Some words in church become some familiar that it somehow makes sense to us to plaster them everywhere (even coffe mugs). But I wonder do we really understand the meaning of all the words we so often say and use in church?
Did you know the Lord’s Prayer was actually part of a lesson Jesus taught his disciples about how to pray? It comes from Matthew 6:5-14:
So, when we pray, we follow Jesus' teaching and pray saying, OUR FATHER WHO ART IN HEAVEN But I cannot say OUR if I do not live in community with other believers and instead choose to live my faith alone behind closed doors. Nor can I say FATHER if I do not demonstrate a relationship with God in my daily living and I certainly cannot say IN HEAVEN if I am so occupied with earthly things that I have no room for the treasures of heaven.
But our prayers are addressed to "Our Father in heaven." Remember this name "Father" is a new way to address God. Formerly we called Him, "the Almighty God," "the Most High God," "the Everlasting God," or "Jehovah God." No one dared call Him "Father." Only those who are born of God are the children of God. Therefore we can call Him "Father." How sweet and comforting to come to God as His child and declare: "Our Father who art in heaven."
HALLOWED BE THY NAME, But I cannot say “hallowed be Thy Name” if I, who am called by God, will not accept my holy role and I cannot say “hallowed be Thy Name” if I will not acknowledge the holy role that God plays in my life. But God glorifies His name through you and to do so we must first hold His name in high honor and reverence. The motive of our prayers must be to bring glory to God. Remember it was the Psalmist who declared, "He guides me in the paths of righteousness for His Name's sake." and also prayed saying, "Help us, God of our salvation, for the glory of Your Name. Deliver us, and forgive our sins, for Your Name's sake." (Psalm 23:3 and Psalm 79:9)
So as we pray, we acknowledge that God is holy and we can say, Hallowed by Thy Name THY KINGDOM COME: But I cannot say thy kingdom come if I am not doing all I can to prepare myself for the coming of His kingdom.
Remember on earth there are two kingdoms, each with its own king; the kingdom of God and the kingdom of Satan. Our prayer should be the same as Paul's prayer about Christ’s return, when he prayed "Come, O Lord!" (I Cor 16:22) In praying this way, I am acknowledging a truth that most of the world does not accept. My desire and my prayer must be that God will not only rule my own life, but also that God will become ruler of all. Someday Jesus is returning as King of all Kings and Lord of Lords and we should want to pray that this will happen soon. So we pray and we ask that Thy Kingdom come THY WILL BE DONE, ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN:
But I cannot say “Thy will be done”, if I am questioning, resentful, and disobedient to God’s will for my life and I cannot say “on Earth as it is in Heaven” if I am not prepared to devote my life to God’s service here and now on this Earth.
To pray "Your will be done," means I will do what God wants me to do. Even if it means I must do without something I would like to have. It means I will be content with what God supplies. To pray “your will be done” may mean taking on a responsibility you would rather not have and performing that task. But that’s just it, how can know God's will? You can discover God’s will in simple activities like Bible study, or by watching for the doors He opens while another closes, or tuning in to the concerns He puts in your heart, or listening to the prompting of the Holy Spirit in your life, or by simply finding God's peace concerning an important decision. I know this about God's will – It is His will that you use the gifts He has given you. You have a job to do, a function to perform in this gathering of believers. (Romans 12:1-8) You are a part of God’s grand plan. God never intended His church to be a group of spectators with but a few doing the work. When everyone becomes a servant of one another then “His will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven.”
GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY BREAD, but I cannot say give us “this day” while I insist on worrying about tomorrow or choose to live my life based on my past experiences and I cannot say “our daily bread” while I hold on to all of My possessions as if they were mine for tomorrow.
Have you forgotten that God promises to supply all your needs? There is no need so small that He will not be concerned about it or any need so large that He is unable to supply it. "My God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus." (Phil 4:19) This request you make is for daily bread – not weekly bread – not monthly bread – not a year’s supply of bread. This is a request for the need in front of you and that is how God delivers. “God’s mercies are new every morning” (Lam 3:22-23) God is our "Savior, who daily bears our burdens." (Psalms 68:19) God promises that "your strength will equal your days." (Deut 33:25) Paul even reminded us that “though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day” (2 Cor. 4:16). Truly as we ask - God is giving us “this day our daily bread.”
And FORGIVE US OUR TRESPASSES, AS WE FORGIVE THOSE WHO TRESPASS AGAINST US, but I cannot say “forgive us” without first acknowledging I am a sinner and that I am not perfect. I need forgiveness. I understand that and I cannot say “forgive those” and harbor a grudge against someone or believe that I am perfect. Do I really have to forgive others in order to receive forgiveness? “forgive anyone who does you wrong, just as Christ has forgiven you” ( Col 3:13)
Forgiveness comes from God alone. We must ask God for forgiveness. We each need to confess our sins to God believing that God alone can forgive my sins and I must forgive others the same way God has forgiven me. When I believe this, then I can truly say to God, “forgive me my trespasses as I forgive those who trespass against me.”
AND LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION, BUT DELIVER US FROM EVIL, but I cannot say this and then deliberately place myself in a position of temptation. I cannot say this if I am not prepared to fight evil in my own life with all the weapons that God has provided me.
Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes ... Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God ... be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints ... (Eph 6:10-18)
Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. FOR THINE IS THE KINGDOM, AND THE POWER, AND THE GLORY FOREVER, but I cannot say kingdom if I do not live in accordance with the King as His loyal subject. Nor can I say power if I live powerless - living in fear of what others may think of me and I cannot say glory if I spend my time seeking glory for myself. Nor can I say forever if I am bound by temporal things and am a slave to the here and now.
You must be willing to praise God here and now! You have the privilege of telling God and others of all the good and wonderful things God is doing, and of the great and mighty deeds He has done. As King David declared we must also be willing to say, I will bless God at all times. His praise will always be in my mouth. My soul shall boast in God. The humble shall hear of it, and be glad. Let us exalt His Name together. (Psalms 34:1-4)
So as we pray, we can proclaim together with the voices of the past and the present “for thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever.” AMEN, but I cannot even say Amen, if I am not ready to let all that I have said to God be the ruling authority for my life. I cannot ask God to make it so, if I am not willing to have it be so.
So when we pray, as Jesus taught us, it is far more than just a few words:
Our Father who art in heaven Hallowed be thy Name
Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven
Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses us
As we forgive those who trespass against us; And Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil
for Thine is the Kingdom and the Power and the Glory forever, AMEN.
This was originally presented as a dialogue. This post has been condensed but contains most of the material presented in the dialogue.
No comments:
Post a Comment