According to the model prayer, given to us by Jesus, in response to the request of the Disciples, these elements are included in prayer: (See Matt. 6:8-11)
A personal relationship with God:
"Our Father"
The word "our" signifies a brother-sister relationship between all born-again Christians.
The word "Father"
signifies the relationship between
God and the believer. Nowhere in the Bible will you
find the idea of the Universal Fatherhood of God, but
the brotherhood of believers is clearly taught.
Faith:
"which art in heaven" As we know, "without faith
it is impossible to please God". As we are taught we
are to pray "believing" Prayer without faith is
an exercise in futility.
Worship:
"Hallowed be thy name" Did you know that David appointed men, whose only job was to praise and worship God in the
Temple? (I Chron. 23:5; 25:1,7) Did you know that in
Revelation John saw 4 angels whose job was to worship God
day and night without rest? How important is worship?
See what Jesus told the Samaritan woman in John
4:23,24.
Expectation:
"Thy kingdom come" What Kingdom? This has reference to the millennial Kingdom. This is
the Kingdom spoken of in the Old Testament. Isaiah
2:2-24; 25:8; 35:1,8,10; 65:20,25. Also the kingdom John
spoke of in Rev.20:1-6
Submission:
"Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven" Want an
example? See Matt. 26:39: And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt. KJV This is the example set by our Saviour, Himself.
Petition:
"Give us this day our daily bread" There are so many applications here
that are obvious, but may I suggest still another. Our prayers should be as our eating-daily! We should not only pray as we eat, but far more than that. Our prayers should be as natural and easy as breathing.
Confession:
"And forgive us our debts" The Precious Blood of
Jesus will forgive every sin. But here's the catch.
ONLY confessed sin can be forgiven. NO excuses!
See I John 1:9: But if we freely admit that we have sinned, we find God utterly reliable and straightforward - he forgives our sins and makes us thoroughly clean from all that is evil. JBP
Compassion:
"As we forgive our debtors" This is where we get into big trouble. We are asking God to forgive us in the same way we forgive others. Is that what we really want? Do we really forgive others? See Matt. 18:21-25;
I John 4:20,21: "If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?
21 And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also."
Dependence:"And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us
from evil" It is interesting to note here that God
nowhere promises us to keep us FROM temptation, but He
does promise to preserve us IN it, and to see us
THROUGH it. See I Cor. 10:13: No temptation has come your way that is too hard for flesh and blood to bear. But God can be trusted not to allow you to suffer any temptation beyond your powers of endurance. He will see to it that every temptation has a way out, so that it will never be impossible for you to bear it.
Acknowlegement:
"For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the
glory forever. Interesting how David anticipates this
in his prayer recorded in I Chron. 29:10-20:
10 Wherefore David blessed the LORD before all the congregation: and David said, Blessed be thou, LORD God of Israel our father, for ever and ever.
11 Thine, O LORD, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O LORD, and thou art exalted as head above all.
12 Both riches and honour come of thee, and thou reignest over all; and in thine hand is power and might; and in thine hand it is to make great, and to give strength unto all.
13 Now therefore, our God, we thank thee, and praise thy glorious name.
14 But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort? for all things come of thee, and of thine own have we given thee.
15 For we are strangers before thee, and sojourners, as were all our fathers: our days on the earth are as a shadow, and there is none abiding.
16 O LORD our God, all this store that we have prepared to build thee an house for thine holy name cometh of thine hand, and is all thine own.
17 I know also, my God, that thou triest the heart, and hast pleasure in uprightness. As for me, in the uprightness of mine heart I have willingly offered all these things: and now have I seen with joy thy people, which are present here, to offer willingly unto thee.
18 O LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, our fathers, keep this for ever in the imagination of the thoughts of the heart of thy people, and prepare their heart unto thee:
19 And give unto Solomon my son a perfect heart, to keep thy commandments, thy testimonies, and thy statutes, and to do all these things, and to build the palace, for the which I have made provision.
20 And David said to all the congregation, Now bless the LORD your God. And all the congregation blessed the LORD God of their fathers, and bowed down their heads, and worshipped the LORD, and the king.
A personal relationship with God:
"Our Father"
The word "our" signifies a brother-sister relationship between all born-again Christians.
The word "Father"
signifies the relationship between
God and the believer. Nowhere in the Bible will you
find the idea of the Universal Fatherhood of God, but
the brotherhood of believers is clearly taught.
Faith:
"which art in heaven" As we know, "without faith
it is impossible to please God". As we are taught we
are to pray "believing" Prayer without faith is
an exercise in futility.
Worship:
"Hallowed be thy name" Did you know that David appointed men, whose only job was to praise and worship God in the
Temple? (I Chron. 23:5; 25:1,7) Did you know that in
Revelation John saw 4 angels whose job was to worship God
day and night without rest? How important is worship?
See what Jesus told the Samaritan woman in John
4:23,24.
Expectation:
"Thy kingdom come" What Kingdom? This has reference to the millennial Kingdom. This is
the Kingdom spoken of in the Old Testament. Isaiah
2:2-24; 25:8; 35:1,8,10; 65:20,25. Also the kingdom John
spoke of in Rev.20:1-6
Submission:
"Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven" Want an
example? See Matt. 26:39: And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt. KJV This is the example set by our Saviour, Himself.
Petition:
"Give us this day our daily bread" There are so many applications here
that are obvious, but may I suggest still another. Our prayers should be as our eating-daily! We should not only pray as we eat, but far more than that. Our prayers should be as natural and easy as breathing.
Confession:
"And forgive us our debts" The Precious Blood of
Jesus will forgive every sin. But here's the catch.
ONLY confessed sin can be forgiven. NO excuses!
See I John 1:9: But if we freely admit that we have sinned, we find God utterly reliable and straightforward - he forgives our sins and makes us thoroughly clean from all that is evil. JBP
Compassion:
"As we forgive our debtors" This is where we get into big trouble. We are asking God to forgive us in the same way we forgive others. Is that what we really want? Do we really forgive others? See Matt. 18:21-25;
I John 4:20,21: "If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?
21 And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also."
Dependence:"And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us
from evil" It is interesting to note here that God
nowhere promises us to keep us FROM temptation, but He
does promise to preserve us IN it, and to see us
THROUGH it. See I Cor. 10:13: No temptation has come your way that is too hard for flesh and blood to bear. But God can be trusted not to allow you to suffer any temptation beyond your powers of endurance. He will see to it that every temptation has a way out, so that it will never be impossible for you to bear it.
Acknowlegement:
"For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the
glory forever. Interesting how David anticipates this
in his prayer recorded in I Chron. 29:10-20:
10 Wherefore David blessed the LORD before all the congregation: and David said, Blessed be thou, LORD God of Israel our father, for ever and ever.
11 Thine, O LORD, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O LORD, and thou art exalted as head above all.
12 Both riches and honour come of thee, and thou reignest over all; and in thine hand is power and might; and in thine hand it is to make great, and to give strength unto all.
13 Now therefore, our God, we thank thee, and praise thy glorious name.
14 But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort? for all things come of thee, and of thine own have we given thee.
15 For we are strangers before thee, and sojourners, as were all our fathers: our days on the earth are as a shadow, and there is none abiding.
16 O LORD our God, all this store that we have prepared to build thee an house for thine holy name cometh of thine hand, and is all thine own.
17 I know also, my God, that thou triest the heart, and hast pleasure in uprightness. As for me, in the uprightness of mine heart I have willingly offered all these things: and now have I seen with joy thy people, which are present here, to offer willingly unto thee.
18 O LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, our fathers, keep this for ever in the imagination of the thoughts of the heart of thy people, and prepare their heart unto thee:
19 And give unto Solomon my son a perfect heart, to keep thy commandments, thy testimonies, and thy statutes, and to do all these things, and to build the palace, for the which I have made provision.
20 And David said to all the congregation, Now bless the LORD your God. And all the congregation blessed the LORD God of their fathers, and bowed down their heads, and worshipped the LORD, and the king.
Thanks for bringing it back up again Gerry!
