Week 52 - December 26th, 2021
Matthew 6:9–13
9 Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. 10 Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us this day our daily bread, 12 and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil."
Context: In the Sermon on the Mount, found in Matthew 5–7, Jesus gives His followers a picture of life in the Kingdom of God. This new way of life is characterized by morality, humility, and dependency on God. In this section Jesus contrasts the self-righteous prayer of hypocrites with the humble prayer of one sustained by God.
Meaning: Jesus invites us to address God as Father, pointing to a level of intimacy that is entirely new to this audience. God is not just the Lord and Master who feeds His servants, but a caring Father who attends to our needs out of His great love for us. In this prayer the first three petitions focus on praying for God's concerns, and the final three focus on the provision of our needs. As we prioritize God's concerns, He wonderfully meets our needs. As His Holy character is acknowledged and revered, His Kingdom comes to those who seek for His will to be accomplished. In this process, His children are encouraged to ask Him to provide for their daily needs, to forgive their sins, and to protect and deliver them from the evil one.
Life Application: This prayer is presented as something to be prayed daily. While the words of our prayers may vary in any given situation, their regularity should not. Jesus models for us daily dependence on our Father for all things and we should earnestly follow His lead. If the Son of God was Himself daily dependent on the Father, how much more should we as frail humans rely on the providence of the Almighty God!
For Further Study: The Lord’s Prayer also appears in Luke’s Gospel in abbreviated form. As Jesus teaches on prayer in Luke 11:1–13, He focuses on the importance of persevering in prayer. Prayer is not a “one-and-done” thing; it should become a regular, even daily, discipline.