Prayers
Our Father Who Is In Heaven
When Jesus began teaching about PRAYER He began to outline what OUR HEAVENLY FATHER dislikes about PRAYER--then Jesus establishes how to PRAY. Hi, I’m back to close out the teaching about the OUR FATHER PRAYER. I’ve been taught by the HOLY SPIRIT over the years to learn the basics of this PRAYER and how to practically apply it.
The Practical Approach
When you read most of my articles that I’ve been led to write you’ll see the term (The Practical Approach). It’s because Jesus told me to teach everything from a Practical Point of View. In fact, Jesus restructured all the teaching in the Old Testament with a Practical Way of Understanding and applying the principles He was sharing when He taught the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew chapters 5, 6, and 7.
RECAP
Allow me to RECAP the two previous articles “Pray to Your Father and In This Manner, Therefore, Pray”, to finish the teaching about the OUR FATHER PRAYER.
Jesus pointed out the negatives or the Do Not’s in PRAYER that was being practiced in His day as it is being practiced today. Jesus said:
1. We should NOT be Hypocritical by standing in the streets or in services Praying out loud to gain attention (Matthew 6:5 NKJV)
2. We should PRAY PRIVATELY to be rewarded openly (Matthew 6:6 NKJV)
3. We should NOT be REPITITIOUS or speak a lot when we PRAY (This includes repeating the OUR FATHER PRAYER over and over) (Matthew 6:7 NKJV)
4. We should be confident that OUR HEAVENLY FATHER knows what we need before we ask HIM (Matthew 6:8 NKJV)
Jesus went on to point out how we should PRAY by saying; (Matthew 6:9-13 NKJV)
1. Our Father in Heaven,-(GOD is presented as OUR FATHER who is in Heaven)
2. Hallowed be Your Name. –(His Name is to be respected and Honored, It is Mighty & Powerful)
3. Your kingdom Come. –(We are to ask for HIS Divine Power & Might to assist us to do His will)
4. On earth as it is in Heaven.-(We are to expect HIS kingdom & Power to manifest on the earth)
5. Give us this day our daily bread.-(We are to request His Spiritual blessing Spiritual nourishment (that is, revelation from Scripture as we read His Word and Physical nourishment real bread to eat). Although I believe it is meant for Spiritual nourishment I would not rule out the Physical nourishment.
6. And forgive us our debts,-(Forgive our sins)
7. As we forgive our debtors.-(As we forgive those who sinned against us)
8. And do not lead us into temptation,-(The Holy Spirit will lead us to be Tempted See, Matthew 4:1 NKJV) God does not tempt us (James 1:13 NKJV) The devil tempts us and so does our physical desires (James 1:13-15 NKJV)
9. But deliver us from the evil one,-(We are to request protection from the enemy)
10. For Yours is the kingdom and the Power and the Glory forever.-(This is a ending Proclamation that has to be said in order for the operation of God’s kingdom on earth can rule near you).
Thinking about the Application
I shared when I was young I was taught to recite, memorize and pray this OUR FATHER PRAYER for protection. Of course, I did not know the Bible back then and the clear teaching that Jesus established for us in Scripture.
As a student of Scripture I’ve been trained by the Holy Spirit to be more inquisitive and practical in my line of questioning passages of Scripture. For example, After Jesus taught this OUR FATHER PRAYER who actually applied it in the New Testament? Truthfully, Jesus was the only one recorded in Scripture who Prayed 2 lines of the 10 lines in the OUR FATHER PRAYER. Jesus said, My Father and then nevertheless not as I will, but as You will (Matthew 26:39 NKJV). What’s my Point?
Whenever we read about how Jesus taught His disciples we should search and research if they actually applied what Jesus said, and we should not develop some religious approach of application that is not supported in Scripture. Repeating the OUR FATHER PRAYER over and over is forbidden (Matthew 6:7 NKJV). So, why do we still pray this OUR FATHER PRAYER religiously in some of our churches? Because many churches were NOT taught correctly what Jesus had originally shared about the topic of PRAYER.
If we take a closer look at the OUR FATHER PRAYER it is designed by Jesus to pin-point the areas in question we should focus on when we seek to talk to OUR HEAVENLY FATHER. In other words, it’s a format of PRAYING to OUR HEAVENLY FATHER. For example, when Jesus was faced with the challenge of going to the cross HE was very stressed about it and thought that maybe—just maybe GOD could bring Salvation to mankind by another method. Most Theologians and Pastors would argue against this point.
I got into a debate with a guy who said, “Are you calling Jesus a chicken?” No, it’s very simple. Jesus said O MY FATHER, if it is possible, let this CUP pass from Me (Matthew 26:39 NKJV). Now, if we do a study of what the term CUP means—it means the entire event of something happening. Whether it applies to Jesus’ suffering, crucifixion, death, burial and resurrection, or the End Time wrath of God being poured out on the earth in the Book of Revelation 14:10; 16:19 NKJV. The CUP-is a figurative description of an entire event happening.
So, Jesus applied the OUR FATHER PRAYER when He was faced with this difficult moment in the Garden of Gethsemane, using only 2 lines out of the 10 points of this OUR FATHER PRAYER.
OUTLINING THE 10 POINTS
What are the areas that we should consider when we PRAY the OUR FATHER PRAYER?
There are 10 areas which OUR HEAVENLY FATHER desires for us to acknowledge and mature in that Knowledge of what we are PRAYING about. Remember PRAYING is communicating with GOD, simply said talking to GOD.
1. Our FATHER in Heaven,--notice that Jesus is presenting GOD as FATHER to the children of Israel. What does that mean for us today? We must acknowledge HIM as FATHER when we begin to talk to HIM. It takes on a whole new meaning and dimension of our approach to be comfortable to talk to a MIGHTY GOD who sees us in a different light AS HIS BELOVED CHILDREN. Our confidence levels should sky-rocket based on this awesome revelation, not with a sense of arrogance but with a grateful notation that HE SEES US DIFFERENTLY than we see ourselves in relation to HIM.
2. Hallowed be YOUR Name.—we are to respect, honor, and have a great concern to acknowledge how Wonderful is HIS name.
3. Your kingdom come.—again we must request that HIS Divine Power to be accessible in our lives on the earth.
4. On earth as it is in Heaven.—there’s nothing evil in Heaven where GOD dwells (No sickness, disease, lack, poverty, hatred, unkindness and the list is endless…So we are to request it to be so on the earth at home, at work, at the mall or wherever we find ourselves we are to ask for a heavenly experience on earth.
5. Give us this day our daily bread.—again this could be spiritual bread (Revelation from Scripture or Physical Bread food to fill our belly).
6. And forgive us our debts,--again we are to request forgiveness for ourselves because every day we will miss the mark.
7. As we forgive our debtors.—in the same manner and measure that OUR HEAVENLY FATHER forgave us we are to forgive others who offended us.
8. And lead us not into temptation,--we can PRAY this but there will come a time that the HOLY SPIRIT will lead us into our life’s wilderness to be tempted by the devil (Matthew 4:1 NKJV). Remember it’s the devil and our physical desires that tempt us—NOT GOD (James 1:13-15 NKJV).
9. But deliver us from the evil one,--we can be delivered when we request it.
10. For YOURS is the kingdom and the Power and the Glory forever, Amen.
The Areas are Clearly Presented
With the amount of knowledge we have about how Jesus taught this OUR FATHER PRAYER, we are well aware of how to communicate with OUR HEAVENLY FATHER. When we open up in PRAYER we need to acknowledge HIM as FATHER, we need to respect HIS HOLY NAME, we need to request HIS Power for the specific task and challenge were facing, so we may experience Heaven on earth; Then we can ask for the spiritual nourishment we need to practically apply ourselves when it comes to forgiveness, temptation and any other challenge we encounter so we may overcome it and then Praise HIM for HIS Power, Might and Glory coming into our lives. This is how we should PRAY—this PRAYER. Amen
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