9 Pray like this: Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy.
10 May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.
11 Give us today the food we need,
12 and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us.
13 And don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one.
The teaching known as the Lord’s Prayer is so short that you can recite this prayer in a few minutes; yet, of all the prayers mentioned in the Bible, this prayer is most widely known. Through the years, numerous books and teaching series have been based on this prayer because it contains so much wisdom and because it is easily memorized.
“Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy.” Sadly, many of us don’t keep God’s name holy. We use God’s name carelessly or even as a cuss word. So, what if we have potty mouths and have failed to honor God’s name? We can use this simple petition to apologize for misusing God’s name, begging Him to help us regard His name as holy and special. We are not merely recognizing God’s name as holy, we are also asking forgiveness for all the times we have failed to keep it holy.
“May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Some writers refer to these sentences as “the prayer that never fails.” Many times, we have no idea how we should pray for a situation. We are totally perplexed. But we can always ask God that His kingdom should come and His perfect will be fully done. By praying in this fashion, we are acknowledging our helplessness and handing the matter over to God completely. We are also indicating that we are willing to accept God’s outcome rather than trying to dictate to Him how we think things should go. We are promising to obey God, even if things look difficult.
“Give us today the food we need” By this petition, we are demonstrating that we know God is our only Source and that He is the One who can supply our needs. We are also trusting that the same God who supplies our needs today will be able to do so tomorrow.
“and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us” Once more, the laws of the Kingdom of God come into play. The measure of forgiveness we give out is the measure we will receive from God, not because He is incapable of giving more but because our unforgiveness blocks God from doing anything more. Jesus makes this quite clear when he says, “If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.”
“And don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one.” God does not tempt anyone; however, Satan does. 1 Corinthians 10:13 tells us, “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.”
For many of us, our problem is not temptation but that we don’t ask God to help us overcome it and we also put ourselves in situations where the temptation will be worse. For example, if you are trying to lose weight, all you can eat buffets are not your friend. Even if you are not facing such extreme temptation, you can still ask God to help you to control your appetite and also to desire healthy foods. If you are battling lust, avoid anything that will inflame that lust.
Now Jesus turns his attention to a related topic: fasting. Many times, prayer and fasting may go together, particularly if we are facing some unusual challenge. Again, Jesus begins by criticizing those who make a show of their fasting in hopes of begin admired for their piety.
16 “And when you fast, don’t make it obvious, as the hypocrites do, for they try to look miserable and disheveled so people will admire them for their fasting. I tell you the truth, that is the only reward they will ever get. 17 But when you fast, comb your hair and wash your face. 18 Then no one will notice that you are fasting, except your Father, who knows what you do in private. And your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.
Evidently, in Jesus’ day, some ultra-religious people would walk around with messy hair and unwashed faces to demonstrate that THEY WERE FASTING AND SUFFERING FOR THEIR FAITH. Once more, Jesus points out the fact that worshipers can get applauded for their efforts here on earth or they can wait for a heavenly reward. Make a show of fasting, and a few people will compliment you on how spiritual you are. But fast in secret, and God will abundantly reward you in heaven. God’s rewards are eternal and not to be compared with momentary acclaim here on earth.
Throughout all these teachings, Jesus is trying to educate us on the workings of the Kingdom of God. As you study these Scriptures, ask God to highlight those things He most wants you to learn. You might find God stops you on one particular point. Don’t try to force your way past but ask God to show You why He’s stopped you there. And remember that quiet secret prayer accomplishes what shouting will never do.
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, help us to honor You in everything we say and do, knowing that You are the One who can truly reward us. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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