Praying with the Lord's Prayer
4/11/24
Matthew 6:7 cautions not to "heap up empty phrases" (ESV) in prayer. Some people take this as a caution against using prayers which have been prepared. However, Jesus moves on in verse nine to say, "Pray then like this" and he gives the prayer we generally refer to as The Lord's Prayer.
Many Christians from the earliest times have used the Lord's Prayer as a center of their prayer life, communicating with God. Lutherans in particular have a long history of repeating the prayer, as well as using it as a framework for additional prayers. How do you do that? Simply take each thought in order and ask God to work in each of the areas of the prayer.
Here's the prayer in full as many people memorize it. I've broken it apart into simple parts.
"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
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation
but deliver us from evil.
(then there's a brief expression of praise which isn't used in all the manuscripts of Matthew 6.)
For thine is the kingdom
and the power
and the glory
forever and ever.
Amen."
Now, let's take it one little line at a time and I'll give some examples of how our prayers might be informed by the prayer the Lord Jesus gives his people to pray.
"Our Father,"
God is rightly seen as our father, not as an enemy, not as an adversary, but as someone who loves us, who has given us life, who cares for us in his kingdom, and to whom we can bring all our troubles. He knew us before we were born, and as long as he lives (which is forever) he will care for us.
"who art in heaven,"
Not only is God our father, but he is also the king of heaven. As the ruler of heaven and earth, he cannot be surprised by any evil which comes upon us. He is worthy of all thanks and praise, and he is in a place of power over all of creation. He exercises his power, and it is to his glory that he cares for all creation, including us.
"Hallowed be thy name."
To hallow means to make holy. When we call on God, we are recognizing that his name is holy. The prayer to make his name holy is especially important. God's name is holy by nature, but, as Martin Luther says, we pray that we will be honoring the holiness of his name. We use it rightly, with reverence, and we who are called by God's name also ask that all of our life, our words, our actions, and our attitudes, will reflect his holiness. We also pray that God's name will be treated as holy in the words and lives of others as well.
"Thy kingdom come,"
God's kingdom is above all earthly kingdoms. It will come to earth at his will, no matter what we say or do. But by praying that his kingdom will come we are accepting that we desire him to do his will, to exercise his kingdom, among us. We are eager for him to bring his kingdom and rule, which will rescue us and others from all sin, shame, and evil. We certainly know many bad situations around us. We can name them and ask him to show himself as the merciful king over all of those as well.
"Thy will be done"
Again, God is able to do his will in all things. The will of God is unstoppable. Our prayer at this time is that we will joyfully receive what he is doing and that he will show his redeeming love to us and all who are in this world, making it a place of peace, joy, hope, and blessing.
"on earth as it is in heaven."
Does God do his will in his heaven? Of course he does! This line is a conclusion to our prayer that his name will be holy, that his kingdom will come, and that his will will be done. He does all of this in his heavenly realm. We can pause and consider the troubles we see on earth. Surely we want him to make conditions on earth like they are in his heavenly realm.
"Give us this day our daily bread,"
Now we move into some very specific petitions. When we pray for our daily bread, we are recognizing that God is the source of all the things we need. What are we thankful for? And what do we need? Since God provides our daily needs through other people, we pray for those who have a hand in supplying us. For instance, we pray for good weather for farming, for farmers to be able to plant, care for, harvest, and sell crops, that food products will get to markets and that we and others will be able to buy them. We give thanks for those who prepare food and other goods along every step of the way, and we pray that the Lord would lay his hand of blessing on production and distribution. We are also part of the chain. We have jobs that earn money to buy goods. We also provide goods and services for others. We can give thanks for our employers, or our employees, and everyone who is involved in financial transactions. We pray for safe places to live, for good neighbors, and that we will be good neighbors ourselves. This is an enormous part of the prayer our Lord wants us to pray.
"and forgive us our trespasses"
Without forgiveness, all the goods and services in the world will not ultimately do us any good. Lutherans often make public confession that we are people who sin, in thought, in word, in deed, in what we have done, and in what we have left undone. We have not loved God with all of our heart, and we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. For all this we need forgiveness. There are surely specifics for which we can take time to confess, even as we know the loving and redemptive Lord will forgive us our sin.
"as we forgive those who trespass against us."
Do we harbor unforgiveness against others? A very wise pastor friend of mine often says that we need to look at how much Jesus has forgiven us, and to ask ourselves who has more right to refuse forgiveness, Jesus or us? In fact, there's no reason other than his redemptive love for Jesus to forgive us. He owes us nothing. We were forgiven while we were still enemies of God. If he forgives us when we are enemies, what should we do as his people? We forgive those who sin against us. So at this point we acknowledge that Jesus' forgiveness is enormous, and we ask God to make us people who can forgive others. Maybe we are holding something against someone else. We confess that before God, and we also consider whether there are steps we can take to be reconciled with those who have sinned against us.
"And lead us not into temptation"
We're often tempted. Yet we read in Scripture that God doesn't tempt anyone to evil. We ask him here to assure us that he will guard us in the situations which tempt us. Notice we are asking him to lead us. But where do we want him to lead us to? To his righteousness, his love, his peace, and his places of holy living, not into a temptation to sin. We know it is God's good pleasure to take us to our heavenly home. So here we are agreeing with what we already know is God's will. We are consciously saying that we want to delight in God's leadership.
"but deliver us from evil."
This world we live in is full of evil. We ask here that God will rescue us from that evil. It's a parallel to the previous line, but here we are admitting that if we don't follow God's leadership, we will be tempted and we will be entrapped in evil. Maybe in some ways we are already trapped in evil. Do we want God in Christ to rescue us? Yes! He has conquered death, hell, and the grave on our account. He can surely rescue us from the evil which so quickly entices us.
(then there's a brief expression of praise which isn't used in all the manuscripts of Matthew 6.)
Some people say that this part wouldn't be prayed because there's some doubt about whether it belongs in Matthew chapter six or not. However, this doxology ("doxology" is a statement of praise) is thoroughly supported by other passages of Scripture. Whether it was part of the prayer as taught by Jesus and recorded by Matthew or not, it's sound and biblical.
"For thine is the kingdom"
God is the king, in his heavenly kingdom. We have already asked him to bring his kingdom to earth. Here we remember that he is the one who is able to do whatever he wants to do. He is the mighty king.
"and the power"
Because God is the mighty king, he holds the power to accomplish his will on earth. And his will is to care for his people. We confess it boldly.
"and the glory"
God works in the bright, shining glory of his eternal heaven. And he has chosen to redeem his people, for his glory. He is able to change us into his image. It's a glorious image. We pray that our lives may be full of his glory, reflected in this world.
"forever and ever."
In the beginning, God was the only one who existed. His rule will never end. He has promised to be with his people forever. This means our hope also lasts forever. He has never grown tired of caring for his creation. He promises never to leave us or forsake us. We therefore pray that we will be joyful in his presence forever.
"Amen."
Amen means, "may it be so."
This is just a brief example of how we can pray using the Lord's Prayer. It's the prayer he gave his disciples to pray. And it addresses all the different areas of our life. We know that Jesus wants us to pray this way. And when God asks us to pray to him in a particular way, we can have confidence that he will answer our prayers.
If you want further explanation of praying using the Lord's Prayer, I recommend looking at the section on the Lord's Prayer in Martin Luther's Small Catechism and in his Large Catechism. They can be found online at www.bookofconcord.org.
4/11/24
Matthew 6:7 cautions not to "heap up empty phrases" (ESV) in prayer. Some people take this as a caution against using prayers which have been prepared. However, Jesus moves on in verse nine to say, "Pray then like this" and he gives the prayer we generally refer to as The Lord's Prayer.
Many Christians from the earliest times have used the Lord's Prayer as a center of their prayer life, communicating with God. Lutherans in particular have a long history of repeating the prayer, as well as using it as a framework for additional prayers. How do you do that? Simply take each thought in order and ask God to work in each of the areas of the prayer.
Here's the prayer in full as many people memorize it. I've broken it apart into simple parts.
"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
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation
but deliver us from evil.
(then there's a brief expression of praise which isn't used in all the manuscripts of Matthew 6.)
For thine is the kingdom
and the power
and the glory
forever and ever.
Amen."
Now, let's take it one little line at a time and I'll give some examples of how our prayers might be informed by the prayer the Lord Jesus gives his people to pray.
"Our Father,"
God is rightly seen as our father, not as an enemy, not as an adversary, but as someone who loves us, who has given us life, who cares for us in his kingdom, and to whom we can bring all our troubles. He knew us before we were born, and as long as he lives (which is forever) he will care for us.
"who art in heaven,"
Not only is God our father, but he is also the king of heaven. As the ruler of heaven and earth, he cannot be surprised by any evil which comes upon us. He is worthy of all thanks and praise, and he is in a place of power over all of creation. He exercises his power, and it is to his glory that he cares for all creation, including us.
"Hallowed be thy name."
To hallow means to make holy. When we call on God, we are recognizing that his name is holy. The prayer to make his name holy is especially important. God's name is holy by nature, but, as Martin Luther says, we pray that we will be honoring the holiness of his name. We use it rightly, with reverence, and we who are called by God's name also ask that all of our life, our words, our actions, and our attitudes, will reflect his holiness. We also pray that God's name will be treated as holy in the words and lives of others as well.
"Thy kingdom come,"
God's kingdom is above all earthly kingdoms. It will come to earth at his will, no matter what we say or do. But by praying that his kingdom will come we are accepting that we desire him to do his will, to exercise his kingdom, among us. We are eager for him to bring his kingdom and rule, which will rescue us and others from all sin, shame, and evil. We certainly know many bad situations around us. We can name them and ask him to show himself as the merciful king over all of those as well.
"Thy will be done"
Again, God is able to do his will in all things. The will of God is unstoppable. Our prayer at this time is that we will joyfully receive what he is doing and that he will show his redeeming love to us and all who are in this world, making it a place of peace, joy, hope, and blessing.
"on earth as it is in heaven."
Does God do his will in his heaven? Of course he does! This line is a conclusion to our prayer that his name will be holy, that his kingdom will come, and that his will will be done. He does all of this in his heavenly realm. We can pause and consider the troubles we see on earth. Surely we want him to make conditions on earth like they are in his heavenly realm.
"Give us this day our daily bread,"
Now we move into some very specific petitions. When we pray for our daily bread, we are recognizing that God is the source of all the things we need. What are we thankful for? And what do we need? Since God provides our daily needs through other people, we pray for those who have a hand in supplying us. For instance, we pray for good weather for farming, for farmers to be able to plant, care for, harvest, and sell crops, that food products will get to markets and that we and others will be able to buy them. We give thanks for those who prepare food and other goods along every step of the way, and we pray that the Lord would lay his hand of blessing on production and distribution. We are also part of the chain. We have jobs that earn money to buy goods. We also provide goods and services for others. We can give thanks for our employers, or our employees, and everyone who is involved in financial transactions. We pray for safe places to live, for good neighbors, and that we will be good neighbors ourselves. This is an enormous part of the prayer our Lord wants us to pray.
"and forgive us our trespasses"
Without forgiveness, all the goods and services in the world will not ultimately do us any good. Lutherans often make public confession that we are people who sin, in thought, in word, in deed, in what we have done, and in what we have left undone. We have not loved God with all of our heart, and we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. For all this we need forgiveness. There are surely specifics for which we can take time to confess, even as we know the loving and redemptive Lord will forgive us our sin.
"as we forgive those who trespass against us."
Do we harbor unforgiveness against others? A very wise pastor friend of mine often says that we need to look at how much Jesus has forgiven us, and to ask ourselves who has more right to refuse forgiveness, Jesus or us? In fact, there's no reason other than his redemptive love for Jesus to forgive us. He owes us nothing. We were forgiven while we were still enemies of God. If he forgives us when we are enemies, what should we do as his people? We forgive those who sin against us. So at this point we acknowledge that Jesus' forgiveness is enormous, and we ask God to make us people who can forgive others. Maybe we are holding something against someone else. We confess that before God, and we also consider whether there are steps we can take to be reconciled with those who have sinned against us.
"And lead us not into temptation"
We're often tempted. Yet we read in Scripture that God doesn't tempt anyone to evil. We ask him here to assure us that he will guard us in the situations which tempt us. Notice we are asking him to lead us. But where do we want him to lead us to? To his righteousness, his love, his peace, and his places of holy living, not into a temptation to sin. We know it is God's good pleasure to take us to our heavenly home. So here we are agreeing with what we already know is God's will. We are consciously saying that we want to delight in God's leadership.
"but deliver us from evil."
This world we live in is full of evil. We ask here that God will rescue us from that evil. It's a parallel to the previous line, but here we are admitting that if we don't follow God's leadership, we will be tempted and we will be entrapped in evil. Maybe in some ways we are already trapped in evil. Do we want God in Christ to rescue us? Yes! He has conquered death, hell, and the grave on our account. He can surely rescue us from the evil which so quickly entices us.
(then there's a brief expression of praise which isn't used in all the manuscripts of Matthew 6.)
Some people say that this part wouldn't be prayed because there's some doubt about whether it belongs in Matthew chapter six or not. However, this doxology ("doxology" is a statement of praise) is thoroughly supported by other passages of Scripture. Whether it was part of the prayer as taught by Jesus and recorded by Matthew or not, it's sound and biblical.
"For thine is the kingdom"
God is the king, in his heavenly kingdom. We have already asked him to bring his kingdom to earth. Here we remember that he is the one who is able to do whatever he wants to do. He is the mighty king.
"and the power"
Because God is the mighty king, he holds the power to accomplish his will on earth. And his will is to care for his people. We confess it boldly.
"and the glory"
God works in the bright, shining glory of his eternal heaven. And he has chosen to redeem his people, for his glory. He is able to change us into his image. It's a glorious image. We pray that our lives may be full of his glory, reflected in this world.
"forever and ever."
In the beginning, God was the only one who existed. His rule will never end. He has promised to be with his people forever. This means our hope also lasts forever. He has never grown tired of caring for his creation. He promises never to leave us or forsake us. We therefore pray that we will be joyful in his presence forever.
"Amen."
Amen means, "may it be so."
This is just a brief example of how we can pray using the Lord's Prayer. It's the prayer he gave his disciples to pray. And it addresses all the different areas of our life. We know that Jesus wants us to pray this way. And when God asks us to pray to him in a particular way, we can have confidence that he will answer our prayers.
If you want further explanation of praying using the Lord's Prayer, I recommend looking at the section on the Lord's Prayer in Martin Luther's Small Catechism and in his Large Catechism. They can be found online at www.bookofconcord.org.
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