Bedrock

Prayer that puts God first

The pattern prayer - the Lord’s prayer

When the disciples asked Jesus if he would teach them to pray, he gave them a model prayer - the Lord’s prayer. He gave them a prayer that has become a prayer all Christians have in common. It is a prayer full of promise and responsibility which is an example of what it means to pray in spirit and truth. All the prayers that are born in us by God’s Spirit will follow the same basic pattern that we find in the Lord’s prayer. Therefore we need to take a look through this prayer in order to learn to pray like Jesus.

Therefore, we find these encouragements in the Bible:

And pray in theSpirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. (Eph. 6:18)
But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit. (Jude 20)

Be clear about to whom you are praying

Jesus taught his disciples that they should call God Father. It is wonderful that the Almighty God, the Creator of heaven and earth, is our Father! When we pray it is always good to come in the certainty that God is our Father. Our heavenly Father cares about us, loves us and wants what is best for us, - and he has all resources at his disposal and can meet all our needs. It is always good to bear in mind the fact that our heavenly Father has time for us, he loves our fellowship and he both can and will help us in all things, both great and small.

Prayer which puts God first

Christian prayer helps us to give God first place in our lives.He deserves this place because he has created us, saved us, and keeps us alive every day. We are completely dependent upon him and prayer helps us to understand this and express it.

Christian prayer, therefore, is not primarily to come with a long list of wishes and needs. Christian prayer is giving God first place in our lives. It is meditating on and thinking about his goodness and greatness and worshipping the exalted one.

1. Hallowed be your name. (Matt. 6.9)

In the Bible God’s name represents the revelation of himself that he has chosen to give us. When we pray that his name may be kept holy, we are praying that God’s definitive revelation in Jesus Christ may be known and honoured. We are praying that everyone will understand who he really is and that he will reveal his holiness and display his character and his omnipotence. It is a prayer for him to reveal his divine reality, that he will show that it is right for all people to bow before him, obey him and serve him - quite simply because he is who he is!

In the Bible we find many names used for God:

  • He is the creator, the life-giver, the source and origin of all things.
  • He is the Most High, the greatest one of all, he is worthy of all our praise and worship.
  • He is the Almighty, the All Sufficient and the Great Provider. We are safe when we seek refuge in him.
  • He is the one who is who he is. He is the great I AM - Yahweh. He is the eternal, self-existent God who reveals himself to people as their Helper and Saviour.
  • He is the Lord our Healer who heals all our diseases.
  • He is our Banner. He gives us victory over all our enemies.
  • He is the Lord our Peace, there is perfect harmony where he rules.
  • He is the Lord our Righteousness, no one can condemn us when he has acquitted us.
  • He is the omnipresent Lord who never leaves nor forsakes us but is always there when we need him.
  • He is the Lord our Shepherd, he leads us, watches over us and makes sure we have all we need.

Therefore, we find that many of the Psalms begin by praising who God is:

I love you, O Lord, my strength.
The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;
My God is my rock, in whom I take refuge.
He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
(Psalm 18:1-2)
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not be in want. (Psalm 23:1)

Exercise:

Take some time to meditate on the names of God, on who He really is.

Which of the expressions above do you appreciate the most? Why?

2. Your kingdom come. (Matt. 6.10)

Here Jesus teaches us another prayer which puts God in first place. He says that we must pray that God’s rule, his kingdom, his government must come on earth. Later in the same teaching, Jesus says that we must seek God’s kingdom first. In the gospels we see that the preaching of the Kingdom of God was Jesus’ central theme. It is our responsibility as Christians to seek to promote it in all we are and do. That is why it is so important that we pray that God’s kingdom may come.

Jesus teaches us that when we pray, this is something that should be on our hearts, something we long to see fulfilled - that God’s gracious kingdom must come throughout the world. God is almighty and omnipresent and rules over all things but in this prayer Jesus teaches us to pray that his kingdom of grace and his kingdom of salvation may come to all people.

It is a prayer that the preaching of the gospel of the kingdom of God may be accepted over the whole world, so that people can be born again and come into God’s kingdom. When the Kingdom of God increases people are saved and set free from sin and ungodliness. It is about the victory of light over darkness, about the rule of righteousness and the whole of society being transformed in accordance with the heavenly standard.

When we pray that the kingdom of God may come, we are not just thinking of the continuous coming through the preaching of the gospel and Christian work, but we are also praying that it may come in its perfection, in power and glory with the return of Jesus Christ. When Jesus comes again he will have crushed all his enemies and the last enemy to be destroyed will be death. God’s kingdom breaks through more and more as he glorifies his name and causes people to fear him in his holiness. Through salvation and judgement God triumphs over all his enemies and brings in his kingdom by the creation of the new heavens and new earth.

3. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. (Matt. 6:10)

Here Jesus teaches us to pray for heavenly conditions on earth - that God’s will might be done. God’s will is the visible expression of his nature and character as found in the Law and commands. In heaven God is sovereign; everything is done in accordance with his nature and is therefore perfect. It is these heavenly conditions which we pray may come to us.

People’s living conditions are good where God’s will is done, for God is righteous and good - his will is an expression of his loving nature. Therefore, it is the highest wish of the Christian that the will of God should rule in his or her own life and the lives of everyone else.

In this prayer we are praying for the fulfilment of words of prophecy which say that there will come a people, a generation, who wholeheartedly do all God’s will (See Ezek.36:26-27; Jer.31:33). We find also that the apostles continually prayed for the Christians that they would be filled with knowledge of God’s will and eagerness to do it.

For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God. (Col. 1:9-10)

One day, the prayer that the will of God might be done will have its complete fulfilment, when Jesus has made an end of all evil and made the world new. Then there will be full harmony between heaven and earth, God’s dwelling will be with men, and the will of God will have complete sway. Then heaven and earth will be united for eternity and joy will be endless.

Exercise:

Why do we pray for the kingdom of God to come and his will to be done on earth?

Continue to memorise, add this Bible verse:

So I say to you, Ask, and it will be given you; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. (Luke 11:9)