Jesus' Model Prayer

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RR144

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The ingredients for a proper prayer are well illustrated in the model prayer which Jesus gave in response to his disciple’s question: “Lord, teach us to pray.” (Luke 11:1) We quote his answer from the more familiar version given in Matthew 6:9-13:

“Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, in earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts; as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation’ but deliver us from evil.”

Let us note briefly the ingredients of this prayer:
OUR FATHER – For anyone to pray and be guaranteed an answer to his prayer, he must be a son of God. The steps to this sonship are spelled out in simple detail by Jesus himself in Matthew 16:24.

“If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow me.”

WHICH ART IN HEAVEN—Not only an objective realization of where God lives, but of the authority implied in that habitation. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:9

HALLOWED BE THY NAME—A recognition of the height of God’s position is not sufficient, there must also be a cognizant of his righteousness and holiness. It is for this reason that the Psalmist writes, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” Psalms 111:10.

THY KINGDOM COME—All of Jesus’ ministry was preoccupied with the message of his kingdom, which was to be right here on earth. If the starting point of man’s experiences on earth was the Garden of Eden, and the turning point was Calvary, the grand climax of these experiences will be the great Kingdom of God. It is this kingdom that represents God’s real designs for man—an eternity of peace and joy in harmonious living with their God and with their fellowman.

THY WILL BE DONE IN EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN—Not only will an acceptance of God’s will be the key to happy and peaceful living for mankind in that kingdom, it must be the Christian’s present goal. The more one adopts God’s will instead of one’s own, the more one enjoys life and its living. Thus the proper prayer is to become like Jesus himself, who said, “I delight to do thy will, O my God.” Psalms 40:8

GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY BREAD—The only temporal request in this prayer was for the necessities of life, not for luxuries, or even for health or for earthly happiness. Jesus was introducing a way of sacrifice, and to request more than life’s necessities would be counter-productive to this end.

FORGIVE US OUR DEBTS—There is no more basic need than this. All the benefits of life are contingent upon a sinless standing before God. All the evils and hardships which men endure are directly traceable to this one cause of sin. As the blind man who was healed exclaimed, “God heareth not sinners.” (John 9:31) so this forgiveness is a pre-requisite for all other requests.

AS WE FORGIVE OUR DEBTORS—Proper prayer recognizes the fact that God’s promises are conditional. If we are not willing to forgive others their trespasses against us, how can we anticipate his forgiveness of our sins against him? (See Jesus’ parable on this subject in Matthew 18:21-35.)

LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION—Since we are informed in James 1:13 that “God cannot be tempted, neither tempteth he any man,” the thought seems to be, as some scholars believe, “Abandon us not into temptation.” The prayer for strength to overcome temptations is always a proper request for the Christian.

BUT DELIVER US FROM EVIL—Or, as the Greek suggests, “from the evil one.” Recognizing the power and cunning of our great adversary, who, “as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour,” (1 Peter 5:8) it is again proper to seek divine strength to ward off Satan’s attacks.

To the elements of this prayer we might suggest three additional features of a proper prayer:

NOT MY WILL, BUT THINE, BE DONE—Although omitted from this model prayer because all requests found in it are manifestly within the will of God, it is certainly wise for us to append this to all of our own prayers. It if were wise for Jesus Christ to use these words in his Gethsamene prayer, (Luke 22:42) how much more for us who lack his perfect knowledge of what the will of God is.

THANKSGIVING—Expressions of thankfulness were probably omitted from this model prayer of Jesus because the disciple’s request was for the proper way to make a prayer of request. Nevertheless, it is manifestly proper to always express our appreciation for past favors received, before making request for new ones to come. The Apostle Paul notes this additional element in Philippians 4:6, “In everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God.”

IN JESUS’ NAME—This inclusion is authorized by the master himself in John 15:16: “Whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, He may give it to you.” This inclusion is more than a ritual, it is also an acknowledgement that any relationship we have with the Creator of the Universe, whatever right we might have to approach God in prayer in the first place, is only through the ministry of his Son, Jesus Christ. In direct words, Jesus says in John 14:6, “No man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”