After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be 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 debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power and the glory, forever. Amen. (Matthew 6:9-13)
A Precious Pearl
This is how Jesus said we should pray. He encourages us to seek His Kingdom, our daily bread and we ask the Father to forgive our sin. We are instructed to excuse those who harm us, and to forgive our enemies; for the merciful shall obtain mercy. (Matthew 5:7)
In the order of the Commandments it places God first: But now O LORD, thou art our farther; and we are the clay, and thou art the potter; and we all the work of thy hand (Isaiah 64:8) …laying out the perfect order for our lives in our bond with Him.
It declares the undeniable fact: the LORD’S Name is sacred. That His will is continually done in the Heavens and the Earth: receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls. (1Peter 1:9)
In the Prayer we seek shelter to be kept free of temptation, protected from evil, so we rather live in His Kingdom, in the Spirit of truth which proceeds from the Father. (John 15:26)
Jesus also gave us the Prayer so we grow our faith and trust, as faith comes by hearing and hearing the word of God. (Romans 10:17) That we take our daily bread from His Word, His witness to the truth the Father himself, which has sent me, has born witness of me. (John 5:37) And in praying thus, we cannot close our eyes to redemption through holy blood in His Name. Hallowed be thy Name.
The Lord’s Prayer sets our foundation, our path to election and surety in Christ Jesus by building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost. (Jude 1:20) In it we see the Prophets, Isaiah and David, yet it is more than uplifting words in time of sorrow or need, but a standard to set beside and a light to shine. For only in His truth are we built in righteousness, for the meek He will guide in justice: and the meek He will teach His way. (Psalms 25:9)
By Word and Phrase
The Prayer was given early in His ministry during the Sermon on the Mount, when Jesus preached the Words of Blessing, seen especially in Matthew and Luke. He taught we pray, not in public for the approval of others, but privately. Not in vain repetition, but in quiet humility. That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. (1 Corinthians 2:5)
It was not given by redeemer or prophet, but one who taught the true ways of God. Jesus included Himself, the first word of the Prayer being: ‘Our.’ It was done to conceal His identity. It was not until after He said a wicked and adulterous generation seeks after a sign (Matthew 16)
When He asked His disciples who they thought He was. Peter answered boldly, the Christ of God. (Luke 9:20) Jesus told them not to speak of it, saying He must suffer many things; be rejected, killed, and raised again. He is the LORD come down from Heaven, so we are redeemed through Him to a greater glory.
Our Father
He only is my rock and my salvation: he is my defense; I shall not be moved. (Psalms 62:6)
Our: is something shared, therefore the heart and focus of the Prayer is communal. Used on our own or in Fellowship, the one we call upon is ours, in the sense that we call upon but they do not. Through familial kinship, Our Father is the mutual bond to all who petition. In this we establish commitment through faithful expectation; He only, will hear my plea. We place ourselves before Him in the way He defined and so honour God through faith. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: (1Peter 5:6)
In the human sense, our father is our immediate ancestor. It is also to show inheritance; the land of our fathers, or of Abraham; the father of many nations; or the possessor of something: the father of mercies and my father’s house. The term is also used to denote our spiritual ancestor, the one who infused his spirit in those who believe; the father of the faithful.
Accordingly, Our Father is the giver of life eternal. Through our spirit we share His likeness. (Genesis 1:26) He is the spring of wisdom that comforts us in times of trouble. (John 14; 15) He is the creator of all that is known and unknown; the one we esteem most of all.
Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. (Matthew 5:16)
Our Father then, is greater than all that prevail in the Earth and the Heavens: the Eternal Presence: transcender of time and space, the antecedent of Life. In Him only, are redemption and the breath of Spirit and Grace. He is steadfast and will not fail us, as others may fail us. He is our Rock, the spring that waters the seed of believing, the author of our faith.
Which Art in Heaven
Thus says the LORD: The heaven is my throne and the earth my footstool: (Isaiah 66:1)
Seen again in Matthew 5 and 23, and again from Luke (Acts 7:49) Isaiah speaks of Heaven as the abode of the Ever-Living God. David refers to heaven as the house of God: The LORD is in his holy temple, the LORD’S throne is in heaven. (Psalms 11:4)
David also looks to the span of heaven as the depth of the LORD’S mercy. For as the heaven is high above the earth, great is his mercy toward them that fear him. (Psalm 103:11)
We again see from David consolation comes from above. Who have I in heaven but thee? And there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee. (73:25)
The first mention of Heaven is in the creation of Heaven and Earth, the last in the Revelation of Jesus Christ given to the Apostle John. And immediately I was in the spirit: and behold a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne. (Revelation 4:2)
Heaven then, cannot be brought to the test of human experience. Only through the Spirit of Jesus in those He chose to further our knowledge do we learn of it. Yet our understanding of Heaven is defined by context and meaning. In terms of the Prayer, Heaven is the dwelling of the throne of God. And the LORD said unto Moses, thus thou shall say unto the children of Israel, ye have seen that I have talked with you from heaven. (Exodus 20:22)
It is the seat of the LORD and His Christ, who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto Him. (1Peter 3:22)
Heaven is the house of everlasting peace that Peter encourages us to seek above all things; to an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fades not away, reserved in heaven for you… (1Peter 1:4)
Hallowed be Thy Name
O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth, who hast set thy glory above the heavens. (Psalm 8:1)
The LORD’S name is sacred above all names; all kingdoms and all dominions. It is therefore holy, not a foul curse as constantly heard today in movies, television and in the street. To cast down His Name, is to issue oaths against the Highest … but he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost has never forgiveness (Mark 3:29) to profane the name of Jesus Christ is to do evil toward the LORD. It opens the door to self-destruction wherein there is danger of eternal damnation. (Mark 3:29)
We keep the Command; thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain. (Deuteronomy 5:11) We sanctify the name of Jesus Christ; for how we use it can raise us in glory, or convict us in shame. We bless ourselves when we honour the Name of the LORD and His Christ.
Therefore shall ye keep my commandments, and do them: I am the LORD. Neither shall ye profane my holy name; but I will be hallowed among the children of Israel: I am the LORD which hallow you; that brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God. I am the LORD. (Leviticus 22:31-33)
Thy Kingdom Come
And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God comes not with observation: (Luke 17:20)
When Saul was crowned king at Gilgal, Israel became a worldly kingdom trading the LORD for the rule of men. It resulted in the growth of idolatry, evil and their falling away from the tenets of the Prophets and the Law. It grieved and angered Him deeply. All their wickedness is in Gilgal: for there I hated them: for the wickedness of their doings I will drive them out of mine house, I will love them no more: all their princes are revolters. (Hosea 9:15)
But now, Jesus tells us to pray for His Kingdom to be restored; not the earthly kingdom the Pharisees sought, but another cut without hands, a precious realm that can never be destroyed: thy kingdom come. We can’t see it arrive by watching. Jesus told Pontius Pilate it was not of this world. He invites us to seek it. Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you… (Isaiah 55:3)
For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink, but righteousness and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. (Romans 14:17)
The Kingdom of God is His promise. I am the door: by me if any man enters in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. (John 10:9) To live outside its walls is to remain chained to the things of this world. For only in the Kingdom do we find our daily rest; therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. (Romans 5:1)
Thy Will be Done
Teach me to do thy will; for thou art my God: thy spirit is good; lead me into the land of uprightness. (Psalms 143:10) The LORD’S will was uppermost in David’s heart, but as we see in the Old Testament and Psalms, he came to this understanding through adversity and trial.
We often use the term, God willing, but how prepared are we for God’s will to be done? For many it is troubling, due to the disparity between what we ask or hope for, and the thing we really need. We are so accustomed by this world we might lose something, when we have everything to gain. Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon the earth, where moth and rust do corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven … for where your treasure is your heart will be also. (Matthew 6: 19-21)
Thy will be done holds us to agreement. But it is His desire for us, not our personal wants today or tomorrow. It is not about wealth, well-being, the healing of those we love or something we crave, but to cleanse our heart and mind: to believe the Scripture concerning Him. For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother. (Mark 3:35)
When we ask the Father for His will to be done, we become subject to it. It’s about faith. Thy will be done is the healing of God’s Word in us, so we live in the truth of His Gospel, not the belief of dogma or creed. We deem the LORD over men. For the scripture says, whosoever believes on him shall not be ashamed. (Romans 10:11)
In Earth as in Heaven
The Fenton Bible of 1903 was the first edition in modern English, translated directly from Hebrew, Chaldee and Greek. Its rendition of the Prayer shows clarity missing from translations come down from Jerome; Latin having no aorist of the imperative passive mood as found in the Greek text. We can now see the Prayer as the anticipation of hope and deliverance in motion.
Our father in the Heavens: Your name must be being hallowed: Your Kingdom must be being restored. Your Will must be being done both in Heaven and upon the Earth. Give us to-day our tomorrow’s bread. And forgive us our faults, as we forgive those offending us. For you would not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from its evil. (FF 1903)
The Lord’s Prayer reflects the breath of God moving in all things: creation, the light and the darkness. O Lord, by all these things men live, and in all these things is the life of my spirit: so wilt thou recover me, and make me so live. (Isaiah 38:16)
For in praying as Jesus taught us, it ties us to the LORD’S Heaven through faith in all who seek with purity of heart. Now, when Jesus gave Peter the Keys to the Kingdom (Matthew 16:19) they came with the power to loose and bind. Truly I say unto you, whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. (Matthew 18:18)
When we agree by covenant of mind and heart, we are bound in Heaven by Jesus’ Spirit. Those who deny His Word are rejected to wander. When we are bound we share in Spirit, if we are cast off we remain chained by non-belief. We are tied by faith; we are loosed into the doctrines of men. We have been given the outcome of not believing; a judgment bound in Heaven, as it is for the people and places that refuse His Gospel.
And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet. Verily I say unto you, it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the Day of Judgment, than for that city. (Matthew 10:14-15)
Review
The first part of the Prayer brings us into alignment with God. We pray in our likeness; we pray by the Spirit. We address our Father in quiet supplication, hallowed is thy name. He is the everlasting Father of all who call on Him.
As the Holy Spirit is the sole interpreter of the needs of the human heart; it is not flesh and blood, but the Spirit that intercedes on our behalf. Jesus told us that God is a Spirit. (John 4:24) so then, prayer is of the spirit. Our spirit and the Holy Spirit are related as family is related; our Father. Through His good grace, His comforting Spirit resides within us.
In praying as Jesus taught us it sets order for our lives. We honour Him ahead of our material wants, first asking for His Kingdom to be established in us. He is our Rock in whom we place our trust. We will not fail when He is uppermost in our mind and heart; thy Kingdom come. The Lord’s Prayer is our guiding law for self-instruction and restraint. Paul writes that we should pray without ceasing; a bond of love in humility, which places us at His feet; thy will be done.
Give us Today our Daily Bread
This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eats of this bread shall live forever. (John 6:58)
Most believe this a request the LORD grant our daily needs, and while there is some truth in this, our Father is fully aware of our requirements, He did design us after all. Yet, as we read in the Gospel, Jesus has told us not to concern ourselves with these things. It is another type of bread that matters here. … And his name is called The Word of God (Revelation 19:13)
Jesus made it plain we consume His Word to the fullness of our Spirit. This means read your Bible. He has deemed it good, so we might have eternal life through learning the way and the truth. It is from His table we take to our provision to grow in knowledge and faith. But he answered and said, it is written; Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. (Matthew 4:4)
We find our daily portion from Genesis to Malachi; the Gospels, Letters and the Revelation of Jesus, given to John. It is the new Manna of the Spirit given freely. When we eat right we grow in physical health; the same for the spiritual, which the LORD provides through His serving for our mind and soul. I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man comes to the Father but by me. (John 14:6)
And Forgive us our Debts
Forbearing of one another and forgiving one another, if any man has a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. (Colossians 3:13) Now we see a change; Jesus instructs us to look into our heart. A test we must all endure as we search our truth, a time to look at ourselves in reflection. Am I as clean as I think, can I honesty ask the LORD to forgive my sin? We must face this question honestly. Do I act according to my faith, or do I mask my inner self?
Try your own selves, whether you are in the faith; prove your own selves. Or know you not as to your own selves that Jesus Christ is in you; unless indeed ye are degenerates. (2 Corinthians 13:5)
As we Forgive our Debtors
For the LORD to forgive our sin, we must first excuse those who have offended us. Jesus warned; if we do not absolve others, we will not be forgiven. We cannot seek His mercy, if we harbor animosity towards our friend or enemy. If we refuse to forgive our prayer is empty. These are hard words, but instruction from Jesus for our essential well-being … first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift (Matthew 5:24)
Is my prayer a quiet intercession, or do I pray for approval? Do we pray in truth with a clean spirit, or are we chained in bitterness with resentment in our heart? And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; for this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. (Matthew 26:26-28)
When we drink from the Cup we forgive those who have wronged us. But, we must first taste our own transgression by examining ourselves; drink ye all of it. There is no covering that will conceal us from His gaze; we are either spotless in Christ or plagued through self-delusion.
Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. (1 Corinthians 3:13)
Lead us not into Temptation, but Deliver us from Evil
Now it becomes a stone of stumbling, the test of faith over pride. We are now put to trial to reconcile ourselves to God. When thou art in tribulation, and all these things are come upon thee, even in the latter days, if thou turn to the LORD thy God, and shalt be obedient unto his voice; (for the LORD thy God is a merciful God); he will not forsake thee, neither destroy thee, nor forget the covenant of thy fathers which he sware unto them. (Deuteronomy 4:30-31)
The temptation Jesus draws our attention to is self-delusion. By intent or omission have I forgiven all my debtors? Is my prayer virtuous and clean or have I been lured into judgment? Only the LORD knows everyone’s heart.
A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks. (Luke 6:45)
The Lord’s Prayer is given so we can assess ourselves against the boundaries of good and evil He has prepared as a measure. This is between you and Jesus alone and whether or not His Kingdom dwells in you and you in Him. Are we justified in true belief, or convicted to repent our error of doctrine and creed, and our own failings? It is our call to come out to a clean and better faith: deliver us from evil.
…let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which does so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith: (Hebrews 12:1-2)
The King, the Power, and the Glory
In the mid 4th Century, the Church fashioned a deep-seated wrong by departing from the standard of truth lived by the Prophets and Apostles, and all who understand the LORD is one Lord. It is at the heart of Scripture declared by Moses, confirmed by JESUS when He gave His Great Commandment: Hear, O Israel; the LORD our God is one Lord. (Mark 12:29)
That we love Him fully with heart, mind and spirit, is how we honour the Great Commandment, the LORD is one. The works James discusses in his letter to the scattered tribes of Ephraim is how we keep the Second Command. Our faith and work is to first love JESUS and then love each another as He commanded we do. Faith if it has not works is dead being alone. (James 2:17)
Throughout the centuries, mistaken ideas have led us away from this truth by creating false doctrine, when JESUS has declared of Himself, He is the Existing One. Zechariah prophesied the LORD shall be KING over all the earth: in that day shall there be one LORD, and his name one. (Zechariah 14:9) That JESUS is Lord and Christ was declared by Peter at Pentecost, when concerning baptism he opened the One Name. (Acts 2:34-36)
A better expression of Father, Son and Holy Spirit is seen in the LORD’S seasons of: Creation: the Gospel: and the Spirit of Comfort, who came in human form to purchase eternally our debt of offense. And every priest stands daily ministering and offering, often the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: but this man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of God. (Hebrews 10:11-12)
This is the Power and the Glory of the LORD JESUS Christ.
But, what does the Scripture say regarding Salvation: are we really saved by the Blood of Christ? Is JESUS truly the LORD and redeemer?
Ye are my witnesses saith the LORD and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he. Before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me. I, I am the LORD, and beside me there is no saviour. (Isa 43:10-11)
And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. (Matthew 1:21)
From the throne of God, an Angel of the LORD brought forth the Name of the LORD to be declared before men: And when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the child, his name was called JESUS, which was so named of the angel before he was conceived in the womb. (Luke 2:21)
In His Revelation to John, Jesus reveals He is:
- The Lamb of God (17:14)
- The Word of God (19:13)
- The Beginning and the End. (21:6) + (Isaiah 44:6)
And defined by Paul; the Kingdom, the Power and the Glory, belong to JESUS alone. (1 Timothy 6:15)
To him that overcomes will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knows saving he that receives it (Revelation 2:17)
So, let us now dwell upon this precious pearl given to us by the LORD of LORDS and KING of KINGS, that we evermore praise Him in Spirit and in Truth. Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come: Thy will be done in earth as in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.