Daily Devotional For Friday, October 11, 2024

Yes, it is Fantastic Friday and we are making our way through Jesus’ infamous Sermon On The Mount found in Matthew chapters 5, 6, & 7. We have already finished going through Matthew 5 and now we are in Matthew 6. We are currently on the threshold of looking at the most famous and memorized prayer ever – The Lord’s Prayer. So, let’s start looking at “The Lord’s Prayer.” In Matthew 6:9, Jesus begins with this: “Pray, then, in this way” (NASB).

As Jesus did in Matthew 6:1-8, we notice several things immediately in verse 9.

1. Jesus does not tell us how to pray. In Matthew 6:1-8, He told us how not to pray. Jesus is not giving us this prayer as a ritual to pray, but as a model to follow.
2. Jesus does not tell us when to pray. Jews were supposed to pray at specific hours of the day: 9:00 AM, Noon, 3:00 PM and 6:00 PM. Jews were called to pray at specific feasts such as Passover and Booths. They were to pray for grace before meals and after arriving at a destination when traveling. He simply said, “Pray in this way.”
3. Jesus does not tell us where to pray. In Matthew 6:1-8, He told us in Matthew 6:6 to go into an inner or secret room and pray privately and in secret. It is interesting to me that Jesus during His 3-year ministry really did not have this “secret room” to go to since He did not own a home. It is no wonder Jesus went out into nature and prayed alone.
4. Jesus does not tell us a specific attitude or attire or posture to have when we pray. Jesus dealt with the negatives of them in Matthew 6:1-8. Whether we are sitting or standing or kneeling or in our Sunday clothes or pajamas or beach clothes is not the issue. The issue is to follow the model Jesus gave us .

By the time Jesus came on the scene in first century Judea, Jews had strayed away from what God’s word in the Old Testament taught about prayer. They had turned what was supposed to be about building a relationship to God to something that was now formalized, ritualized, mechanical, rote and hypocritical. Having warned His listeners of the dangers, abuse, misuse of prayer, Jesus now turns and gives us a godly and biblical model to pray. 

The Greek New Testament word [Οὕτως, houtos], which is often translated as the word “like.” Here Jesus is saying,, “Along these lines, pray in this way.” No where in the Gospels or Scripture are we told to repeat any prayer, not The Lord’s Prayer and not Psalm 23. There is nothing wrong in using these prayers in our prayer times, but we should never use them as formulas or ritualistic prayers. 

The Lord’s Prayer, or more accurately, the Disciples’ Prayer, is not a set group of words to repeat. It is fine to recite it, as we recite many parts of Scripture. It is certainly fine to memorize it and to rehearse it in our minds and meditate on it in our hearts. But it is not so much a prayer in itself as it is a skeleton which believers are to flesh out with their own words of praise, adoration, petitions, and so on. It is not a substitute for our own prayers but a guide for them. Only God could in less than 70 words give us such a model to follow when we pray.

If you like outlines of subjects, topics and information, pastor and author John MacArthur gives us several outlines and ways to look at this model of prayer to follow:

“When outlined from the perspective of our relationship to God, we see: Our Father showing the Father/ child relationship; hallowed be Thy name, the Deity/worshiper; Thy kingdom come, the Sovereign/subject; Thy will be done, the Master/servant; give us this day our daily bread, the Benefactor/beneficiary; forgive us our debts, the Savior/ sinner; and do not lead us into temptation, the Guide/pilgrim.

From the perspective of the attitude and spirit of prayer, “Our”reflects unselfishness; “Father” reflects family devotion; “Hallowed be Thy name”, reverence; “Thy kingdom come”, loyalty; “Thy will be done”, submission; “give us this day our daily bread”, dependence; “forgive us our debts”, penitence; “do not lead us into temptation”, humility; “Thine is the kingdom”, triumph; “and the glory, exultation; and forever”, hope.

In similar ways the prayer can be outlined to show (1) the balance of God’s glory and our need; (2) the threefold purpose of prayer: to hallow God’s name, bring in His kingdom, and do His will; and (3) the approach of present (give us this day our daily bread), past (forgive us our debts), and future (do not lead us into temptation).

Those are but a brief sampling of the ways in which Jesus’ magnificent diamond of prayer may be cut. The purpose of prayer is seen more in the overall thrust of these five verses than in any particular word or phrase. From beginning to end the focus is on God, on His adoration, worthiness, and glory. Every aspect of true righteousness, the righteousness that characterizes God’s kingdom citizens, focuses on Him. Prayer could hardly be an exception. Prayer is not trying to get God to agree with us or to provide for our selfish desires. 

Prayer is affirming God’s sovereignty, righteousness, and majesty and seeking to conform our desires and our purposes to His will and glory. Every facet of the Disciples’ Prayer focuses on the Almighty. Here Jesus gives a comprehensive view of all the essential elements of righteous prayer, every one of which centers on God—acknowledging His paternity, priority, program, plan, provision, pardon, protection, and preeminence. Each element is overloaded with meaning, its truths being impossible to exhaust” (Source: John MacArthur, The MacArthur New Testament Commentary, “Matthew,” pp. 374-375).

Beginning tomorrow we will start looking at each section of this prayer.

Questions To Consider

1. When you pray, do you have a preferred time you like to pray? When is it and why?
2. When you pray, do you have a specific place you prefer to pray? If you do, why?
3. When you pray, do you tend to use the same repetitious words in each prayer or do you get creative and pray each prayer differently? Why or why not?
4. As said above, The Lord’s Prayer reflects 8 aspects our prayers need about ourselves: unselfishness, devotion, reverence, loyalty, submission, dependence, penitence and humility. When you pray, do your own personal prayers reflect these same 8 aspects? Why or why not? If not, what does that tell you about how you view prayer and why?
5. Here Jesus gives a comprehensive view of all the essential elements of righteous prayer, every one of which centers on God—acknowledging 8 characteristics of God seen in His paternity, priority, program, plan, provision, pardon, protection, and preeminence. When you pray, do your own prayers reflect these eight aspects of God? Why or why not? What does that tell you about your view of God and yourself?

Scripture To Meditate On: Isaiah 64:8, “But now, O Lord, You are our Father, We are the clay, and You our Potter; And all of us are the work of Your hand” (NASB).

Prayer To Pray: “Dear Jesus, I must confess that most of my prayers do not reflect those 8 aspects I am to have about myself nor do I have the 8 aspects in my prayers about You. When I pray, I tend to jump and cut to the chase instead of making my chase for You, Your kingdom and Your will to be done in my own life. Jesus, please help me to see myself as You see me and help me to see You as You are. I am a sinner coming into the presence of perfect holiness. Thank You that You let me do this out of Your love for me. I love You Jesus. In Jesus’ name, Amen!”

I love you Southside!--Pastor Kelly