THE LORD’S PRAYER
Like countless others, I have prayed this prayer for many, many years. But there was one Sunday, a couple of decades or so ago, that I discovered just “how” to really pray it. The passing of years has not dimmed that memory whatsoever. I distinctly remember that day, even down to the very spot where I was sitting on the pew. This “event” wasn’t so much a discovery, as it was a revealing. In other words, it just came to me unbidden, without warning or forethought. I was simply uttering this prayer in church one Sunday, when suddenly the Spirit of the Lord touched my heart and redirected my thoughts. I continued to pray, but the prayer itself took on a whole new dimension for me.
Later that day, as I began to reflect on my experience, I turned to the Gospel of Matthew in an effort to affirm what I sensed the Lord was saying to me earlier that morning. The longer I read and meditated on the Lord’s Prayer and its surrounding passages, the more convinced I became that what I had interpreted was correct. As for what exactly my experience was, it is quite simple: It all had to do with the pronouns contained within the prayer–they are all written in plural form. That’s an important point to consider.
This prayer that I would normally invoke with a singular focus (meaning myself), is not merely a personal petition offered collectively, it is actually a corporate prayer. Yet, for all of these years I’ve singled out myself–not giving a single thought to the multiplicity of its content. I may say, “us”, but I’m thinking “me”. MY daily bread, MY trespasses, MY deliverance from evil. Oh sure, I’m thinking of Almighty God where the appropriate lines indicate, but when it comes to asking for daily bread and the like–the only plurals in my mind are me, myself, and I! But that is not how our Lord taught us to pray. And that is what I sensed the Holy Spirit was showing me during prayer that morning. That even though I may utilize other times for intercessory prayer, the Lord’s Prayer is another opportunity for doing so.
You know, the more I think about it, the more I think it was sinfully selfish of me to ask for such things of my heavenly Father, without asking those same things for the person sitting next to me on the pew…or across the aisle…or in the balcony. No longer do I pray this prayer as a petition only for myself, but rather for the congregation collectively…or the one down the street…or across the ocean. Looking back, I wonder how I could have missed this for so long. Living out the Christian faith in community through our prayers, our thoughts and our actions, involves loving and caring, stooping and serving. It means the things that I pray for myself, I want for you also. It is not merely “my” daily bread or “your” daily bread, it is our daily bread. This is how we live in community with one another. This is how expressions of personal and social holiness entwine themselves.
Our Lord instructed us to pray for one another and He generously gave us the prayer that would do just that. Let’s take a deeper look–line by line, and even phrase by phrase–into these beautiful words given to us by our Lord and Savior. Perhaps the most beautiful of them all are but two. Two simple words, their meaning anything but simple. They are the grandest words we could ever speak; the most privileged words we will ever speak. They are found in the opening salutation…
OUR FATHER.
Out of all the titles used to denote Almighty God, the term “Father” was used rather sparingly throughout the Old Testament. It was used on only one occasion by Moses in Deuteronomy, then we don’t find it again until the Psalms. The idea of God as our father is only mentioned another handful of times scattered between Isaiah and Malachi. So it was primarily Jesus who brought “home” this ideology that God is our true Father. Not only that, but Jesus introduces us to an even greater concept: “Abba” Father.
The term “Abba” denotes a much closer intimacy. For us in our own families, it is the difference between calling our parent “Father”, and calling him “Daddy”, a much more affectionate term. What an incredibly generous connection Jesus offers us! His was a unique privilege, a rich and royal heritage. Jesus has shared an intimate relationship with the Father since before the beginning of time as we know it. Yet He freely shares all of it with every one of us. Imagine the majesty of being joint heirs with Christ–for that is precisely what we are.
Jesus is the bridge between us and God. He bridges the gap and takes us to places we never dreamt were possible; it is both a sharing and a calling toward an intimate relationship with the Father. In teaching us the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus teaches us that God is our Father: He is not a father to be feared –but One to respect, honor and obey. He is not a father we cower away from—He is the One we turn to, run to, count on, and lean on. This Father is not unreachable–He is the One we cling to, in a full embrace, with our deepest love and absolute trust. “Our Father“…what a powerful statement two words can make.
WHICH ART IN HEAVEN, HALLOWED BE THY NAME.
Jesus first establishes “who” God is for us: our Father. He then informs us “where” God resides. He is the God who sits upon the throne of heaven, and His name shall be hallowed for He is holy and just. He is the creator and sustainer of all that is. There is no one above Him or over Him; He reigns supreme in all things. It is only right and proper and good that these are among the first words to come from our lips: the adoration of God. It is here that we truly acknowledge who God is, and our only response is one of reverence and awe. He alone is worthy of our deepest honor and respect, for He is a holy and righteous God. To “hallow” God is to worship and praise Him!
THY KINGDOM COME. THY WILL BE DONE IN EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN.
We have just affirmed our belief in a sacred, holy, righteous God. Naturally, we invite His will, His kingdom, into our midst. This is our invitation, our insistent plea for God’s kingdom to inhabit our hearts and lives amid this dangerous and ravaged earth. We know our failures and brokenness, our inabilities and vulnerabilities. Man’s limited “order” of things on earth is severely lacking. We are powerless in our own efforts. We need the love-fueled power of a mighty God to instill His kingdom into the heart of man, and to restore this fallen world with the peace of heaven–whenever, however and wherever possible. We are urgently insistent, “Thy kingdom come!” Not our messed-up, misguided will, but His and His alone. It is His kingdom to be established; to infuse this earth with the righteousness of heaven.
This “Kingdom of God” is at the very root of our conversion to the faith. Missionary and evangelist, E. Stanley Jones, wrote extensively about this very topic in his book, Conversion: A Moment, A Lifetime.
“In giving this bigger and greater Jesus Himself was never bigger and greater. With unerring insight He pointed to the Kingdom of God as that to which the converted are converted. Conversion, the new birth, is set within the framework of the Kingdom of God. The Kingdom of God is the be-all and the end-all of repentance, conversion and the new birth. That is of the utmost importance for they introduce you to the most amazing individual and social fact of the universe–the Kingdom of God.”
He goes on to correctly point out that we do not build the Kingdom, we receive the Kingdom.
GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY BREAD.
Now that we have acknowledged God’s supreme sovereignty, this request represents putting our whole trust in Him. It is what I like to call our “Declaration of Dependence”. In this statement we affirm that we are totally reliant upon God to supply our every need. Our daily bread is not limited to our food supply, but can include whatever sustenance we need to endure each day. Again, the trust issue is at hand. We acknowledge that our daily provisions are indeed blessings from our Father’s bounty. He is the sole supplier of all that we have and we must trust that He will continue to meet our daily needs. It is comforting to know that He knows each of our needs better than we do.
I believe it is also important to note that we are asking only for our daily bread. One day at a time. This is how we are to focus our energies. Looking too far down the road can sometimes prove overwhelming. Jesus has instructed us, Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today. (Matthew 6:34)
Aside from unnecessary worry about the future, focusing on the day at hand prevents us from being overly confident or perhaps ungrateful for the provisions graciously given to us by God. By not asking God to meet our needs on a daily basis, we could begin taking His blessings for granted, forgetting the origins of where our help actually comes from. I believe it would interfere with keeping ever-present in our minds our inexplicable need of Him. God is not interested in our own self-reliance, but in our reliance upon Him. This has been true since the beginning of time, and equally true is that God will always be present to nourish and sustain us.
Do you remember how God supplied manna to those wandering Israelites in the wilderness? They were given only enough for the day at hand. If they tried to save some to carry over to the next day, what once tasted like honey wafers, quickly became foul and worm infested. Those Israelites needed to learn that they could trust the Lord to meet their needs. We need to remember that as well. God wants to relate with us, hand in hand, step by step, day by day. He doesn’t want us to miss His very special connection with us–He is the God who loves and supplies. We must live and love and celebrate in the present. We must remain centered and focused on the day at hand for our days are a precious gift from God, not to be overlooked, but to be embraced.
Each day is its own gift for discovery, its own challenge and reward. We want to savor each day, to be fully present and attentive; to awaken each morning with a sense of expectancy for what lies ahead and to be able to delight in the smallest of moments. I believe this helps to lengthen our days. Time passes much too quickly, and never more so than when we are franticly racing through our days and focusing more on what needs to be done tomorrow and next week and next month. Making the small change of slowing our pace can make an impressive impact to our days. It can leave us feeling more at peace. It can deepen our joy and our thankfulness for the days we are given.
AND FORGIVE US OUR DEBTS, AS WE FORGIVE OUR DEBTORS.
The terms, “debts”, and the modern English version, “trespasses”, have been used interchangeably with this prayer. In any language, it means righting a wrong. The significance of this plea on our part is enormous. We are human, we are imperfect, and we desperately need forgiveness in order to move forward in a right relationship with the Lord, our God. That is the first and foremost forgiveness that we seek. Secondary to that, is the forgiveness we need to share with one another. Once we have personally experienced the unburdening of our hearts before the Lord, and have received His gracious forgiveness, our souls soar with the freedom to forgive one another. We better understand that our own failings and shortcomings create separation, but through the process of confession and forgiveness, we have received complete pardon. We have been restored to a right relationship through God’s unfailing love. And His love that never fails us, should compel us to extend that same level of forgiveness to those whom we love, in restoring to wholeness our own broken relationships.
In Matthew 18:21, we see Peter asking Jesus how many times he should forgive a brother or sister who sins against him–up to seven times? Poor Peter, he was trying to be so generous. Jesus essentially responds that we should forgive an infinite number of times. In fact, we shouldn’t even be keeping count! Jesus then launches into the parable of the unmerciful servant, the meaning of which is abundantly clear: if we are seeking our heavenly Father’s forgiveness, then we are required to forgive our Christian brothers and sisters also. God does not even want our offerings if there is an unresolved issue between us and a brother. He wants us to reconcile first, then come back to the altar to present our gift. (Matthew 5:23-24)
Forgiveness is a perpetual act; for as surely as we live, there will always be those whose forgiveness we need, as well as those whom we need to forgive. We must reconcile early and often–before animosity sets in like a stone. Forgiveness is crucial in living out our faith. Whether or not we choose to forgive can have a lasting impact on our lives. Forgiveness enables us to move forward in life, without it, our spiritual growth can become stunted. In extreme cases, we can become immobilized. I have heard many stories where people–even family members–have vowed never to speak to one another after some type of altercation. How sad to think of what they’ve missed. How sad that they actually think they have broken free from that other person. In reality, they are bound by the chains of anger, bitterness and resentment. These emotions have a death grip on their lives, and the ONLY way to truly break free is through the act of forgiveness.
Where would we be without God’s gracious life-giving, life-changing forgiveness?! When I’m finding it difficult to forgive someone, I simply think of all that God has forgiven ME for! Suddenly it becomes so easy, once I’ve put things in the proper perspective. Forgiveness requires humbleness. It means caring less about being right, and caring more about being in a right relationship with one another. God has already forgiven us so much more than we could possibly forgive someone else.
Jesus had much to say about forgiveness, and held nothing back when elaborating on its importance. He also held nothing back when establishing the means for us to receive it. This was the most touching forgiveness of all, taking upon Himself the sins of the world. Romans 5:7 tells us, Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. This is heaven bending toward us; this is a Father willing to sacrifice His only Son in order to cancel our debts and to adopt us into His family. Though undeserved, He gives us everything.
AND LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION, BUT DELIVER US FROM EVIL:
Here, we are actually professing our love and desire for goodness over evil. We recognize and are reminded that goodness will always prevail over evil. Though we may be powerless against the wiles of the evil one, Satan is powerless against God. God is in ultimate, final control and we run to Him for our rescue. Ideally, we are saying, “God, don’t “lead” me there, work within my heart and deliver me before I suffer the consequences of committing this sin I’ve been tempted with. Help save me from myself when tempted! Don’t “lead” me, and don’t “leave” me there–even if I have gotten off track, yet recognize my wrongdoing and turn back to you for forgiveness.” Our “delivery” is born out of our continued growth in our new birth, and will always be met with God’s acceptance and forgiveness, if we come seeking with an honest heart.
I just happened upon this beautiful quote earlier today that speaks to us of how very much God is at work protecting and delivering us when we are not even aware of it:
He has kept and folded us from ten thousand ills when we did not know it: in the midst of our security we should have perished every hour, but that He sheltered us “from the terror by night and from the arrow that flieth by day”–from the powers of evil that walk in darkness, from snares of our own evil will. He has kept us even against ourselves, and saved us even from our own undoing… ~H.E. MANNING
FOR THINE IS THE KINGDOM, AND THE POWER, AND THE GLORY FOR EVER. AMEN.
He has delivered us. Now we have come full circle, ending where we once began: at the Kingdom of God. Here we acknowledge, once again, that this kingdom of perfect love and perfect peace belongs to God, and we give Him all honor and praise that is due Him. We experience the kingdom now in fragments of grace, but beyond us, in the coming kingdom, we will fully experience the majesty of His kingdom power and His kingdom glory for ever and ever! Alleluia to our great God and King! It is this that we desire, it is this we hope others will claim, it is this for which we pray. Amen.
Closing thoughts:
Everytime we offer this prayer we are re-affirming who God is and who we are in relationship to Him, and to one another. So when the disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray, why might He have chosen these particular words? I believe there is a definite pattern to these words; a type of blueprint that if followed, will match the original imprint God placed upon our hearts. There is beseeching and blessing, confession and pardon, loving and forgiving. These prayer words expand on the greatest commandment to love God with all that is in us, and to love our neighbor as we love ourselves.
I also believe that on some level Jesus Himself, is embodied within this prayer. He is our bread, our daily bread–the Bread of Life that we take and eat. We are forgiven, and are able to forgive others solely because of the blood that He spilled. He is the one who faced and defeated Satan on our behalf. And He is the one who has gone to prepare a place for us in the kingdom of heaven, to live with Him and His Abba forever.
This prayer that Jesus so lovingly taught us, has taught us to love…