Matthew 6: 8 “Therefore do not be like them. (the heathens praying loudly, repeating the same thing over and over again) For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him. 9 In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name.10 Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”
Jesus’ followers were confused! All their lives, they had seen the ultra – religious people reciting long prayers in public as loudly as they could. Even those who worshiped Baal or Ashtar prayed in the same fashion. This was the only model for prayer that they had, but now Jesus was telling them that this manner of prayer was useless. By this point, the disciples were probably scratching their heads in bewilderment. And it was then that Jesus gave his listeners a very simple outline for prayer.
“Our Father in heaven” – Jesus was trying to encourage his hearers to realize that God was their good heavenly Father. This teaching was revolutionary because fathers were viewed as kind and loving and approachable. Even the Pharisees did not view God as a kind Father but as a stern remote Deity who had to be served by keeping a long list of dos and don’ts. The heathens worshiped by making sacrifices or by going through rituals, but their gods were always viewed as remote and not personal. Now Jesus was describing a heavenly Father who cared so much for His children that He already knew everything they needed before they asked.
What does “hallowed” mean? Dictionary.com defines “hallowed” as “regarded as holy; venerated; sacred. Terms associated include holy, sacred, dedicated, honored, sanctified, blessed, consecrated, divine, anointed, inviolable, sacrosanct, and unprofane. Jesus wanted us to recognize two things: God is our heavenly Father and God is pure and holy.
“Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” The Bible describes the coming of God’s kingdom as a time of love and peace and joy. We should pray that God’s kingdom will begin to come in our hearts and minds and lives, no matter what our outward circumstances might be. C. S. Lewis once wrote, “God cannot give us a happiness and peace apart from Himself, because it is not there. There is no such thing.”
Why is it so important to beg God for His perfect will to be done? Because men have free will and can make terrible choices. Again, quoting C. S. Lewis: “Hell begins with a grumbling mood, always complaining, always blaming others… but you are still distinct from it. You may even criticize it in yourself and wish you could stop it. But there may come a day when you can no longer. Then there will be no you left to criticize the mood or even to enjoy it, but just the grumble itself, going on forever like a machine. It is not a question of God “sending us” to hell. In each of us there is something growing, which will BE hell unless it is nipped in the bud.
Every moment, we stand at crossroads and make choices. We either choose to go on with God or to turn away from God. There is no such thing as a minor decision because our minor decisions in a given direction will lead us further and further down a particular path. Today, choose to go on with God.
PRAYER: Father, we thank you and praise you and bless your Name! You are completely pure and holy. It is only because of your great love for us that we continue to exist. May your kingdom fully come and your will be fully done throughout this world. In the mighty and precious Name of Jesus. Amen.
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