“Therefore, you should pray like this: Our Father in heaven, your name be honored as holy. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And do not bring us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.
Matthew 6:9-13
This is an excerpt from Homelife Magazine.
These words strike a familiar chord with nearly every- one who has spent any amount of time in a Christian church. They’re memorized in Sunday School and are often repeated in worship services. Those who claim Christ as Lord, almost without exception, know this prayer. Though we may be able to repeat it word-for-word, do we know what it means?
“Our Father” is the opening phrase. It addresses God Almighty, the maker of space, time, and all creation. The words form a greeting to the great I Am who lives outside space and time in a spiritual realm beyond our imagining. The One who is all-knowing, all-powerful, present in all places at all times, and totally without change. This one True God is who Jesus told us to address as “Our Father.”
Do we recognize the astounding honor that is ours in addressing the one True God as Father?
Do we recognize the astounding honor that is ours in addressing the one True God as Father? Do we grasp the importance of our words when we say, “Hallowed be thy name”? The word “hallow” means to consider a person or thing as ultimately holy, exalted, or to give supreme reverence. Do we fully understand the majesty possessed by our God?
Let’s also consider the statement, “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.” In voicing these words, we’re submitting our will to the will of God. We’re submitting our own desires to His desires and invit- ing His lordship in all things. In these words is a commit- ment to be in total subjection to God’s actions in our lives.
“Thy will be done” are words of surrender. They speak of our desire to release to our Father all our own rights over our lives in favor of following wherever He leads.
Although this supplication speaks of “bread” in the statement, “Give us this day our daily bread,” it’s really a plea for God to supply all we need for the day. Throughout God’s Word, He promises to care for His own. He is likened to a Good Shepherd who will care diligently for His sheep. A shepherd does so much more than simply ensure his sheep have food and water. He protects his sheep, directs his sheep, and provides healing balm for his sheep. We have need of all these things on a daily basis. The Lord’s Prayer requests of God to provide all we need to sustain us for the day. It’s a plea designed to be spoken daily to the One who provides all good things.
The word “debt” in “and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors,” holds the idea of a bill not yet paid. When we sin against God, we have added to the price Jesus paid for our redemption. Each transgression is yet another sin Jesus carried to the cross. He carried all the sin of the entire world for all time. He became sin for us. He freely died for us, expecting nothing in return. How can we do less for those who offend or hurt us? When we pray this prayer, we’re asking God to forgive us in the same way we forgive others. Of this, we must remain starkly aware.
Immediately following the request for forgiveness comes, “and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.”
What does it mean for God not to lead us into temptation? According to God’s Word, temptation comes from our enemy, Satan. Therefore, what we truly ask is that God will lead us away from the temptation toward evil and deliver us from its dark, destructive effects. God will faithfully lead us along a good and holy path; however, we must listen to His voice and follow faithfully wherever He leads.
In Him all things have their being, and all things are held together by Him. His splendor has no equal. This is our God.
The glorious end of this beautiful prayer is: “For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever.” These words proclaim God’s kingdom as the one true kingdom, and God as the only true God. He is omnipotent (all-powerful) and far beyond all other principalities and powers; He created them all. He is magnificence personi- fied and majesty embodied. He is all in all. In Him all things have their being, and all things are held together by Him. His splendor has no equal. This is our God.
Finally, we say, “Amen.” This means “let it be,” or “may it be so.” May we join our hearts in prayer to the great I Am and boldly request, “Amen!”
