Praying Beyond “Help!”
Writer’s Note:
➤ This is an excerpt from our latest book Teach Me to Pray
He emphasizes the importance of sincerity, urging them not to fill their words with empty repetition. Wouldn’t it be prudent to use this same model to teach others instead of saying, “It’s just a conversation?”
When His disciples said to Jesus, “Teach us to pray,” He offered them the Lord’s Prayer. Just before sharing His instruction on prayer, He emphasizes the importance of sincerity, urging them not to fill their words with empty repetition. Wouldn’t it be prudent to use this same model to teach others instead of saying, “It’s just a conversation?” Jesus uses thoughtful and purpose-filled words.
“[When prayer is spoken without any meaning], the words sound hollow. They convey no sense of urgency or importance about the prayer. And if our prayers do not even move us, how do we expect them to move God? None of the prayers in the Bible sound so pointless or flat.”
Address
Our Father in heaven,
Jesus begins His prayer with an Aramaic term, Abba. This word is used for both addressing one’s earthly father, and as a term of respect for teachers and those with authority. It carries a sense of familiarity and obeisance to God.
Donald Whitney wrote a popular book called Spiritual Disciplines for the Overwhelmed. In it he says:
Recall that in the Third Commandment, God tells us, “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain” (Exodus 20:7). The original Hebrew here means that we should not use the Lord’s name emptily or without purpose. When we use God’s name like filler for our prayers, or when we address Him again and again without any real purpose in doing so, we take His name in vain.
Reverence:
hallowed be your name,
In the ancient Middle East, to know the name of God is to be able to communicate with Him. See Exodus 3:11-14 for it is “there God speaks to Moses, who insists that he be told God’s name. The assumption behind the story is that if Moses does not know God’s name, he cannot communicate with God. The name is also a summary of the essence of God.”God reveals His name as YHWH, which means I Am. In the eyes of the ancient Jews, the name of God was held in such reverence that it was never spoken. Thus, the beginning of this prayer calls God Abba and continues with "Hallowed be your name." Hallowed means to make holy or to render sacred. What’s more, the literal translation from Greek into English is May Your name be considered holy (or revered). “This is a request for God to demonstrate the holiness of his name.”
“Judging by its Old Testament antecedents (e.g., Isaiah 29:17–2474; Ezekiel 36:19–2375), a prayer that God’s name be hallowed is a prayer for the honor of God’s name and, ultimately, for the universal acknowledgement of Israel’s God.”
Kingdom Focus
Your kingdom come,
The Kingdom of God is where God reigns as the King. Intercede on behalf of those who are not part of it, earnestly praying for their salvation. Look at the beauty of how this was carried out with George Mueller.
“One day George Mueller began praying for five of his friends. After many months, one of them came to the Lord. Ten years later, two others were converted. It took 25 years before the fourth man was saved. Mueller persevered in prayer until his death for the fifth friend, and throughout those 52 years he never gave up hoping that he would accept Christ! His faith was rewarded, for soon after Mueller’s funeral the last one was saved.” - unknown
Will of God
Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
The will of God will always reflect His glory and be done for our good. By praying for the will of God, you are asking Him to reveal your part in it. This means you are committing to working at the Colossians 3:23 level.
Supplication (Ask)
Give us today our daily bread.
Jesus assures us that He will respond whenever we ask, even though His response may not always align with our expectations.
A more legitimate translation of this verse is “give us today the bread that does not run out.” This Focuses on the time (today), amount of bread (that never ceases), and the fear of running out (eliminating this fear and completely depending on Jesus).
Jesus assures us that He will respond whenever we ask, even though His response may not always align with our expectations. But remember: You will not change God’s mind. That is not the point of prayer. However, the more you pray, the more your heart will align with His.
Repent
And forgive us our debts,
Death is the unavoidable consequence of sin. Jesus, in His infinite grace, purchased our freedom and fully satisfied the debt owed for those who pledge loyalty to Him. To express your gratitude for what Jesus did, you will turn to Him and repent.
Repentance is not done so that God will forgive you. All of your sins, past-present-future are forgiven the moment you became a Christian. ”The call for repentance on the part of man is a call for him to return (šûḇ - in the sense, ‘turn back, return) to his creaturely (and covenant) dependence on God.”xx
God will not punish you for things Jesus’ blood already covers. A just God will not allow the repetition of punishment for the same offense. Keep in mind this does not negate consequences. There are always repercussions for the sins you have committed, and you should refrain from sinning more because you know God forgives you. A sign of true faith is the hatred of sin.
“If I hate sin because of the [consequence], I have not repented of my sin, I merely regret that God is just.” – C.H. Spurgeon
Forgive
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
Confessing and repenting is a staple in any prayer, but the Lord’s prayer adds a unique element that often flies under the radar. Jesus teaches you to examine yourself and make sure you are not harboring bitterness, resentment, and unforgiveness in your heart.
It is not a suggestion but rather an expectation for Christians to forgive others.
It is not a suggestion but rather an expectation for Christians to forgive others. Holding on to unforgiveness does not reflect your own forgiveness (Matthew 6:14-1577). “Salvation does not rest on human merits but only on the grace and mercy of God. Once disciples have received forgiveness and salvation, they are to forgive with the same forgiveness with which they have been forgiven. This is the evidence that they are indeed forgiven.”
Deliverance
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’
Ask for protection from temptation (inward sin) and outward sin, which starts with the evil one.
Finally, persistence.
Matthew 7:7-8 says to ask, seek, and knock. In the Greek, these verbs are in the present continuous tense. This implies that it is an action that ought to be perpetuated. In English, the verse should say, “Keep asking, and it will be given to you. Keep seeking, and you will find. Keep knocking, and the door will be opened.” It is remarkable how much God delights in our company. In Scripture, there is a timeless call to embrace the power of prayer and continue to do it.
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