A Model Prayer
We are to creatively, boldly,
and persistently use Jesus' prayer as a
divine outline for our own personal
and corporate prayers.
Here's Dr. Gene Getz:
Actually the Lord's Prayer, as we have it
here in the Gospel of Luke, is somewhat
of a condensed version when you
compare it with what is listed and what
is recorded by Matthew on the Sermon--
during the Sermon on the Mount.
But in this particular case,
it appears that an individual came to
Jesus somewhere--probably not on a mountain.
But asked him how to pray.
And then Jesus addressed a group of people.
The variation actually in the wording,
is simply the freedom that God has given the Son.
In this case to, in essence,
share the same prayer, the same concepts,
but to word it differently.
So we see that creative aspect even as Jesus
responded to the question--teach us to pray.
So here's the Lord's Prayer as recorded
in the Gospel of Luke.
He said to them...
And let me simply say that when he says "to them,"
he was asked a personal question by an individual.
And then he addressed the answer to a group of people.
...He said to them, "Whenever you pray, say,
Father, your name be honored as holy.
Your kingdom come.
Give us each day our daily bread.
And forgive us our sins,
for we ourselves also forgive everyone
in debt to us.
And do not bring us into temptation."
Now, if you learned the Lord's Prayer
in the old King James Version,
it came basically from the Sermon on the Mount.
So you notice the difference, basically,
even though this is a different translation.
You see the difference, the variation.
You see this is a more succinct rendition
of what Jesus shared.
And though abbreviated by Jesus himself,
these elements are very, very significant.
And serve as a model for us as we pray.
In fact, let me just simply share with you
observations regarding each one of
these elements and how its verified
in other places in Scripture.
For example, and I've entitled this
how we should pray. Because Jesus said:
This is how you should pray.
And so the first observation is:
We can and should address God as our Father,
which indicates our intimate relationship
with Him through His Son Jesus Christ.
And what I'd like to do at this moment
is take you to what Paul wrote in his
letter to the Romans, chapter 8, verse 15:
You did not receive a spirit of slavery
to fall back into fear.
Instead, you received the spirit of adoption,
by whom we cry out, "Abba, Father!"
And that's a very intimate term.
You could say it's: Daddy, Daddy. Or Daddy, Father.
In other words, it's a very significant statement
of our relationship with God because in Christ,
he is our Father.
The second observation in terms of
how we should pray is:
Though God is our heavenly Father,
we should not fail to address Him as our Holy God.
And when I think of Holy God, I think of what
Paul wrote to Timothy, chapter 1, verse 17:
Now to the King eternal, immortal,
invisible, the only God, be honor and
glory forever and ever. Amen.
Certainly, holiness is implied in
everything that is said by the apostle Paul
when he wrote to Timothy.
A third statement on how we should pray:
We should pray that Jesus Christ will
rule today in our hearts and eventually
over all people on the earth.
I love what Peter wrote:
but in your hearts regard Christ the Lord as holy.
And there again, we see the word holy
but we also see the word Lord.
Jesus Christ, Lord, the Lord Jesus Christ.
And by the way, most of the time when the Lord--
the word Lord is used with Jesus, it has
to do with his deity.
But it also means that he is God.
He is Lord. Lord of all.
A fourth observation regarding
the elements of this prayer:
We should pray that God will meet
our daily physical needs.
God told us to pray about that.
It's within His will.
And consequently when Paul wrote to the Philippians,
after they had given of their physical substances,
to help him when he was in prison, he says:
And my God will supply all your needs
according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.
But Jesus gave a fifth element in the prayer:
We should pray for a spirit of forgiveness.
And of course, we see that concept unfolded
throughout the New Testament.
Ephesians 4:32 is an example:
And be kind and compassionate to one another,
forgiving one another, just as God also
forgave you in Christ.
How can we not forgive when we have accepted
and received that wonderful forgiveness
for our sins in Jesus Christ?
So we see in Jesus' prayer, this concept of forgiveness.
And a sixth element:
We should pray for God's protection
from the power of sin.
Lead us not into temptation.
Deliver us from temptation, Jesus said.
And I love what Paul wrote in Ephesians 6:16:
In every situation take up the shield of faith.
Why the shield of faith? For protection.
Protection from Satan and all of his demons
and the evil darts that are coming at us.
Take up the shield of faith
with which you can extinguish all the
flaming arrows of the evil one.
And so we have these elements verified
throughout the New Testament.
I've just shared a few verses to
emphasize that, to clarify that, to illustrate it.
But after sharing this model prayer,
I love what Jesus went on to say.
He encouraged His disciples to be bold.
To be persistent in remembering that God is
indeed our caring, loving, heavenly Father.
And so in chapter 11, verse 9,
Luke recorded what Jesus said:
So I say to you...
Now again, remember this is after
he has shared this model prayer:
...So I say to you,
ask, and it will be given to you.
Seek, and you will find.
Knock, and the door will be opened to you.
And certainly that illustrates persistent praying.
Now, Reflection and Response question is simply:
In what creative ways can we use the
basic outline in Jesus' model prayer--
both personally and corporately?
Well we could spend the whole evening
brainstorming on how you can do this.
One thing I love to do, particularly in a
corporate setting. As a pastor
and as a worship leader is to actually
take all these elements and interweave prayer,
plus hymns, songs of prayer.
For example, take the element of God our Father.
Well you could take the little chorus for example:
Father I adore you, I lay my life before you.
And then it goes on to mention Jesus and the Spirit.
I mean, the focus is on God our heavenly Father.
Or what about the great old hymn,
Great is Thy Faithfulness?
Oh God, our Father.
So there are many hymns.
In fact, I looked up the concept of Father
in a hymnal and there were at least
20 different hymns and choruses that
focus on God our Father.
So this is prayer. It's corporate prayer.
Take the concept of our Holy God.
Well, what hymn do you think of immediately?
Holy, Holy, Holy. Lord God Almighty.
And take the concept of Christ ruling and reigning.
Remember the chorus?
He is Lord. He is Lord risen from the dead.
He is Lord--speaking of course,
of Jesus Christ ruling in our hearts.
As also applying it to someday he
will reign as we pray, Thy Kingdom Come.
Now you can take all of these elements.
Weave music into it. Weave prayer into it.
It's a wonderful corporate experience.
But you can do it personally.
And you can take these elements and just
simply use it as a guide in your personal prayer.
Such as: Oh God, my dear heavenly Father,
I thank you for your holiness.
I thank you for who you are.
And I thank you that you've allowed us
to approach your Son.
Approach you through your son Jesus Christ.
Lord, I want you to be Lord in my heart.
I want you to rule in my heart.
I want you to be King.
And someday I look forward to
worshiping you as Lord of all.
Where every knee will bow
and every tongue confess that you are Lord.
And so you can continue to pray.
Father you know my needs.
You know my physical needs.
You know my emotional needs.
My spiritual needs.
And I pray that you will not only give me
daily bread but feed my soul.
Lord, thank you for your forgiveness and help me
to forgive those who've sinned against me.
Lord, help me to always have a spirit of forgiveness.
And Father, when I face temptation,
help me to put on the full armor of God.
To be protected from evil.
I ask you to answer this prayer,
for I pray in Jesus name, Amen.
So here's the principle, I think,
that grows out of the Lord's Prayer. And that is:
We are to creatively, boldly, and
persistently use Jesus' prayer as a
divine outline for our own personal
and corporate prayers.