Explaining the Lord's Prayer

[XtraPercept]

The following Scripture is from an American translation, the Complete Bible, by Smith and Goodspeed, 1948

Matthew 6:9-13

Our Father in heaven
Your name be revered!
Your kingdom come!
Your will be done
On earth as well as in heaven!
Give us today bread for the day,
And forgive us our debts, as we have forgiven our debtors.
And do not subject us to temptation,
But save us from the evil one.

- - -

There are many things of God about which I am certain, and one of them is His affinity for patterning. All things are patterned from the interaction of atomic particles to the cyclical events of history charting their circular courses around the world to varying degrees of synchronicity.

Our minds, our perception of will, and our experience of emotions. Where do you think these come from? The only correct answer is God.

Who is God? His Word tells us that there is only one name by which we may be saved, which is Jesus.

So if Jesus, the all powerful God of all creation, has given us a mind, a perception of (His) will, and the experience of (His) emotions, which of the three is problematic? Because His will is perfect, both unchanging and unchangeable, and His emotions are just and reasonable. It seems the only component out of alignment then would be the human mind, the fallen mind, the mind set on death.

He gives us a mind to seek His will and the ability to experience His sensations. If we seek His will to the best of our ability and He approves, He blesses us with His Spirit, His presence, His mind. And that blessing, my friends, is the single most valuable possession a human being can have, more valuable than deed and title to the entire world (because any human in control would mess it up terribly).

Using the minds He gave us, we can seek alignment with Him or we can seek inwardly to selfish motives and all the other facets of entropy, death, and decay. If we seek Him, all is well. If we seek alternatively, all is hell in due time. The patterns are abundant. He has left us with no excuse not to know Him for the vast information available at our fingertips constantly.

I have said I'm obsessed with Jesus, but possessed of Him is even more accurate, for His complete ownership of my heart and my adoration of Him for having me so. I sought alignment with Him my whole life, I just didn't understand the process until very recently. Now that He has shown me the difference between death and Life, He wants me to articulate it.

So here is how I shall do so in this moment by explaining the nature of the Lord's prayer, as I've heard a lot of very inaccurate interpretations. I'll go line by line;

- - - Our Father in heaven
Simple enough, it is proper to refer by title to whom you speak.

- - - Your name be revered!
This is an expression of the highest goal, the ultimate purpose, the reason, the meaning of life. It is a beacon and a mantra. Our entire existence is to glorify God.

- - - Your kingdom come!
This also is an expression of a certainty, as if to say, "You are God and You are perfect!" His kingdom had indeed come as He was present as the Spirit dwelling in the flesh as He spoke this.

- - - Your will be done
Again, not a request but a statement, an acknowledgement.

- - - On earth as well as in heaven!
The second portion of the statement which reiterates the totality of His power and dominion, and His authority over death and sin and corruption.

- - - Give us today bread for the day,
The pattern here is how far the believer reaches, not seeking beyond what is given, but finding contentment in whatever the Lord determines to provide in His timing.

- - - And forgive us our debts, as we have forgiven our debtors.
Forgiveness from God is a logical expectation to the one who trusts His promises, as is our extension of forgiveness to all others an equally logical expectation. Much of Godliness is dictated by good sense and reason.

- - - And do not subject us to temptation,
Temptation is the draw or appeal of disobedience. It is the pull of death. It is the master of most people.

This is the experience of the Holy Spirit, that temptation falls away! It exists on me like dirt on my feet, easily shaken off. I have the Master holding my eyes for me, I have no desire to look at what is not mine to look at and I smile happily every time my eyes are averted for me. I recall my time in death when I fought vigorously at every shopping trip for the abundance of beautiful women in the world.

When His truth enters you, temptation loses all allure because He is so much more desirable! It becomes your nature to flee inappropriateness like Daniel from Potiphar's wife. These patterns continue to present and yet His ancient Word teaches us still today, as it always will.

- - - But save us from the evil one.
As He has and will, because what He holds for His chosen is eternal life, so we give ourselves to Him to do with this life as He pleases.

You may of course wonder how I may claim I speak truth, a reasonable expectation I am to explain.

I hate lies. I despise them. I abhor a liar as a traitor for betraying my trust. As a murderer, I shun the unrepentant liar.

Call me a liar! Call me out if you will speak to me about it. If I have lied, I would confess. I am a forgiven sinner, not perfect! But since the Spirit entered my life I do not lie, as I had not for quite some time prior to His opening my eyes. I have always hated lies and preferred to have the defense of honesty on my side. I have always sought the character of my God. I love Him.

And so I did train to speak only truth. I practiced and studied and typed and wrote and expressed and thought and contemplated and WORKED. By choosing the truth every single time, even when it hurt. By listening very closely to my conscience, even if I misinterpreted the information. By seeking the very best of Life, the goodness and virtue and love. By striving for the Best, selling everything and digging for the Pearl.

I've endured many painful lessons I did not love at the time and still bear the scars of now but I love them! I love the way He works! I love the way He does everything! He has blessed me with a heart that is glad in Him, I am blessed to experience the inspiration of the psalmist, whose book of Psalms means more to me now than it ever has before, as does every book written in His voice.

My friends, keep seeking! If you find the Holy Spirit, you will know! If He visits you, there is no doubt! I sought Him desperately to finally discover Him and this is what He has been training me to convey to the world; the experience of Jesus Christ as He leads me to do so.

I make no commitments but to Him or as He directs.

Thank you for reading. I heartily encourage you to seek definitions and to try to understand the meanings of unfamiliar words. Such is a great pleasure of mine.

 

[XtraPercept]

A bit more about prayer as I experience it.

I used to pray in the form of

open request
make request
"in Jesus' name" incantation
close request

I learned this is not a prayer. This is a request, a petition. These are for the dead, they petition God for His mercy (but the idea is that they're seeking Him continually in the process). Some add "thanks" as well.

There are those Scriptures talking about prayer being in "Spirit and truth" while some translations say "truth and sincerity." For me, the words I would use for this concept as I have come to know it are "intent and meaning." To know the Spirit is to know His intent, and speaking His truth can only be done from the understanding of His meaning, which is only learned by seeking Him.

With the indwelling Spirit, my prayer is an entirely new experience! As He said, "in that day you will ask for nothing," simply being in His presence, in the Holy of Holies, is everything I ever wanted! I have no requests, I have no desires, He is the entirety of my satisfaction and fulfillment.

For me, prayer is practice in speaking the truth, singing, praising, worshiping, dancing, and all manner of joyful times with my Creator. It is all the euphoria I thought was fake and artificial when I was still longing to understand the meaning of it. I know there are many expressions of the Spirit, but this is how I have come to know Him.

I am elated to be blessed with certainty of His intent. I tell you it is simple! He is good and holy and righteous. I trust His intent.

 

[soberxp]

With the indwelling Spirit, my prayer is an entirely new experience! As He said, "in that day you will ask for nothing,"

Indeed,

6:7 But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.

6:8 Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.

6:9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.

6:10 Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

6:11 Give us this day our daily bread.

6:12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

6:13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

6:14 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:

6:15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

 

[Bob]

Thank you for your comments.

Regarding Matthew 6:12– “For give us . . .” ; an unstated assumption is that God demands we take responsibility for our actions, including our mistakes. Inadvertently harming someone or some thing is part of human existence, but it can be forgiven if we freely acknowledge our faux pas, do our best to make amends, pledge to try to learn from our mistake, and ask His forgiveness.

Forgiving others when they have deliberately harmed us is one of the biggest tests for Christians.

Blessings.

 

[XtraPercept]

Thank you for your comments.

Regarding Matthew 6:12– “For give us . . .” ; an unstated assumption is that God demands we take responsibility for our actions, including our mistakes. Inadvertently harming someone or some thing is part of human existence, but it can be forgiven if we freely acknowledge our faux pas, do our best to make amends, pledge to try to learn from our mistake, and ask His forgiveness.

Forgiving others when they have deliberately harmed us is one of the biggest tests for Christians.

Blessings.

Thank you for yours!

What you say is true, and the humility to live as you say is itself a blessing. Without His Spirit, we would have no forgiveness in us to offer. With the gift of His forgiveness, with the knowledge of His truth, all is forgiven.

This is really huge for me because the most difficult person for me to forgive for almost my entire life up until recently was myself. Forgiving others was something I had much practice with but I hold myself to His standards and was long accustomed to frequent failure.

Forgiveness is like part of a cleansing shower. I love to be clean and wouldn't want the mire of unforgiveness anywhere on me.

Thank you again for your contribution!

 

[Aunty Jane]

The following Scripture is from an American translation, the Complete Bible, by Smith and Goodspeed, 1948

Matthew 6:9-13

Our Father in heaven
Your name be revered!
Your kingdom come!
Your will be done
On earth as well as in heaven!
Give us today bread for the day,
And forgive us our debts, as we have forgiven our debtors.
And do not subject us to temptation,
But save us from the evil one.

Is there a reason why you chose that translation, as I do not believe that it conveys Jesus’ prayer accurately...

The old KJV version is still what many recite...
“Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our daily bread.
12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil”.

Or as the ESV renders it....
“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation,but deliver us from evil.” (ESV)

Many Protestants add more.....
“For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.”.....but this is not contained in the original prayer, which is Jesus teaching his disciples how to pray...what to pray for.....and even the solution to all of man’s problems...God’s Kingdom, which will “come” to redeemed mankind, and allow God’s will to be “done on earth as it is in heaven”.

Praying for God’s name to be “hallowed” which in the Greek means to “sanctify” or to “be Holy” is not what is rendered here correctly.
“Revered” does not convey that thought....it means “to deeply admire or respect”, but does not relate to sanctification or holiness. God has a unique name which is given to no one else.....the Jews retained the divine name in their Scripture but when Jesus walked the earth they refused to say it. (Psalm 83:18 KJV)

Also the line...”on earth as well as in heaven” does not convey what Jesus said either.
The ‘coming’ of God’s kingdom will result in the earth coming into full harmony with what is seen in heaven...with all God’s earthly family enjoying what his heavenly family enjoys with Satan and his hordes missing from their ranks.
In the “new earth” (not a new planet) God’s will can predominate because all will obediently submit to it, as Jesus did. (John 5:30; John 6:38; Luke 22:42)

“Do not subject us to temptation” is not what Jesus said either, because he himself was subject to temptation by God’s permission, but he was not “led” into it, which is what the original prayer said....”do not lead us into temptation”.....we can see what happens when we put our own meaning to the the words of the Bible.

I don’t think those who parrot off that model prayer have any idea what they are praying for....because they have a false impression about what it means......it comes from the mind by rote, but not from the heart with full meaning and knowledge. It was not given to be recited word for word, but to serve as a model for our own prayers....”Pray then this way”...Jesus said.