A Conversation With God (Pt. 2)
A Conversation With God (Pt. 2)
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Thankfully prayer to God our Father does not depend on some technical achievement learned by a privileged few. Nor does it depend on a learned system of incantations or symbols. Prayer is open to all because God wants a relationship with His people. “What other nation is so great as to have their gods near them the way the Lord our God is near us whenever we pray to him?" (Deut 4:7 NIV).
All aspects of our lives are open to prayer: need for forgiveness, when in distress, needing guidance, feeling bewildered, and searching for His will.
When Jesus gave instruction in prayer, He told us that we would not be heard for our “babbling” nor for our “many words” (Matt. 6:7). He said that is what pagans do.
There are two versions of what is called the “Lord’s Prayer.” One is in Matthew 6 and the other in Luke 11. Luke’s version is as a result of the disciples asking Jesus to teach them to pray. Matthew’s is affixed to the Sermon on the Mount. In Matthew Jesus said, “Pray in this way.” In Luke Jesus said, “When you pray, say…”
Both version address God as “Father or Our Father.” While God was a father to Israel and Ephraim His firstborn (Hos. 11:1), people in OT times did not address Him as “Father.” It was Jesus who taught us to do that.
There are 3 “Thy” petitions and 3 “us” petitions in this prayer. “Hallowed be thy Name.” When we honor the name of God we honor Him. When men called upon the name of the LORD they call upon the LORD (Gen 4:26). God says, "I will vindicate the holiness of My great name which has been profaned among the nations, which you have profaned in their midst” (Ezek 36:23 NASU).
“Thy Kingdom Come.” This has a close connection with honoring God’s name because God is the King of the Kingdom. “I will extol You, my God, O King, And I will bless Your name forever and ever. Every day I will bless You, And I will praise Your name forever and ever. Great is the LORD, and highly to be praised, And His greatness is unsearchable” Ps 145:1-3). In verse 21 we read, “My mouth will speak the praise of the LORD, And all flesh will bless His holy name forever and ever.”
“Thy Will Be Done On Earth.” This will happen when God’s Kingdom finally comes in its full form. When Jesus was on earth, He introduced the Kingdom into this world of darkness (Luke 11:20). We are transferred into the Kingdom of light (Col 1:13).
The “US” petitions go like this. “Give US this day our daily Bread.”
“Forgive us our debts.” Jesus made only one comment on the Lord’s Prayer. That was in Matthew 6:14-15 where He emphasized the necessity to forgive in order to be forgiven. “For if you forgive others their trespasses your Heavenly Father will forgive you yours. But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.”
Forgiving others does not earn us the absolute right to be forgiven by God. But not forgiving others can block our being forgiven as Jesus pointed out.
Can you be forgiven and still suffer the consequences of social or status position? Is trust in a relationship automatically reestablished just because forgiveness has taken place? A pertinent example is that of King David who was forgiven for His sin but family and governmental problems continued. While David’s sin was forgiven, his baby still died regardless of how much he prayed to God for it not to happen.
“And lead us not into temptation”: God does not lead anyone into an enticement to sin. He does not tempt us (James 1:13-15). The Greek word translated “temptation” is better-rendered “test”, “trial” or “tribulation.” We cannot ask to be taken away from all tests or tribulations. Jesus said we would have them (John16: 33). Jesus prayed that His disciples would be kept from the evil one (John 17:15). This is the same word used as “but deliver us from evil (or the evil one).”
God knows how to deliver the godly out of tests or trials (2 Pet. 2:9) and He promised that He would provide a way of escape and never let us be put to a test more than we could endure (1Cor. 10:13).
In His famous parable of the sower, Jesus said that the “evil one” or “wicked one” comes and takes away the Word of the Kingdom from those who hears the Word but does not understand it (Matt. 13:19).
“For Thine is the Kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever” This is called a doxology - a hymn of praising or giving of glory to God. In some of the oldest MSS (manuscripts), this doxology is not there. But, I believe it is legitimate because it was customary for Jews to end prayers in this manner. A study of the history of the Church would show that it is very unlikely that this prayer was ever said without the doxology attached.
Interestingly, we have no record of Jesus ever saying the words of the Lord’s Prayer or of any church groups reciting it together or of any of the apostolic epistles repeating this prayer. More about the theology of prayer in our next Sabbath
David L. Antion for Guardian Ministries
-------------------
Thankfully prayer to God our Father does not depend on some technical achievement learned by a privileged few. Nor does it depend on a learned system of incantations or symbols. Prayer is open to all because God wants a relationship with His people. “What other nation is so great as to have their gods near them the way the Lord our God is near us whenever we pray to him?" (Deut 4:7 NIV).
All aspects of our lives are open to prayer: need for forgiveness, when in distress, needing guidance, feeling bewildered, and searching for His will.
When Jesus gave instruction in prayer, He told us that we would not be heard for our “babbling” nor for our “many words” (Matt. 6:7). He said that is what pagans do.
There are two versions of what is called the “Lord’s Prayer.” One is in Matthew 6 and the other in Luke 11. Luke’s version is as a result of the disciples asking Jesus to teach them to pray. Matthew’s is affixed to the Sermon on the Mount. In Matthew Jesus said, “Pray in this way.” In Luke Jesus said, “When you pray, say…”
Both version address God as “Father or Our Father.” While God was a father to Israel and Ephraim His firstborn (Hos. 11:1), people in OT times did not address Him as “Father.” It was Jesus who taught us to do that.
There are 3 “Thy” petitions and 3 “us” petitions in this prayer. “Hallowed be thy Name.” When we honor the name of God we honor Him. When men called upon the name of the LORD they call upon the LORD (Gen 4:26). God says, "I will vindicate the holiness of My great name which has been profaned among the nations, which you have profaned in their midst” (Ezek 36:23 NASU).
“Thy Kingdom Come.” This has a close connection with honoring God’s name because God is the King of the Kingdom. “I will extol You, my God, O King, And I will bless Your name forever and ever. Every day I will bless You, And I will praise Your name forever and ever. Great is the LORD, and highly to be praised, And His greatness is unsearchable” Ps 145:1-3). In verse 21 we read, “My mouth will speak the praise of the LORD, And all flesh will bless His holy name forever and ever.”
“Thy Will Be Done On Earth.” This will happen when God’s Kingdom finally comes in its full form. When Jesus was on earth, He introduced the Kingdom into this world of darkness (Luke 11:20). We are transferred into the Kingdom of light (Col 1:13).
The “US” petitions go like this. “Give US this day our daily Bread.”
“Forgive us our debts.” Jesus made only one comment on the Lord’s Prayer. That was in Matthew 6:14-15 where He emphasized the necessity to forgive in order to be forgiven. “For if you forgive others their trespasses your Heavenly Father will forgive you yours. But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.”
Forgiving others does not earn us the absolute right to be forgiven by God. But not forgiving others can block our being forgiven as Jesus pointed out.
Can you be forgiven and still suffer the consequences of social or status position? Is trust in a relationship automatically reestablished just because forgiveness has taken place? A pertinent example is that of King David who was forgiven for His sin but family and governmental problems continued. While David’s sin was forgiven, his baby still died regardless of how much he prayed to God for it not to happen.
“And lead us not into temptation”: God does not lead anyone into an enticement to sin. He does not tempt us (James 1:13-15). The Greek word translated “temptation” is better-rendered “test”, “trial” or “tribulation.” We cannot ask to be taken away from all tests or tribulations. Jesus said we would have them (John16: 33). Jesus prayed that His disciples would be kept from the evil one (John 17:15). This is the same word used as “but deliver us from evil (or the evil one).”
God knows how to deliver the godly out of tests or trials (2 Pet. 2:9) and He promised that He would provide a way of escape and never let us be put to a test more than we could endure (1Cor. 10:13).
In His famous parable of the sower, Jesus said that the “evil one” or “wicked one” comes and takes away the Word of the Kingdom from those who hears the Word but does not understand it (Matt. 13:19).
“For Thine is the Kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever” This is called a doxology - a hymn of praising or giving of glory to God. In some of the oldest MSS (manuscripts), this doxology is not there. But, I believe it is legitimate because it was customary for Jews to end prayers in this manner. A study of the history of the Church would show that it is very unlikely that this prayer was ever said without the doxology attached.
Interestingly, we have no record of Jesus ever saying the words of the Lord’s Prayer or of any church groups reciting it together or of any of the apostolic epistles repeating this prayer. More about the theology of prayer in our next Sabbath
David L. Antion for Guardian Ministries
posted by guardianministries at
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