luke 11:1-4. what two reasons seem to be in play when the disciples ask jesus for a prayer lesson?
Life is ever going to be difficult, but nosotros can avoid a lot of hardship and needless struggle when we are prepared and exercise the essentials. In the spiritual realm at that place are essentials to practise, and one area is in our prayer life.
SERMON MANUSCRIPT
As many of you know, Kathy and I accept been away on holiday down in Phoenix, Arizona to be with family. Good for us that nosotros left in January considering the next twenty-four hours the snow and cold hitting here. It was good to exist in the mild weather. However, both Kathy and I got covid which kind of dragged on with us. So, selection your poison. One of the things nosotros missed out on doing due to our disease was hiking in the desert hills in that location, something nosotros have done for many years.
I recollect when our family unit was on furlough from Africa and the kids were young when we had our outset trek in the Superstition mountains. They are not big peaks but rather high rocky hills with pretty desert landscapes in the twisting valleys betwixt them. Kathy's folks warned us nearly some of the essentials to take: plenty of h2o, sunday block, a expert map. Just I must acknowledge I took the training too lightly. As we wound our way forth the lord's day soaked trails we realized we were getting brusque of h2o so decided to turn back. But when nosotros did, nosotros realized there were trails that intersected ours that nosotros had not seen earlier and didn't seem to be on the map. Which was our trail back to the automobile? I before long realized nosotros were lost. And for an hr or so, there was some desperate searching and some earnest prayer. Finally, God sent along some other hikers who pointed us in the right direction. Lesson learned. Be strong on the essentials. For u.s.a. it meant a better map and certainly more water.
Life is ever going to be hard, simply nosotros tin can avert a lot of hardship and needless struggle when nosotros are prepared and practise the essentials. In the spiritual realm at that place are essentials to practice, and i area is in our prayer life.
We volition read the same prayer in Luke 11:1–4.
One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, i of his disciples said to him, "Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples."twoHe said to them, "When you pray, say: "'Father, hallowed exist your proper noun, your kingdom come.Give us each 24-hour interval our daily bread.Forgive us our sins, for we besides forgive everyone who sins against us. And pb united states not into temptation'"
Luke 11:1–iv
Before we consider the words of the prayer, consider who asked to be taught to pray. A disciple. This question in and of itself was quite phenomenal because these disciples were quite accustomed to prayer. They were Jews raised to believe in God and to pray frequently. What more could Jesus teach them about prayer that they did not larn from their parents and in their synagogues? As it turned out, there was much to acquire. In fact, although many telephone call this the Lord'southward prayer, it would exist good to call it the disciples' prayer considering it was meant for them.
Now the meaning of the prayer. Some years ago I had the privilege of talking to a group of Catholics about this prayer. I asked the how many times they had said, and they replied, "Millions of times." But after our word, they replied once again, "We never knew that was what information technology meant. Now we know."
So let's await at the words. Such a short prayer, but and then meaningful. I submit to you that Jesus was teaching his disciples the essentials of daily prayer. There are other things that we are encouraged to pray for that aren't in these words. For instance, this is not the sinner's prayer which is a prayer for conservancy. Information technology says in Romans 10:ix that we must confess with our mouths the Lord Jesus in social club to be saved.
If you lot declare with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the expressionless, you will be saved.
Romans 10:9
And it continues in verse xiii, "The ane who calls on the proper noun of the Lord shall be saved."
The Lord's prayer is directed to the Male parent. The sinner's prayer is directed to the Son. If yous pray to the Begetter for salvation he will direct you to the Son because the Son is the door. Jesus said, "No ane comes to the Father but by me" in John xiv:6. A while back a lady said to me, "I trust God, simply I don't trust Jesus." Well, she is close to the door only she has not entered in yet. She needs to become to Jesus.
And the Lord's prayer is not a prayer of intercession. The Bible tells us to pray for each other, for our regime, for our church, for our missionaries and pastors, for neighbours and friends and even our enemies. These items are not function of the Lord's prayer. Why? Because Jesus is telling us about the essentials, the things every laic needs to personally pray for every day for their own spiritual well being. And he means every day!
For it says, Requite us each day our daily bread. Each day nosotros are setting out on a journey, a hike through life and each day there are challenges and obstacles known and unknown. Will we be prepared? How shall we pray so that we accept the essentials for life this mean solar day? Let's look at the five essentials one past 1.
1. The first essential is your identity. Remember who you are.
"Father, hallowed exist your proper name." In Matthew he adds, "Our Father in heaven." I suspect that Jesus wanted to delineate the begetter we grew upwardly with on globe. He was the one who sired us and gave the states our names. We learned our earthly identity through that initial connectedness with parents.
One 24-hour interval, when my daughter Lisa was iv years old, she asked me this question, "Daddy, who am I?" I, of course, answered and told her her identity "You are my daughter, and you are a loved and precious child in our family." Just I too told her most the Father in sky, the one who planned for her to be born long before her female parent and I fabricated such plans, and who loved her with an everlasting honey. I told her that she would always be my beloved daughter, but it was even more of import for her to know that dearest of the heavenly Male parent and through faith in Jesus belong to him forever equally a dearly loved kid of God.
Come across how great a beloved the father has bestowed on united states that nosotros should exist called the children of God, and such nosotros are.
1 John 3:i
So, here is our first essential. Remember who you are spiritually by remembering who your father is. This may sound easy for some of us who have known the truth of our spiritual identity for years, but it is a unlike world out there today. There are attacks on the nuclear family unit. Communism has sought to destroy the family structure and now Marxist ideology has permeated our social club. The family with a fatherly leadership is under nifty pressure. It is no longer politically correct to espouse the nuclear family as an platonic. People are also confused about other identity problems, sexual identity for instance. There used to be two sexes, easy to empathize, and now there are many by some accounts. And racial identity is again being preached as the most of import factor. The colour of my skin is paramount. The trouble comes when we forget that our primary identity is spiritual. When we lose sight of spiritual identity, and so at that place is confusion. The content of your eye, having the presence of the living God in you, means infinitely more than whatsoever racial, social, or sexual identity.
At that place is neither Jew nor Greek, slave non free, male nor female, for you are all 1 in Christ Jesus
Galatians 3:28
So, rehearse in prayer who yous are every day by calling God Father. I am who I am considering is who he is. That is the get-go essential. Then he adds, "hallowed exist your name." In other words, make God's proper noun to exist high, exalted, glorified. Worship him. The college he is in your heart's devotion, the amend it volition be for you. Y'all are not the offspring of a bottom god, but the child of the God and Father of all, Rex of the universe.
There's an old hymn we used to sing:
"My father is rich, in houses and lands, He holds the wealth of the earth in his hands, of rubies and diamonds, of silvery and gold, his coffers are full, he has riches untold. I'm the child of the king, the child of the king, with Jesus my Saviour, I'chiliad the child of the king."
2. The second essential in prayer is to commit to your spiritual purpose. Think your purpose.
In the next line of the prayer Jesus simply says, "Your kingdom come up." Is he talking well-nigh the future kingdom of God's program for Christ'south reign on world? Surely there is an element of that idea in this poesy. Christ will reign in the future. But the added thought in Matthew's gospel helps us out hither: "Your will exist done, on earth every bit information technology is in heaven."
In other words, it is a sentiment that applies to doing the will of God in your life today, non just desiring information technology for the time to come. What we should exist praying is this: Begetter, may your kingdom come in a applied and specific way in my life today. I want to be a kingdom person whose volition is surrendered to do what God wants today and to do information technology for him. I sign up today for this in my prayer.
Here is the point. If I do not declare and commit to a God-centered purpose for today, be default I will engage in a not-God-centered purpose. Many of us are not so goal oriented in life. When pressed for an reply, we would probably answer with something like to have a good 24-hour interval or to exist nice and get along with people. Nothing big or specific , but aught that makes our primary goal God-centered. That is because there is a default position in our thinking. It is the old nature that thinks about me first living my own life. Having a good day or existence nice is not what God calls us to. We are to be kingdom builders, living for God first.
Some of us are very goal oriented and accept a programme for the day, for the week and even for 10 years down the road. Our purpose is clear—get somewhere in life. Get things done. Have accomplishments. For whom? For myself. I asked a Christian college student why he was studying. "To pass my course and then I can get a good chore", he replied. "For what purpose?" I persisted. "To brand money so I can have a good future", he responded. Then I asked, "Where is God in this plan?" To which he replied, "I'm sure God wants me to do well in life." "And then who are you living for?" I asked. "I guess it is for me." "There is a poesy I want to testify you", I countered.
And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves merely for him who died for them and was raised once again.
2 Corinthians five:15
Y'all see, nosotros take to brand a option virtually who we alive for, who we serve. If nosotros don't cull to serve the Lord and do it for him, then, by default, quite unintentionally, we serve ourselves. Bluntly, this beau is the rule, not the exception, because so many of us do not dedicate our days and the activities of our days, to serve the Lord. The words Joshua used to claiming the people of Israel still apply to us besides:
Choose for yourselves this twenty-four hour period whom you lot will serve . . . Just as for me and my household, nosotros will serve the Lord.
Joshua 24:15
So, pray about it every 24-hour interval, peculiarly every morning. Make a option to serve the Lord, to live for him, to award his proper name today. That style yous will carry the essential of godly purpose into the day.
3. The tertiary essential in prayer is to call on the Lord for his provision.
"Give usa each solar day our daily bread." There is a slight difference betwixt this passage and the 1 in Matthew. In Matthew he says "this twenty-four hours". "Give us this solar day our daily bread". There the emphasis is on today. It is about the moment. The present tense of our life. In Luke information technology says "each day" which puts the emphasis more on the continuing nature of our prayer. I won't only call on God for provision today, just every twenty-four hour period of my life.
Yous might wonder almost the expression daily staff of life. Well, fortunately we have the aforementioned expression beingness used in English today. We say, "I'm going to work to earn my daily bread." The coin nosotros earn isn't just of buying bread. It is for all that we demand for our existence, for getting food, shelter, supplies, transportation, gas, etc. With the price of fuel, pretty presently we won't have enough left for a loaf of bread!
Some of yous may be asking this question: "I idea Jesus said my heavenly Father knows what I need earlier I ask him. Why so should I exist asking about my needs to be met?" Good question. It is true God knows what I need before I enquire, simply what he is doing is teaching me to trust his provision. What a wonderful opportunity we have to prove the faithfulness of our God. Jesus is going to circle back to this very idea in the next affiliate where he says, "Enquire and you shall receive" (Matt. 7:vii),. And over again, it says in James, "You lot have not because you enquire non" (Jas. 4:2).
Then ask, ask the Lord for what yous need. He is a loving and giving God who delights to run across our needs. So, what are our needs? Certainly the things we have already discussed like food and shelter. But what about the intangibles? Things similar wisdom, strength, health, peace of mind, slumber, joy, friendship, community. We are encouraged in the give-and-take to inquire for all these things. They fall under the general category of daily bread.
At that place are some reasons why we do not ask God for these things. One may be that we fear beingness greedy. But I say, get out that to God to make up one's mind. Ask. Another is that nosotros experience we don't deserve what he gives. Well, the truth is none of us deserves what God gives. The reason for God giving us anything is ever establish in his heart of dearest, not in our worthiness. So ask. Another is that we fright he will not answer the states and we will then be disappointed at his not reply. The root of this is unbelief. We need to trust that God knows best what and when to give united states his expert gifts and so inquire.
Finally, we don't ask because we believe we can provide these things ourselves. Perhaps this is the near damaging idea of all. I remember an athlete who was interviewed later on winning a bicycle race and commentator asked if he was thankful to God. The answer, "God didn't win this. I did." We are shocked at the airs of such a statement, merely as Christians we tin take that same arrogance, proudly relying on our own strength and ability to provide and perform. So, be humble earlier God and ask.
four. The fourth essential is moral accounting.
"Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us." Once again, the Matthew passage adds to the understanding. Here it is sins being dealt with, simply in Matthew information technology is debts. That is because God views sins as bringing moral indebtedness. Nosotros use this kind of thinking besides. When someone wrongs u.s.a. we might say, "Y'all owe me for that," implying that there is a kind of moral accounting to be settled.
God is a moral God who requires an accounting for sin. Mercifully, our God forgives sin. What does forgiveness mean? Forgiveness is a legally bounden transaction where one surrenders the right to collect on an account of sin. The centerpiece of the gospel is this very matter. Because Jesus, by his work on the cross paid the price for our sins, God is now legally freed to give up his right to make u.s.a. pay for our sins. They were accounted for by Jesus. Just nosotros must do the business concern of transacting this with God. That is what the verse is maxim. And so, in prayer nosotros get to God and inquire him to abolish our debts of sin.
How often should we do this? Our verse says often. At to the lowest degree daily. Those who have learned the undercover of having peace with God ask forgiveness for their sins equally soon every bit they are enlightened of the moral debt. And the Bible says,
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous, he volition forgive our sins and cleanse usa form all unrighteousness
1 John 1:9
Just what nigh when I accept been sinned against? The same kind of moral accounting needs to exist done with God in prayer, fifty-fifty though this time I am not the debtor but the creditor. I have the business relationship to God and and I give upward my right to concord on to the business relationship. I put it in God's hands. I volition let him deal with information technology. And then information technology says in Mark's gospel,
And when you stand praying, if you concur anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in sky may forgive you your sins.
Marking eleven:25
So, when should I forgive someone for a wrong done to me? The verse says at your next prayer. I call up a Christian who was refusing to forgive someone before God. He was in a lot of mental anguish and had come to talk nigh it. I showed him this verse and indicated he needed to forgive at his next prayer. "I know", he said, "that is why I haven't prayed in over a month."
Working out the account with the other person is important as well and the Bible speaks about the need to go and make peace with those who we take wronged or have wronged us. Merely that is the secondary issue. The primary issue is whether we have taken these moral accounts to God in prayer and dealt with them before the throne of God in heaven. Those who fail this business organisation of moral accounting lose their peace with God. The alert is this:
If you do not forgive men their sins, your Begetter will not forgive your sins.
Matthew 6:xv
Without moral accounting, in that location is no settled peace with God. If you are in this condition, then get to the Lord today and settle the accounts. Ask and exist forgiven. Forgive others. Then brand it a daily do to keep accounts short with the Lord. This is an essential.
v. The fifth essential in prayer is the plea for spiritual protection.
"Lead usa non into temptation." What does this mean? Does it imply that God would purposely try to tempt us to sin. No. the Bible declares that God is a holy God and would never tempt anyone to sin.
When tempted, no 1 should say, "God is tempting me." For God cannot be tempted past evil, not does he tempt anyone; just each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed.
James one:13–14
Once once more, clarification comes when we look at the prayer in Matthew: "Atomic number 82 us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one" (Matt. 6:13)
The sad truth is that there is an evil kingdom in this universe and an evil male monarch, Satan. He is immune by God to be there. He works equally the opposition party in the governing of the universe. That way no one tin accuse God of non allowing legitimate selection. There is a choice of government you want to be under, God's or the devil'south. That evil regime permeates all of social club. And its minions are free to roam and to tempt us to sin. But similar Satan tempted Adam and Eve to sin in the garden of Eden. Just like Satan came subsequently Job in the Old Attestation. But like Satan came after Jesus. So too, we are exposed to this evil destructive strength at all times.
Unless! Unless we pray for God in his mercy to lead united states of america non into temptation, just to deliver united states. This is mercy extended to us by God. "You are in enemy territory, merely I will testify you a prophylactic path. The enemy is stiff, just I will evangelize you from his clutches. Do not be naïve and devil-may-care. Instead, pray for this protection and I will help you through.
So, practice we believe this narrative? Practise we retrieve that it is a small result that requires scant attention? Or exercise we consider that this is an essential in prayer, ane and so important that we voice it every day? For much of my early on Christian feel I did non pray this prayer for divine protection. Since realizing the seriousness of it, I accept non ceased to pray for divine protection from the devil on a daily ground. And not only for myself, but for my family unit and for my church and for others every bit well. Yous run across, information technology is an essential. Without this prayer we are surely heading for trouble. Our journey will be profoundly imperiled.
Then there you have it, the daily prayer essentials as listed by Jesus. What are they again?
- Beginning, remember who you are by remembering who God is.
- 2nd, declare your purpose to be God-centered and God-serving.
- Tertiary, pray for your provisions, for your daily needs to be met.
- Fourth, think to practise moral accounting every twenty-four hour period.
- Fifth, pray for spiritual protection from the evil ane.
Then, pray for any else God lays on your eye. And I know that God will richly bless you for your obedience in praying according to his will.
Jim Rennie
Jim Rennie is an elderberry at Oakridge Bible Chapel and an occasional speaker. He is a medical doctor with Christian counselling practice. Shortly after graduation from medical school he and his wife, Kathy, spent xiv years in Republic of zambia equally medical missionaries.
Source: https://oakridgebiblechapel.org/the-lords-prayer-praying-the-essentials/
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