About the Lord's Prayer.

Posted: Monday, June 28, 2010 by ♫ یүζvεیтεя in
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It is important that we review "The Lord's Prayer" from time to time, for a number of reasons

  • As a check - to see if we are praying aright.
  • As motivation to learn how to pray at a deeper level.
  • As a guide , so that our prayers to the Lord are more organized.


REVIEWING OUR PRAYER LIFE
  • Is our relationship with God as Father deeper and more meaningful as we pray to Him each day?
  • Are we more conscious of how we should hallow or sanctify our Father's Holy Name, even as we pray?
  • Are we praying for things related to the Lord's Kingdom?
  • Are we more submissive to the Will of the Lord?
  • Are we trusting the Lord to supply all our earthly needs?
  • Are we conscious of our need to be forgiven of all our sins? Are we also conscious of the need to forgive those who grieve us?


Let's do more than just offer prayers to God. Let us be challenged to cultivate a Prayer Life instead!
"AND DO NOT LEAD US INTO TEMPATATIONS/ TESTINGS" Luke 11:4
The word "temptations" may also be translated as "testings." Life on earth will always be fraught with problems. These problems test us in a number of ways. Among other things, our faith in God is tested. Our character will also be severely tested.
We cannot determine how we will be tested. However, we can pray that the testing will be tempered with mercy. We may pray that the Lord would allow us to escape severe testings.
It is natural to pray that we may be spared from testings. The Lord Jesus Himself prayed thus,
"Father, if it is Your will,
Take this cup from Me;
Nevertheless, not My will,
But Yours be done…"
 Luke 22:42


As we do not know the full will of God, and often He does not disclose or reveal His full will, it is perfectly all right to pray that we might be spared from testings.
Is it safe to pray thus? Yes, if we also bear in mind that we will accept God's will. If God's will is such that we must undergo testings, then so be it.
This prayer is therefore sent forth to the Lord to explore and to discover His will. This prayer is sent forth to the Father to plead His mercies as well.
INTERACTIVE PRAYING
The Lord Jesus offered this prayer three times consecutively. This was His way of praying interactively. He was expecting His Father to respond to Him.
His Father answered! Only One who has the closest relationship with the Father would be able to perceive His will! His Father's will was for Jesus to drink the cup of suffering placed in His hand.
Having ascertained God's will, Jesus submitted Himself to that revealed and confirmed will. Even as He prayed, He readied Himself to drink that bitter cup of suffering.
"BUT DELIVER US FROM THE EVIL ONE"
One of the most important things that the Lord Jesus sought to teach His Disciples was that they had a wicked enemy - here called, "The Evil One." (This is a better rendering of the Greek text. The translation , "Deliver us from evil" waters down the impact of what the Lord Jesus was teaching. He was teaching His Disciples to pray for deliverance from the wiles of the evil one, and not just the general presence of evil.)
The Lord Jesus Himself was not spared from severe testing by the Devil (Luke 4:1-13). He was aware of how power and deceit of the Devil. He urged His Disciples to pray that they may be spared from severe testings.
However, if severe testings cannot be avoided, they may pray that God would deliver them from the power of the evil one.
A case in point is found in Luke 22:31-32. The Lord Jesus told Peter plainly that Satan would severely test him. If possible, Satan would like to bring Peter down. He would at least, "sift him as wheat" (Luke 22:31).
Jesus then comforted Peter by saying, "But I have prayed for you" (Luke 22:32). Prayer was the Lord's means of protecting Peter from being destroyed by the devil.
Yes, Peter was not spared the pain and ignominy of denying the Lord Jesus Christ! However, we must also remember that Peter was fully restored and went on to become an outstanding disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ later.
A SPIRITUAL CONFLICT
The Apostle Paul wrote to warn the Ephesian Church of the fact that there was a spiritual conflict between the Lord's people and Satan. This conflict will exist till the Lord puts the Devil down permanently one day.
In the meanwhile, we must expect great spiritual battles in our lifetime. The way to find victory in this spiritual warfare is to learn how to pray effectively. Let us be deeply challenged to deepen our prayer life!

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