The Lord's Prayer

[Heritage]

Again, I have a silly question, and I can't think of a better place to put it but here. Hopefully it helps someone else.

We all know the Lord's Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13).

[BIBLE]Matthew 6:9-13[/BIBLE]

The line that was confusing to me as I was reading the Bible last night was Matthew 6:8.

[BIBLE]Matthew 6:8[/BIBLE]

It says that the Lord knows what we need, before we ask it of Him. I have read this numerous of times, and it never jumped out at me until last night, and now I am perplexed. Is this the only prayer that we need to pray, or is it all of the same to just pray and thank him for what He has done in our live, and prayer requests and such?

It just seems to me to say "just pray this prayer and God will know all that you are praying for, good and bad."

Can anyone share a little light on this subject for me?

Thanks.

 

[Beminde]

Christianity isn't just a religion. It's a relationship with your Lord.
Do you have a girlfriend? It's obvious you don't just say: "Hey sweety, I love you and I'm sorry if I hurt you" every day, and nothing else..
God doesn't want the same prayer every day, and that's it. He wants to really talk to you and have a deep relationship with you

People always told me, that the prayer in Matt 6 is an example of what you could pray.
That in every prayer you should to what Jesus does in this prayer:
Praise God
Aks forgiveness for your sins (and name them) but too forive others

Hope you'll understand, I don't know if I'm saying the right things, but that's how I think about it

 

[Weasel7711]

Again, I have a silly question, and I can't think of a better place to put it but here. Hopefully it helps someone else.

We all know the Lord's Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13).

[BIBLE]Matthew 6:9-13[/BIBLE]

The line that was confusing to me as I was reading the Bible last night was Matthew 6:8.

[BIBLE]Matthew 6:8[/BIBLE]

It says that the Lord knows what we need, before we ask it of Him. I have read this numerous of times, and it never jumped out at me until last night, and now I am perplexed. Is this the only prayer that we need to pray, or is it all of the same to just pray and thank him for what He has done in our live, and prayer requests and such?

It just seems to me to say "just pray this prayer and God will know all that you are praying for, good and bad."

Can anyone share a little light on this subject for me?

Thanks.

My opinion on that verse is this: If you look at the previous few verses he talks about the pagans who babble on. "And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words" (verse 7). Christ is saying (IMO) that the pagans think that they will be heard by their god because they use a lot of words and talk a lot, somehow that means that their god will show favor. Christ wants us to come to Him honestly and openly, presenting our requests to Him from our heart, not trying to think of a bunch of big words, or trying to make our prayers extra long so that we can look more important in his eyes. God already knows what we need, He just wants to hear it from us.

As far as the Lords prayer goes. I believe it is an outline on how to pray. Notice that the first half of the prayer focuses on God, the secon half focuses on us. It includes praise, thanksgiving, requests, the need to repent and forgive, etc. So I dont think that you have to pray the same prayer, God wants you to be honest with Him and your prayer must come from your heart, not from your ego to make yourself think you are somehow holy because of how you pray.
Check out "The Prayer of Jesus" by Hank Hannegraff (sp?)

 

[LilLamb219]

The Lord's Prayer is the best prayer you could ever have! It includes everything and leaves out nothing. Think of it as a guideline as you pray it and continue your thoughts...Our God Who Art in Heaven...think of what that means to you....Hallowed by Thy name....again, think of what it means the word Hallowed...Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done...think of how we are hoping our prayers are in accordance with HIS will and not ours....etc...

You can go through the entire prayer and even though the words are the same, it might not be the same as you're praying it each time. You might have something you want to include that is personally yours. The prayer is not lacking but your own thoughts can expand on what the prayer actually is.

As for the ones in scripture who stood around babbling the same thing over and over, what they did wrong was that they wanted to be noticed and have people commend them for their praying. They were praying for the wrong reasons.

 

[Macca]

My understanding of "the Lord's Prayer" is that it is a model prayer.
Begin with praise, then bring you needs, then repent for wrongs, then more praise.
The verse you query is to do with relationship.
Generally parents know what their children want, but enjoy having the relationship of having them ask for special things.
In the same way God knows what you want, but enjoys the fellowship or communion when you come to Him in prayer and ask for these things

 

[Sketcher]

The Lord's Prayer is a sample outline for how you should pray, as others here have said.

As for verses 7 and 8 about not babbling like pagans, I believe Philippians 4:6 sheds some more light on it:

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God."

We need to be thankful, and have trust that God both hears us and loves us. The "many words" of the pagans refers to saying the same thing over and over again, hoping to get their god's attention. God isn't like those false deities at all. He is a loving Father - not a Santa, not a Scrooge. And the beginning of the Lord's Prayer sets this up. You shouldn't say "Our Father" or any other part of the Lord's Prayer without giving thought to what it means.

 

[JTLauder]

The confusion comes from not fully understanding what is prayer. God doesn't NEED for use to praise him and tell him how great he is because he is not insecure. Nor does is he surprised by what we tell him or doesn't know what we need if we don't tell him because he knows everything.

The whole point of prayer is to bring us closer to God. It's a vital part of our relationship with God. When we pray to God, we want to first praise and thank him to make sure our heart is at the right place. We convey our needs and confess our sins and ask for his guidance. In all that, we take of his plan for our lives.

Another big misconception about prayer is that it is not one-sided. God doesn't want a monologue or fancy recited speech that is constantly repeated with no meaning. Prayer is not a monologue--it's spending time with God. Sometimes, it's helpful to sit quietly and listen for the still voice of God and let him talk to us.

 

[Angeldove97]

I don't think it's the only prayer we need... but people, especially new Christians, are curious on what a good prayer looks like. These verses Jesus teaches us how to properly pray by praise, reminding God and ourselves that we are dedicated to doing His will (not our own), asking that He would forgive us and remind ourselves to forgive others, and that He would provide for us.

I think another thing Jesus was trying to show is that we don't need to rammble on and on while we pray. God already knows and usually when we spill everything out it just upsets us or confuses us more. We were given a simple prayer, stating the main ideas, and being told that God already knows... we don't have to feel like we need to tell Him every little detail. He already knows and He wants us to find comfort not confusion through prayer.


I found this devotional that I thought might be useful to you as well:

Effective Prayer
Read James 5:13-18 (NRSV)
Pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.

-Ephesians 6:18 (NIV)​

SPENDING time in prayer maintains our relationship with God and makes us more aware of God's presence. Prayer is a gift God gives us to allow us to draw near our creator. We seek to attune our hearts and minds to God as a bridge between heaven and earth.
In intercessory prayer, we bring others' joys and concerns to the Lord. We experience the power of this prayer when we know that we have done something helpful and meaningful both for loved ones and for strangers.
Recently, I realized that my prayers could be more inclusive. In addition to specific requests, I added general prayers. I pray for anyone I know who is suffering from a major problem such as hunger, abuse, or a serious medical condition. Then I pray for "all who are hungry" or "all who are abused." When I do not know the particular struggles people face, I ask God to meet them at the point of their deepest need. Sometimes I ask God to send friends who will help or comfort them.
God hears all our prayers. I am not always aware of answers to prayers, but I know that I can help people by praying for them. God chooses how to respond.

Joyce Dahlberg (Minnesota, U.S.A.)​

God, thank you for the power of prayer and the ways it draws us near to you. Lead us to help others through intercessory prayer. Amen.

Link: http://www.upperroom.org/Devotional/default.asp?start_pos=1&item_id=44393

 

[toontank]

I wish to join in on all threads but i dont have enough faith to do so!

 

[Philothei]

My opinion on that verse is this: If you look at the previous few verses he talks about the pagans who babble on. "And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words" (verse 7). Christ is saying (IMO) that the pagans think that they will be heard by their god because they use a lot of words and talk a lot, somehow that means that their god will show favor. Christ wants us to come to Him honestly and openly, presenting our requests to Him from our heart, not trying to think of a bunch of big words, or trying to make our prayers extra long so that we can look more important in his eyes. God already knows what we need, He just wants to hear it from us.

As far as the Lords prayer goes. I believe it is an outline on how to pray. Notice that the first half of the prayer focuses on God, the secon half focuses on us. It includes praise, thanksgiving, requests, the need to repent and forgive, etc. So I dont think that you have to pray the same prayer, God wants you to be honest with Him and your prayer must come from your heart, not from your ego to make yourself think you are somehow holy because of how you pray.
Check out "The Prayer of Jesus" by Hank Hannegraff (sp?)

I would also add that Christ does not want us to "brag" like the Pharisee either. And long prayers sometimes are not the best. We need to stay focus on what we want to pray and how to pray so that in one way we do not "bable" nor "brag" uttering useless words.

That is why our Lord taught us to pray using the Lord's prayer. There are three parts in all types of prayers such are the psalms also. Pretty much they follow the:
1.Glorification
2.Pettition
3.Thanksgiving
The Lord's prayer covers all three.

But also God in his wisdom being our Father He always knows what we need. He created us,and thus he knows that we are depended on Him. You can find that out from the Psalms. Such as Psalm 104 RSV Bible (known also as the creation Psalm).

So, praying for what we need is okay as long as we thank Him and we glorify His name.

Hope that was helpful.

God bless,
Philothei

 

[TheGuide]

1) The Lord's prayer is just an example how to pray to God. Below is my example of a prayer based on Jesus's prayer. Please note how I follow Jesus' outlined by, first, honoring God then I make my request based on "Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil:"

"God, Your awesome presence feels my heart. I honor You, Father, for You bless and keep me. You called me to Yourself, separated me from the thornes and placed me on high. I asks that You have mercy on me in my time of weakness. Bless me with Your wisdom, God, so that I may grow in might and in strength..."

Again, this is an example. Your prayer(s) are from the heart so don't worry about being clumsy. At first, you may feel like you're talking at air (I like praying with my eyes open), but in time the reverence toward the One you are praying to will fill you up. And your prayer(s) will flow from your heart like a well bursting to the surface.

2) Asking is a little different from praying. You are asking your heavenly Father for something in the same respectful manner you would ask your earthly father. Here's an example:

"Father God, first I want to ask that you forgive me for any sins I've committed. Now, Father, you know how much I need a better paying job. My car is running badly and I need better clothes. God, please bless me with not only a better paying job, but one that will help me be a blessing to your kingdom, in Jesus' name. Amen."

Hopefully this helps.

God bless you,

The Guide