Matthew 6:9-13 (NIV)
“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today 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 the evil one.
Found in Matthew 5-7, Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount is widely considered His most popular teaching. It is also the most exhaustive look into the will of God that we find in Scripture.
The topics that Christ covered in the Sermon on the Mount include giving, fasting, evangelism, marriage, revenge, and virtually every topic that we continue to deal with roughly 2,000 years later.
Isn’t it amazing to know that the things that Jesus preached and taught about 2,000 years ago are still the issues that we struggle with every day? That’s just another example of how Scripture continues to prove itself valid in the lives of believers today.
While the Lord’s Prayer is an integral part of many liturgical church services, there are some things to consider. In Matthew 6:7, Jesus spoke about the importance of not allowing prayer to turn into a case of vain repetition.
The Lord’s Prayer was given as a model. While there is nothing wrong with repeating it, God wants our prayers to go beyond something that we repeat from memory.
Prayer is an opportunity for us to truly share everything going on in our lives with our Father in Heaven. The five verses that Jesus spoke in the passage we just read provide us with the framework that our prayer lives should be built around.
The outline that He gave stands on seven components:
1. Declaration of who God is
2. Time of adoration
3. Embracing surrender through faith
4. Making our petition known
5. Confession and forgiveness of others
6. Healing and deliverance
7. Praise
With those seven foundational principles in mind, let’s put the Lord’s Prayer into practice in our own prayer lives.
Pray This Prayer
Heavenly Father, I know that You are the God of Creation. Your power exceeds anything that this world has ever or will ever see. While I cannot fathom in my mind the wonder of who You are, I know that Your Word is true, and You are the God of the Bible.
Lord, I love You. My love for You isn’t based on the blessings that You have abundantly poured into my life. Instead, I love You because You first loved me.
Father, give me the strength to surrender my will to Yours. Help me to live my life in a way that glorifies You and furthers Your Kingdom. Let the way that I speak to others, the way that I treat them, and the way that I share Your Word with them glorify You.
Lord, You know the things that I need and want. If there is any ungodly motive behind my requests, reveal them to me so I can make the changes that I need to make. God, I need Your blessings in my life.
You know the desires of my heart and Your Word declares that You love giving Your children the things that we need. Today, I ask You for Your blessings in each area of my life.
Forgive me for the times when I fall short of Your holiness. In the same way that You forgive me, give me the strength and the courage to forgive those who hurt me. Father, heal me and make me whole.
Even if I am not physically ill, I recognize that there are still areas in my life that need Your healing touch.
Thank You for hearing the prayers of Your people. Thank You for being a good God who pleasures in the joy of Your children. In Christ’s name, Amen.
While you ended this model prayer with a brief period of thanksgiving and praise, spend some time simply sharing your love and appreciation for God.
Thank God
Heavenly Father, thank You for the words that Christ shared during the Sermon on the Mount. Thank You for the Holy Spirit’s inspiration to Matthew who recorded one of the most powerful discussions in Scripture.
Thank You for perfectly preserving those teachings for thousands of years so I could better understand how to apply these Kingdom principles to my life. Thank You for Your grace, Your goodness, and Your redeeming power.
Thank You for loving me when I was at my lowest point. Thank You for calling me into a personal relationship with You through the sacrifice of Your Son. It’s in His name that I pray these things, Amen.