LEAD US NOT TO TEMPTATION

Matthew 6:9-13

“This, then, is how you should pray: “‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today 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 the evil one."

I have been thinking about the next statement in this model prayer, "and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil." What does this exactly mean to us and why did Jesus instruct us to pray this way? 

The Christian is always in the process of being "led" by God in everything we do. Especially in the Old Testament the people of God were constantly aware of God's leading them. Consider the pillar of fire by night and the cloud of smoke by day. The Children of God were making every move according to the leading of their awesome God and this thought carried over and continues today. 


We know according to the New Testament that God doesn't tempt us so what are we to make of this part of the prayer? Well, as I reflect on this I see how faithful our God is that He should lead us into the path of righteousness and right relationship to Himself.  The Psalms especially speak of God leading us in His own ways. Along with leading us in the paths of righteousness it is also implied that He would lead us "away" from unrighteousness. Therefore, the plea to our Lord to lead us away from temptation is shows the desire of the believer to avoid the presence of sin completely. Our prayers to the Lord express confidence in the fact that our God and King has power even over the evil one. 


This can also be interpreted to mean that we are asking God to deliver us from the trials that we face. As we consider this, we know that sometimes we face trials that are ordained by God. This plea could be our hearts cry for only the will of God to be done in us and to us. The Lord has promised us not to put more on us than we can handle, but I believe in this sense the prayer is asking for God to grant us the wisdom not to enter into trials of our own making. Knowing that we are where God wants us, doing what God wants us to do, when God wants us to do it gives us confidence that we can trust Him in whatever circumstance we find ourselves. 


I pray that I can have that confidence and know that where God leads is peace, love, and light. Then I can say, "Yet though He slay me, still will I praise Him." That is what I have been thinking..."

LORD'S PRAYER: FORGIVE TO GET FORGIVEN

Matthew 6:9-13
“This, then, is how you should pray: “‘Our Father in heaven,hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today 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 the evil one."


And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. This is what I've been thinking about. 


We are always very interested in getting forgiveness for the things we have done. This part of the model prayer reminds us that our forgiveness is conditional. On what? - How we forgive others. This scripture brings us to the story that Jesus told about the man who owed LOTS of money to his lord. He begged for forgiveness of that debt and it was granted to him by the lord. He immediately went out from that place of forgiveness and encountered someone who owed him a much lesser sum. The undeserved gift of forgiveness he received from his lord was quickly forgotten and he insisted on being paid the debt. This was observed by some who knew the situation and it was reported back to the lord who promptly had him seized and taken to the torturers. This is a brutal reminder that what we receive we must also give.


When we wrong someone, we have all our excuses lined up in a row to justify our actions and demand forgiveness. We take forgiveness from God for granted because he is a forgiving Lord who is full of grace and mercy...we forget that He is also a God of JUSTICE! If we fail to be forgiving of others the word of God tells us that it blocks the flow of God's forgiveness to us. Remember that the scripture says that God is not mocked and whatever we sow we WILL REAP. If we walk without mercy toward those who might wrong us, we will reap unforgiveness from God as well. As we walk through this world people will offend us. It can't be avoided because people will be....well, human. they will sin and offend. We must be ready to forgive them. The best way to do that is to live with the attitude that we have already forgive them before they commit the trespass. In the old testament one of my favorite verses declares that "great peace have they that love God's law and nothing shall offend them." Loving God with all our heart means loving others the same way.


Think about how you have sinned against God and His loving nature. As you consider that, also consider that if you want forgiveness to continue to come your way, you must also let that forgiveness flow through you to others...how have I been doing at this?..that's what I've been thinking about...

MODEL PRAYER: DAILY BREAD COMES FROM GOD.

Matthew 6:9-13
⁹ “This, then, is how you should pray: “‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, 10 your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us today our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.


The next phrase that I have been meditating on is the phrase "Give us this day our daily bread". As we lay before God in prayer, our hearts are steadfast and dependent on the Lord for His daily supply. 


This portion of the model prayer is intended to remind us that we should thank God daily for His awesome provision in our lives. Many times, we are guilty of coming to God when we are in a place of absolute despair. It seems that we are only interested in getting "relief" when we are jammed up by the enemy we have been associating with. How ungrateful we and petty we must seem to a good God who desires to bless us daily with every good and perfect gift.


God desires the best for us and stands ready to bestow daily provision upon us and the only thing standing in our way is our own self-centeredness. The Lord wants us to open up our hearts to His way and love, but if we desire to go our own way, then God will allow us to do so and allow us to reap the ill benefits of our that path. The best thing that we can do is to acknowledge that the source of our daily blessing and needs is the Lord God Himself. Who better to give us what we need?

Give us this day our daily bread. As we ask God for these blessings, we are placing ourselves under the care, protection, and providing hands of the Lord. Just as God provided for the needs of His children in the wilderness when there seemed to be no way, He will take care of us. The God Who caused manna and quail to come down and water to flow from the rock will bless us. Hopefully we will not be like those ungrateful people who complained against the blessings of God. But, let us instead thank Him and receive with grateful hearts what He gives us. I know that I need to depend on Him more and myself less. That's what I have been thinking.....

HEAVEN'S WILL NOT OURS!!

Matthew 6:9-13

⁹ “This, then, is how you should pray: “‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, ¹⁰ your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. 
¹¹ Give us today our daily bread. ¹² And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. ¹³ And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one."


This awesome model prayer that gives us a basic format for approaching the King of Heaven and Earth blesses me to meditating on. So far we have looked at the fact that we are the children of God who honor and bless the names of our God that show us His character and attributes that are bountiful toward us.


The next phrase that we are meditating on is "your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven". We are subjects of our Father's kingdom. The great and mighty God has a perfect will that is for our peace, joy, and prosperity. 


This part of the model tells us we should pray for the kingdom of God to come upon this earth. God has a perfect plan for our lives. Jeremiah 29:11 tells us that God's good plan for us is that we live in blessings and not curses, that we live in hope for a blessed future. This comes to us as we pray for and plead for God's great will to be done. This is a matter of trust and obedience to the joy of seeing what God has in store for us as His children.


So many times when we pray, we are guilty of praying our will upon God. We pray from a standpoint of of what "we think" that God should do in our circumstances and situations. It is as if God needs our advice and help. If we come to God regularly, and live as the word says "praying always" then His will is not hidden from us. There is great power when we agree with our human counterparts, but how much more so when we come into agreement with our God and King for His will to be done. When we approach God, it should be done with all humility and surrender to what we know to be the great will of God. 


Jesus said in John 8:28 that He only did and said what the Heavenly Father had taught Him. If the very Son of God depended upon the will and ways of His Father, how much more so should we cling to the altar of God and know Him and His will. 


I should want the will of God for my life. I should give my life more to the Lord and submit to His will. The power of God will rest more on my life if heaven's will is upon it instead of my own. That's what I have been thinking....

HALLOWED BE HIS NAME: SHALOM, MEKADDISH, AND NISSI; PEACE, RIGHTEOUSNESS, AND VICTORY

MATTHEW 6:9-13
“This, then, is how you should pray: “‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, ¹⁰ your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. 

¹¹ Give us today our daily bread. ¹² And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. ¹³ And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.

Let us look at some more of the names of God that we as His children extol and receive the blessings of God. These names are part of the character and nature of God and therefore representative of His intentions toward us and the blessings He wants to give us. 

Jehovah Shalom (The Lord Who is our Peace) is another name that represents who God is in our lives. He desires to bring us true and lasting peace in our lives. The peace He affords us is the peace that comes from right relationship to the God of all. This peace is not temporary but eternal and gives us confidence that our Lord is in the midst of every circumstance and every situation in life. When we walk with God He bestows on us the ability to face everything life throws at us with grace and honor. The world takes notice of us when we are living in the midst of peace that passes all understanding. (Philippians 4:7) 


Jehovah Mekaddish (The Lord Who is our Righteousness). What a great promise for us to grab hold of and cling to. God Himself has purchased our right-standing with Him. Our own righteousness is like filthy rags and can in no way appease the Lord. Through Christ's sacrifice on the cross, He secured for us eternal righteousness and pardoned our sinful heart. Knowing this, we can boldly come before the throne of grace and with confidence beseech our Lord and know that nothing stands in the way of His grace to us. Praise God for His awesome love bestowed on us.


Jehovah Nissi (The Lord our Victory). We are more than overcomers through Christ who has won the victory for us. As we stand and battle the enemy of God and His Kingdom, we know that there is no greater power on earth than the power of God in us. Greater is He that is in us than He that is in the world. How confident we can be as we take His word, His promises, His Holy Spirit, and His joy and take the battle to the enemy with the assurance that when Christ said "it is finished!", it was. We are victorious in Him. As the gospel song so correctly declares, VICTORY IN JESUS!!!


There are many more Names that declare God's virtues and grace. Click Here to see these and know the blessings of God through each one...How great is our God. That's what I have been thinking....

JIREH, ROPHE, SHAMMAH. PROVIDER, HEALER, AND EVER PRESENT GOD

Matthew 6:9-13

“This, then, is how you should pray:‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, ¹⁰ your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. 
¹¹ Give us today our daily bread. ¹² And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. ³ And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.'


In the model prayer that Jesus gave us the second phrase of this example is "hallowed be your name". This portion of the prayer focuses on the Name of 
God. In the Old Testament, names were significant and expressed something about the character and nature of the one who bears that name. In this prayer we are encouraged to honor and exalt the names of the One who is our God and King. I have been meditating on some of the names that are given to describe who God is. What a powerful thing that it is to understand who He is and what that means to us as His children. i will right about His wonderful names in two installments so that my blogging is not to laborious to read.


In Genesis 22:14, God is referred to as "Jehovah Jireh", the Lord our Provider. In the most basic sense this means that God is our source on every level. He is to be praised and revered as the One that we look to for every need and supply. Many people only cry out to the Lord in times of desperation. How hypocritical this must seem to God who stands ready to give His children every good and perfect gift. He has given His only Son, Jesus so why would He withhold from us those things which we need to serve and thrive as His heirs? When we pray it is important for us to acknowledge that God is the One who we are dependent on for life itself. How pleased God must be for us to praise Him for everything we have and need in life...prayer should be our "declaration of dependence" to our God.


Exodus 15:26 God Himself declares that he is "Jehovah Rophe", the Lord our Healer. We are in need of many types of healing. Physical, emotional, and mental. The most important healing of all is our spiritual healing. We sometimes are consumed by our needs for healing and neglect to praise Him who brought us the greatest healing of all through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. When we acknowledge our God and thank Him for the awesome gift of ultimate healing and the security of our souls for eternity, we are ready and open to receive the benefits of that salvation - healing in our bodies, souls, and minds. Thank Jehovah Rophe for His loving care and healing.


The scripture in Ezekiel 48:35 refers to Himself as "Jehovah Shammah". This is a proclamation that He is the Lord who is here. God's presence is with us. Jesus declared as well that He is with us always, in every circumstance, every situation, and every moment of our life after we receive Him. What a great and lasting promise from the God of the Universe that He lives in us and will never leave us. We have no fear of ever being alone again. Praise the Lord for all that this promise implies.


When we pray we should remind God of His names that describes His everlasting Character and Nature toward us His children. When I think of all He is it blesses me with faith to approach Him based on His promises to us. That's what I've been thinking....

THE LORD'S PRAYER SERIES: OUR FATHER

 Matthew 6
 ⁹ “This, then, is how you should pray: “‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, ¹⁰ your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. ¹¹ Give us today our daily bread. ¹² And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. ¹³ And lead us not into temptation,but deliver us from the evil one."


I want to spend a few days meditating on and writing about what we refer to as the Lord's Prayer. Anyone who has been a Christian for any time (and many who aren't believers) know this prayer and repeat it. The best way to describe this prayer is actually the "model prayer" because this is the purpose Jesus gave it to us for. This is why He says, "This, then, is how you should pray". Notice He didn't say "this is WHAT you should pray". This prayer should be an outline that we fill in so that we can come effectively before our God as we communicate with Him. The Lord's Prayer (the prayer Jesus prayed for his disciples both then and now) is found in John Chapter 17.


The first phrase that Jesus used to show us how to pray is "our Father in heaven". We look at God as our Father for several reasons. First, He is the Creator of all things and the literally the Father of all we see in and on the earth. He spoke all of the universe into existence and without Him and His word sustaining us, the world would crumble and dissolve. We also refer to Him as Father because He was the actual Father of God's manifestation on earth. Jesus was conceived miraculously by the Holy Ghost and the God/man was born. Jesus prayed and communicated with God by calling Him Father and so we also view Him that way. The most important reason is the fact that the scripture tell us in Galatians 4:4-7  "But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law,  to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship.  Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir." This passage tells us that we are through the process of being saved, CHILDREN OF GOD AND HIS HEIRS. So, we have a natural tendency to call upon Him as our Father.


When we call on our Heavenly Father, we are recognizing Him in several ways and declaring our relationship to Him. He is our ultimate authority for living. When God speaks and we obey Him, He is pleased and we open the door for His blessings to come upon us as His children. Also, we see Him as our protector and provider of all things we need in life.The true essence of our relationship to God is manifest because we know by the presence of the Holy Spirit in us that we are HIS CHILDREN. 


Knowing Him as Father, puts us in the place of being able to approach the throne of Grace with boldness like a child running for his daddy's lap. Hebrews 4:16 says "Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need." I think I need to go there more often....that's what I am thinking....