In Matthew 6:9-13, Jesus taught his disciples how to pray after they had expressed the desire to know how to pray. The disciples had observed Jesus and found his prayer to be very effective. Jesus after he had taught them the rudiments of prayer then taught them what we now call The Lord’s Prayer.
What is prayer?
Prayer is a relationship with a superior which necessarily involves a two-way communication, a message and a reaction. God’s reaction may be positive or negative; audible or silent; instantly or deferred; or none of these by God’s wise and infinite wisdom relative to the circumstances. We have however reduced prayer to a one-way process, us speaking and expecting God to comply without His rights of choice. The communication loop is thus broken in a one-way channel.
The Lord’s Prayer
Jesus taught them to say in prayer, Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. This is a sincere acknowledgement from the heart through confession of the mouth. Matthew 12:34 says: For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. It is not the reverse. By this statement we acknowledge that God is supreme and above all. We admit and confess our subservient nature or absolute surrender to God. This must come from a sincere and committed broken heart. We cannot expect someone we do not respect, acknowledge or reverence to hear us.
Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. This is an invocation of God’s reign in our situation on earth as pertains in heaven. In effect God should enforce the same discipline and order in heaven comprising rewards and punishments for obedience and disobedience respectively on earth. We commit to a vow and a covenant which we cannot reversed or broken after we have confessed it because it must be predicated on honest introspection. This eschews self-interest or desires. It is an unconditional surrender. We better be careful when we utter these words.
Give us this day our daily bread. In other words we are saying that we have no other provider but God our heavenly Father. We ask from him or depend on Him as the sole and only source of our supply. God hates unfaithfulness, rivalry and promiscuous allegiance. By this statement, we also limit our needs to God’s daily supply only so we can depend on God daily. Daily supply does not require stocking up in greed for the future that we do not know and drives us away from depending on God daily. A request for daily bread is rather a request for daily sustenance.
Matthew 4:4 says; Man shall not live by bread alone, but by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of God. As Christians, let us not place bread above God’s prescription which is better and sustains nourishment. The Israelites did not know manna yet God provided them in the wilderness where there was no food or sustenance, Deuteronomy 8:3 and 16.
And forgive us our debts as we also forgive our debtors. This is a conditional request that God should use our conduct as the basis or standard of measure for His relationship with us. Thus, a vengeful, hateful or unforgiving heart should attract God’s equal reaction towards us. Can we stand the wrath of God? We make this prayer upon commitment to maintain a heart free of pain, injury, anger, revenge or acrimony. We must have a caring heart just as we expect from God. Our response to the needy must be swift with sincere benevolence as we expect of Christ Jesus. Anything short of these cannot attract God’s answer to our request except by intense grace.
Matthew 18:35 says so likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if you from your hearts forgive not every his brother their trespass. We read from Mark 11:25 that; And when you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against any one; so that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. Luke 6:37 says Judge not and you shall not be judged: condemn not, and you shall not be condemned: forgive, and you shall be forgiven.
Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power and the glory, forever. Amen. This statement can be understood if it is read as a whole in accordance with rules of interpretation. It acknowledges God as the owner of power, glory and kingdom of the universe as a unit. It suggests that God who is omniscient knows the pitfalls and dangers in life so we must rely on that capacity to have him come to our aid daily and restore us if we fall or falter.
James 4:7 says Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Until we are able to satisfy the aforesaid conditions, our prayers shall be empty statements before God without any value worthy of consideration. Psalms 66:18 says, if I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me. James 4:8 says Draw near to God and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you men of double mind.
Prayer
Dear Lord Jesus, give me a patient spirit to wait upon you. Give me a listening ear to hear you speak to my situation. Give me a discerning spirit to know what you expect of me. Give me a humble spirit to accept you as supreme in all things. Amen!!!
