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Jesus gave us guidelines on how to pray:
Luke 11:1 “One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.” We will look at this prayer in detail:
“Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name, Your kingdom come”. The word hallowed means, greatly revered and honored. If you are like me, you find it offensive when people use the Lord’s name in vain. When they say “Jesus Christ” as if it is a type of profanity. “Your kingdom come”. God’s kingdom on earth is made up of those who believe in Him and have been translated from death unto life… From darkness to light. The church, the body of believers are a part of God’s kingdom. We should pray for the growth of the Church.
“Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven”. What a paradise we would be living in today, if God’s will was being done, as it is in heaven. There would be no more wars. People would love each other. You could sleep with your doors open. There would be no need for vigilance, as there would be no evil. We can seek God’s will on an individual basis and follow it. This will help to fulfill this portion of the prayer. There is no more disobedience in heaven. Satan and the angels who rebelled against God have been cast out. In heaven, God’s will reigns.
“Give us this day our daily bread”. The bible teaches us to take one day at a time. Matthew 6:34 “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” We can cause ourselves unnecessary anxiety when we worry about the things of tomorrow, the future. When we focus on one day at a time, we can see that our needs are being met by God. When tomorrow comes, He will do the same.
“And forgive us our sins, For we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us”. The bible tells us that if we do not forgive those who trespass against us, neither will our Father forgive us. Matthew 6:15 “But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins”. Here we see the importance of forgiving others. Forgiving others is a part of walking in love. Since we are aware of our own frailties and our ability to sin, we should be more inclined to forgive those who sin against us. With the help of the Holy Spirit and the fruits of the Spirit which include love, kindness, goodness, gentleness, we will find the ability to forgive (Galatians 5:22).
“And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one”. We can ask God to keep us away from temptation. The bible tells us that the flesh is weak. Paul said He found himself doing things he did not want to do, because of the weakness of the flesh (Romans 7:15-20). The way to not sin is to walk in the Spirit and not in the flesh. We are delivered from satan by virtue of the new birth. We are no longer a part of his kingdom of darkness. God also protects us from him, for his desire is to steal, kill and destroy. We have been given power over him to bind, rebuke, cast out. The same power that raised Jesus from the dead resides in us today.
The prayer that Jesus taught His disciples, covers the main things that we need to petition our heavenly Father for, and is as relevant today as it was when Jesus taught it.
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