THE HEART OF THE LORD’S PRAYER

The Teaching Ministry of Rick Trice

Trinity Fellowship

Raton, NM

2/6/05

Scripture Reference

Matthew 6:7‑8

“Our Father, Who art in Heaven, Hallowed by Thy Name; Thy Kingdom Come Thy Will be Done In Earth as it is in Heaven.  Give Us this day our daily bread and forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.  And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one for thine is the Kingdom, and the Power and The Glory, Forever and ever, Amen.”

JESUS HAS GIVEN US THE MODEL PRAYER OF ALL TIME. BUT IN SO DOING, HE GIVES US A COUPLE OF WARNINGS (MATT. 6:5ff)

*DO NOT PRAY LIKE A HYPOCRITE

*PRAY IN YOUR SECRET PLACE (“FROM THE HEART”)

*DO NOT USE VAIN REPITITIONS (IT’S NOT QUANTITY, IT’S QUALITY)

*FATHER GOD KNOWS WHAT YOU NEED ALREADY!

Our Father, (Galatians 4:4-7)

TWO THINGS HAVE TO HAPPEN TO CALL GOD “FATHER:” REDEMPTION AND ADOPTION

REDEMPTION: GREEK AND ROMAN CONCEPT; A SLAVE GOOD BE MADE FREE BY BUYING OUT HIS “REDEMPTION PRICE,” OR BY SOMEONE ELSE PAYING IT FOR HIM.

ADOPTION: WAS ALSO A ROMAN CONCEPT; IF YOU WERE ADOPTED BY A ROMAN, YOUR RIGHTS WERE AS STRONGER, IF NOT STRONGER, THAN BLOOD RELATIVES’.

WHAT RIGHTS DID WE INHERIT AS SONS OF GOD? THE RIGHT TO CALL HIM “ABBA FATHER.” THIS WAS THE TERM THAT, UP TIL NOW, HAD BEEN RESERVED FOR JESUS. AS ADOPTED SONS AND DAUGHTERS, WE NOW HAVE THE RIGHT TO CALL HIM “OUR ABBA FATHER!”

Who art in Heaven,

. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” MAT 6:33

WE CANNOT FOCUS ON GOD AND THE WORLD AT THE SAME TIME. WE ARE NOT TO WORRY ABOUT WHAT IS GOING ON AROUND US. WE ARE TO GIVE UP THESE THINGS TO GOD (“CAST ALL YOUR CARE UPON ME, FOR I CARE FOR YOU” 1 PETER 5:7)

Hallowed by Thy Name;

GOD’S NAME IS NOT HOLY, JUST BECAUSE WE SAY IT IS. GOD’S NAME IS HOLY BECAUSE HE SAYS IT IS.

“YAHWEH” TOLD HIS NAME TO MOSES, THEN TOLD HIM NOT TO UTTER IT BECAUSE IT WAS TOO HOLY.

BUT HERE, JESUS IS TELLING US THAT THE FIRST ORDER OF BUSINESS IN PRAYER IS TO PRAISE ABBA FATHER’S NAME, TO PRAISE HIM FOR HIS HOLINESS, AND TO PRAISE HIM FOR HIS ETERNAL EXISTENCE (HALLOWED BE THY NAME).

Thy Kingdom Come, Thy Will be Done In Earth as it is in Heaven.

(PSALM 103:19-22)

GOD HAS ESTABLISHED HIS THRONE IN HEAVEN;

HE HAS DECREED DOMINION.

NOW, 1 PETER 5:8 SAYS THE DEVIL ROAMS BACK AND FORTH IN THE EARTH, SEEKING WHO HE MIGHT DEVOUR. SO, FOR A SEASON, WE KNOW THE DEVIL IS FREE TO ROAM.

BUT IN OUR PRAYER LIFE, AND THE SECOND MOST IMPORTANT THING WE ARE TO PRAY IN JESUS’ MODEL, IS FOR EVERYTHING IN THE EARTH TO LINE UP WITH GOD’S WILL, EXACTLY THE WAY EVERYTHING IN HEAVEN IS LINED UP.

AND IT’S ALSO A STATEMENT OF FACT: EVERYTHING IN EARTH WILL ONE DAY BE PERFECTLY LINED UP WITH GOD’S WORD AND GOD’S DOMINION.

Give Us this day our daily bread

WE ARE FIVE ITEMS INTO THIS MODEL PRAYER, BEFORE JESUS SAYS WE CAN START ASKING GOD FOR SOMETHING FOR OURSELVES!!! AND THEN, IT’S JUST A LITTLE, TEENY WEENY REQUEST: MAKE SURE I GOT SOMETHING TO EAT TODAY, LORD!

THE GREEK WORD TRANSLATED “DAILY” HERE MEANS TODAY, TOMORROW, AND ETERNALLY.

SO NOT ONLY IS JESUS SAYING, (6:31FF) “FOCUS ON GOD, DON’T WORRY ABOUT YOUR PHYSICAL NEEDS” HE’S SAYING TO REALIZE THAT GOD CARES FOR ALL YOUR NEEDS, SPIRITUAL AND PHYSICAL.

V 19 HE SAYS “DO NOT LAY UP FOR YOURSELVES TREASURES” BUT LAY UP FOR YOURSELVES HEAVENLY TREASURE.

THIS IS MISUNDERSTOOD TO MEAN GOD DOESN’T WANT YOU TO BE BLESSSED ON EARTH. THE FOCUS ON THIS VERSE IS “FOR YOURSELVES.” GOD WANTS TO DO THE BLESSING. BUT ONLY IF WE FOCUS ON THE HEAVENLY, WHICH IS WHERE HE IS.

And forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us

INHERANT IN THIS SENTENCE IS THE IDEA THAT GOD WILL TREAT US THE WAY WE TREAT OTHERS!

IT’S CALLED “UNCONDITIONAL.”

THE NKJV USES THE WORD “DEBTS” INSTEAD OF “SINS”. THIS PUTS A LITTLE DIFFERENT SPIN ON IT. HOW MANY OF YOU WOULD LIKE YOUR DEBTS WIPED AWAY? A DEBT IS SOMETHING YOU OWE, USUALLY BY CONTRACT.

HOW MANY OF US HOLD GRUDGES LIKE THAT PERSON OWES IT TO US. “BOY, HE’LL BE SORRY HE SAID THAT. I’LL MAKE HIM PAY SOMEDAY FOR THAT!”

JESUS IS SAYING, “WHAT IF GOD FORGIVES YOU THE WAY YOU DON’T FORGIVE OTHERS?”

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one

THIS PRAYER REQUEST HAS TO COME FOLLOWING OUR REQUEST TO BE FORGIVEN, BECAUSE JESUS IS SAYING THAT IF YOU ARE TRULY FORGIVEN THEN YOU NO LONGER HAVE TO TRUST IN YOUR OWN STRENGTH TO OVERCOME TEMPTATION.

WE CAN TRUST GOD NOT TO LET US BE TEMPTED BEYOND THE STRENGTH HE HAS PUT IN US TO RESIST; AND WILL ALWAYS PROVIDE A WAY OF ESCAPE FROM THE TEMPTATION (1 COR 10:13).

JESUS ALSO MAKES IT CLEAR HERE THAT IT’S THE DEVIL WHO IS THE TEMPTOR, NOT GOD.

for thine is the Kingdom, and the Power and The Glory, Forever and ever, Amen.”

JESUS BRINGS THE PRAYER FULL CIRCLE TO WHERE IT BEGAN: FOCUSING ON GOD’S THRONE IN HEAVEN; FOCUSING ON GOD’S CHARACTER, AND PRAISING HIM FOR WHO HE IS.

“AMEN”

“SO BE IT.”

JESUS SAYS ASK ANYTHING IN HIS NAME, AND IT WILL BE DONE.

SOMETIMES, A NEAT WAY OF VISUALIZING THAT IS THAT EACH TIME WE UTTER, “IN JESUS’ NAME, AMEN,” TO THINK ABOUT THE WORDS OF HIS MODEL PRAYER.

TO JESUS, COMMUNICATION WITH HIS FATHER IN HEAVEN WAS VITAL. IT WAS MORE IMPORTANT THAN BREATHING. IT WAS THE LAST THING HE DID BEFORE HE DIED ON THE CROSS: “FATHER, FORGIVE THEM, THEY NKNOW NOT WHAT THEY DO; FATHER, INTO YOUR HANDS I COMMEND MY SPIRIT….”

AND THE WAY JESUS TALKED TO HIS FATHER SHOULD BE VITALLY IMPORTANT TO US.

IF WE ARE TRULY PRAYING IN JESUS’ NAME, THEN WE SHOULD BE EMBRACING THE WAYS THAT HE PRAYED, AND THE THINGS THAT HE PRAYED FOR.