“Hallowed be Your name” |
Adore Him because of who He is: PRAISE |
Psalms 18:3, 96:8 |
|
“Your kingdom come/Your will be done” |
Seek and do God’s will. His Word is a path to finding His will: PURPOSE |
1 John 5:14 |
|
“Give us today our daily bread” |
Ask God to meet even your most mundane needs to accomplish your spiritual duties: PETITION |
Philippians 4:9 |
|
“And forgive us our debts” |
Ask God to forgive your debts or your failures to give obedience due Him: PARDON |
Psalm 66:18, Hosea 14:2 |
|
“And lead us not into temptation” |
Seek a way of escape from the evil of temptation: PROTECTION, not removal from any trials but from judgement that comes when you are overcome by trials |
1 Corinthians 10:13, James 1:2-3 |