The Model Prayer - Pt 1

 

[Jesus said] Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” (Matthew 6:9–13 ESV).

 

Growing up as a practicing Roman Catholic it was not unusual for me to recite what many people have called “The Lord’s Prayer.” Our reading today is that prayer, though it was more of a teaching tool than an actual prayer of Jesus. Thus, many people today refer to this passage as “the Model Prayer.” Of course, it is appropriate to recite the Lord’s Prayer. Yet, what many people miss is that the Lord’s Prayer is not merely something for us to say aloud but is a model structure for prayer. Jesus indicated that, where in introducing the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus says, “Pray then like this” (v. 9). First and foremost, the Lord’s Prayer is an example of the kind of prayer that honors God, and its various elements show us what we should include in our prayers.

 

We’re going to take each element for the next few days separately. Moving through the prayer line by line, we note several things. Today, we see the privilege of the relationship that allows us to pray in this manner. We can, and should, call God “our Father” (v. 9), and this promise of a familial, intimate relationship with God is no small thing. Not everyone is a child of God, but only those who believe in Christ alone for salvation (cf. John 1:11–12). We have God as our loving Father only if we are in Christ, chosen through faith.

 

The Greek word translated “father” is important. It is Πάτερ (Pater). It describes one who imparts life and is committed to it; a progenitor, bringing into being to pass on the potential for likeness. Here it is used of “our heavenly Father.” He imparts life, from physical birth to the gift of eternal life through the second birth (regeneration, being born again). Through ongoing sanctification, the believer increasingly resembles their heavenly Father.

 

We do not seek to communicate with some unknown, unapproachable eternal being, rather we come to our heavenly Father. The One who loves us and has provided all we need for our relationship to be one of joy and peace. We need have no hesitation in approaching our Father, He delights in our relationship! It is like the hug I give to my sons and grandchildren when I greet them. There is no aloofness or separation, only acceptance and love. That’s how we can go to God with our desires!