The Lords Prayer Explained
As we know Jesus changed the world and how we worship even today. He was asked about the most important commandants and even how to pray. One of the questions I get about today’s religion is prayer and why are there “canned” prayers, and how it seems it seems to be forced and robotic.
As some of you may remember, I like to start the reciting of the Lord’s Prayer by saying “ the disciples asked Jesus how to pray”. Well “Jesus, Himself, gave us the words to the Lord’s Prayer, found in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke (Matthew 6:9-13; Luke 11:1-4). More specifically, when one of Jesus’ disciples asked the Lord to teach the disciples how to pray, Christ responded by giving us this short prayer that perfectly summarizes what Christians believe and how Christians should live.” ~ (Christianty.com)
So let’s break down the prayer, which by the way has had some criticism of late.
Our Father, who art in Heaven.
This address reaffirms our core belief as Christians that God is our celestial Father, both with us in spirit and above us in the perfect realm of Heaven.
Hallowed Be Thy Name
Hallowed means holy or sanctified. God’s name is holy, as God is the epitome of sanctity. “There is no one holy like the Lord” In this petition, we pray that the entire world will recognize the holy name of God as the one true God of all, the Creator and Ruler of the universe.
Thy Kingdom Come,
This petition is two-fold. First, we pray for the Kingdom of God to take form in the here and now so that we can live in a world characterized by faith, hope, and love (1 Corinthians 13:13).
Second, we pray that the promise of a “new heaven and a new earth” be fulfilled. When that promise is fulfilled, the faithful will live with God in His Kingdom eternally as members of a Holy City in which there is no death, crying, or pain (Revelation 21:1-4).
Thy Will Be Done on Earth as it Is in Heaven,
God reigns from Heaven with compassion and justice (Isaiah 30:18). His will is that we praise Him and love one another. We know this because Jesus summarized the entirety of God’s Word into two commands — love God with all your heart, soul, and mind and love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:37-40). We humbly request here for God to give us the strength to follow His will, not ours, in living a life that glorifies Him and shows compassion and justice to others.
Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread,
Just as good food nourishes the body, the Good News nourishes the soul. The Just as good food nourishes the body, the Good News nourishes the soul. The Bible instructs that “man shall not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Deuteronomy 8:3). instructs that “man shall not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Deuteronomy 8:3). This nourishment comes from the Word of God and from communion with Christ, who is the “bread of life” that comes down from Heaven so that “whoever feeds on this bread will live forever” (John 6:48-58).
And Forgive Us Our Trespasses, as We Forgive Those Who Trespass against Us,
For times when forgiving someone proves especially difficult, the Bible teaches that a good time to extend forgiveness is during prayer when our minds and hearts are united with God (Mark 11:25). By choosing to replace resentment with forgiveness, we reflect God’s love and mercy in our actions.
The following has been a little contentious of late and mostly why I wanted to bring this to you!
And Lead Us Not into Temptation,
Temptation can cause us to sin and lead us away from God in ways that can be cumulative. God doesn’t lead us to sin; we do that all on our own because of the free will our Creator gave us. But our God is faithful and promises to provide a way out of any temptation that we may face (1 Corinthians 10:13).
St. James reminds us, “No one who is tempted is free to say, ‘I am being tempted by God.’ Surely God, who is beyond the grasp of evil, tempts no one” (James 1:13). Our Lord would never set us up for a fall to sin.
The petition means more “do not allow us to enter into temptation” or “do not let us yield to temptation”
But Deliver Us from Evil,
This petition covers the many times that we do fall prey to temptation and sin. During these times of entanglement, if we continually seek the Lord, He will answer us and deliver us from all of our fears (Psalm 34:4).
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever Amen!,
This last verse is a doxology, which is a closing of the prayer which acknowledges The Greatness of God, His Kingdom, and Glory never ending.
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I acknowledge I’m not the author of these ideals, all of which I found through internet research. I just wanted to offer this as a reminder of what the Prayer means so you can have a warmer experience when Praying.
Yours In Christ,
Guy Raymond
