The Lord’s Prayer: Our Father
And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. 9 “This, then, is how you should pray: “‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, Matthew 6: 7-9
PRAYER IS NECESSARY IN THE YEAR OF OVERFLOW
In every need, we must learn to seek the Lord in prayer. It is in prayer that we will receive the blueprints for the preparation so that we can experience the outpour and then the overflow.
It’s in prayer that we maintain a posture of gratitude, praise and thanksgiving. Never taking the glory for the outpour, but recognizing every good thing has come from Him.
It is in prayer, that we are given heaven’s perspective and given eyes to see what The Spirit is working out in our lives.
What is Prayer?
Prayer is talking to God and listening for God to talk to us
Daily Prayer life is essential to your spiritual growth and health
Prayer is something that is learned
It is developed over time and it matures
Confronting Self:
The Flesh
Self-focused
“Me” driven
The effective prayer the Lord models isn’t focused on self
When the disciples ask Jesus to teach them to pray, He teaches them what we call the Lord’s prayer. (Luke 11:1-4)
It is focused on the Father, the Culture of Heaven, His Kingdom and His glory
The Lord’s Prayer:
The Lord is modeling a mature prayer.
Our Father (prayer about Him)
About His Kingdom (where He lives, rules and reigns)
Let your name be recognized as holy (not me be recognized, but You)
The effective prayer is learned and develops in us over time.
It is part of our spiritual formation
An infant is “me” focused, but as the child develops, matures he or she learns to prefer others. They are taught self-denial and to not just look out for their own interests but the interests of others.
Cultural Moment:
As believers we also must be taught because this type of prayer is counter culture!
The Kingdom of heaven is counter culture:
The culture of heaven sounds like:
Matthew 16:24: "Then Jesus said to his disciples, 'Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.'"
Philippians 2:3-4: "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others."
Jeremiah 17:9: “The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is?
John 14:6: Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
The Lord’s prayer serves as a tool to mature us. It empowers us to become the place where heaven touches earth.
What does this Prayer Sound Like?
Our
We are apart of a community of believers
It’s a prayer that begins by thinking about a community, a kingdom at large, a holy priesthood, a holy nation, a holy people set apart to live, breathe and fulfill OUR FATHER’S PURPOSE.
Father
He is our Abba
He has adopted us as His own
We have been chosen and received by Him
As a result, when we pray to our Father there is UNMERITED favor because we are His children!
In Heaven
Heaven is our home
Heaven is our reality
Heaven is the kingdom we are a part of!
Earth is not our home.
So we abide as citizens of heaven!
But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior. Phil 3:20
Above all, you must live as citizens of heaven, conducting yourselves in a manner worthy of the Good News about Christ. Phil 1:27
This prayer reminds us that we too are never off the clock, we are ambassadors, citizens of heaven where our heavenly Father rules and reigns.
Hallowed by Your Name
May your name be recognized as holy
The heart cry of a mature believer
The prayer of those who have counted the cost and have deem Jesus as worth of it all
No matter what it may cost me, no matter how painful or agonizing, no matter the suffering, use my life as a means to receive all glory, honor and praise.
That through my life, people would be able to recognize your holiness. That you are divinely unique, completely set apart, there is absolutely nothing, no one as great as you.
This was the heart cry of the first disciples, of martyrs such as Stephen who while beginning stoned because he was a follower of Jesus Christ cried: 59 While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” 60 Then he fell on his knees and cried out, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” When he had said this, he fell asleep.
It’s the prayer of Christ Himself in the garden of Gethsemane: “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.” Matthew 26:39
Does your life exist to HALLOW HIS NAME?
19 But Joseph replied, “Don’t be afraid of me. Am I God, that I can punish you? 20 You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people. Gen 50:18-20
Joseph understood that His life was the instrument God was using to HALLOW His name in Israel.
You may not understand the current trial or the current circumstance you are in, but every situation in your life serves a holy purpose.
Let me tell you, it is an honor to be His vessel, to have a life that exists to bring Him glory, honor and praise. To know that your life exists for an eternal purpose, for something so divine as God our Father being recognized as Holy in your life.
Resources to Go Deeper:
TEACH US TO PRAY BY COREY RUSSELL
UNSCARRED: A STORY OF FREEDOM BY HEATHER SCHOTT
