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Introducing the Lord’s Prayer Page 1
Introducing The Lord’s Prayer
Scripture quotations taken from
The Holy Bible, New International Version
(Anglicised edition)
Copyright © 1979, 1984, 2011 by Biblica
(formerly International Bible Society).
Used by permission of Hodder & Stoughton Publishers,
an Hachette UK company.
All rights reserved.
‘NIV’ is a registered trademark of Biblica
(formerly International Bible Society).
UK trademark number 1448790.
Preface
The importance of prayer in the life of every Christian
Church, every Christian believer and every Christian
worker cannot be underestimated. It is essential that we
are people of prayer. Yet, having stated that, many
believers find prayer far from easy. A Christian pastor
once said, “The more spiritual an exercise is the more
difficult it is, and prayer is the most spiritual.” Even the
disciples of Jesus knew they needed help with prayer and
asked him to teach them. In this book we are going to
begin with some general points about prayer, and then look
in some detail at the Lord’s Prayer.
I am again indebted to Philip Parsons who did the series of
Serving Today radio talks on prayer, and this book has
Introducing the Lord’s Prayer Page 2
been produced using his detailed notes. Philip used the
questions of a catechism to form the basis for his talks and
his studies are very instructive.
Our prayer is that as you consider the scriptural teaching on
prayer you will be greatly helped in your personal prayer
life and that the Lord will help you to encourage other
believers to pray.
Derek French
August 2012
Chapter 1: The Place of Prayer in the Believer’s Life
If you were asked, ‘What is prayer?’ what would you say?
Indeed there are many ways we could approach this
question, but if you considered the vast amount of teaching
that the Bible contains on this subject, then a good
summary would go something like this. Prayer is asking
God for things according to his will and for his glory and
giving thanks for his goodness. That is by no means an
exhaustive answer, but it does highlight a number of the
chief elements or principles which the Bible gives us to
guide the way we pray. The fact that the Bible has so much
teaching about prayer means there are a number of general
lessons we need to highlight.
Introducing the Lord’s Prayer Page 3
1. The Importance of Prayer
The Scriptures show us how important prayer is in two
ways:
(a) Because of the place given to prayer in the life of our
Lord Jesus Christ
As we read through the Gospels again and again we
discover that Jesus spent time in prayer, and that he needed
to do that. Here are some examples. The first is Matthew
14:22-23. Immediately prior to these verses Jesus had
learned about the death of John the Baptist, and he had also
been ministering to a very large crowd and the miracle of
the feeding of the five thousand had taken place.
Following these events we read,
“Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the
boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he
dismissed the crowd. After he had dismissed them, he
went up on a mountainside by himself to pray.”
Jesus had the need to commune with his Father in heaven,
and so he made time and found somewhere quiet where he
could do just that. On another occasion we find Jesus at
prayer very early and before the busyness of the day ahead
ate up his time. Mark 1:35 tells us,
“Very early in the morning, while it was still dark,
Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary
place, where he prayed.”
Introducing the Lord’s Prayer Page 4
Luke 5:16 tells us this was something Jesus did often,
seeking out lonely places where he could concentrate on
prayer. Another occasion that found him in prayer was
immediately before he chose the twelve men to be his
disciples. We read in Luke 6:12-13,
“One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to
pray, and spent the night praying to God. When
morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose
twelve of them, whom he also designated apostles…”
These are only some of the references to our Lord's prayer
life, but they teach us a vital lesson. If Jesus, the eternal
Son of God needed to pray, how much more do we!
(b) Because of the many exhortations to prayer in the
Bible
Reference has already been made to the large amount of
teaching about prayer that there is in the Bible. Here are
some examples where God urges us, his people, to prayer.
We find these words in Luke 18:1,
“Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them
that they should always pray and not give up.”
This was followed by the parable of the woman who
persistently came to the unjust judge until he answered her
request for help. This emphasis is also discovered in 1
Thessalonians 5:17 which simply says,
“…pray continually…”
Introducing the Lord’s Prayer Page 5
And similar words can be found in Ephesians 6:18 where
prayer is urged on all occasions, and 1 Timothy 2:8 where
all men wherever they are, are encouraged to pray. Again
these are only some of the references exhorting us to pray
and never to give up. This leads us to our next point.
2. The place that we give to prayer is a test of our
spiritual condition
Prayer is a bit like a spiritual thermometer. Using and
ordinary thermometer the doctor can tell by the patient’s
temperature if he or she is unwell. Similarly, a good,
vibrant prayer life is an indication of good spiritual
wellbeing. This does not mean that the praying of long
prayers is a mark of spirituality, for in the words of the
famous preacher and pastor C. H. Spurgeon: “Prayers are
measured by weight, not by length.” Indeed, the Lord
warned his disciples to beware of vain repetitions in prayer
(see Matthew 6:7). Having said all that, it is still true that
the importance we attach to prayer is a test of our spiritual
condition. How important is prayer to us? What part does it
actually play in our lives? We can apply this test in 3 areas:
(a) As Individuals The Christian life begins with prayer, by calling upon the
Lord to save us. And it is sustained by prayer. So there is
no Christian who does not pray at all. It was said to
Ananias about Saul after his conversion in Acts 9:11,
Introducing the Lord’s Prayer Page 6
“The Lord told him, ‘Go to the house of Judas on
Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named
Saul, for he is praying.’”
We therefore regularly need to ask ourselves the question:
what place do we give to private prayer in our lives? If
your life is so busy with almost no time to devote to prayer
and your whole day is filled with work or social pursuits or
sport, then you do not regard prayer as being very
important. Time has to be made to pray and this needs
discipline and perseverance. If only a small amount of time
is devoted to prayer then do not be surprised at the
slowness of your spiritual growth. The Bible teacher Dr. D.
M. Lloyd-Jones, commenting on Romans 1:9, says: "I
suppose there is no more delicate or subtle test of our
growth in grace and true spirituality than how much of our
time is spent in prayer for others."
(b) As Families The Christian family is intended to be a microcosm of the
Church. The apostles assumed that husbands and wives
would pray together. We read in 1 Corinthians 7:5,
“Do not deprive each other except perhaps by mutual
consent and for a time, so that you may devote
yourselves to prayer.”
And Peter writing to husbands declared in 1 Peter 3:7,
“Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live
with your wives, and treat them with respect as the
Introducing the Lord’s Prayer Page 7
weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious
gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers.
Let us strengthen family praying, making it more regular if
it has become intermittent and beginning it if we have not
yet practised it at all.
(c) As a Church
How important are Church prayer meetings to you? Are
they vital? Would it worry you if the prayer meetings were
not held, would you even know? Do you think that a
Church can survive without prayer? How readily we make
excuses in this area and how easily the prayer meeting is
put lower down our agenda than it should be. The
faithfulness of some is of great encouragement to those
who lead in the Church, while the lack of support by others
is a great discouragement.
Surely, none of us are completely satisfied with our own
prayer lives. All of us need improvement and all of us need
help to improve. Let our first cry be “Lord give me a heart
to pray.” Let us give God no rest or peace until he has
answered that prayer.
3. The Ingredients of Prayer
We come now to consider the content of our prayers. What
are some of the essential things we need to include in our
own prayers? The following list is again not exhaustive,
but will give a helpful framework around which to
cultivate and develop your own praying.
Introducing the Lord’s Prayer Page 8
(a) Realisation
It is vital that we realise to whom we are coming in prayer,
to the Creator of the universe, to the one true God who is
sovereign over all. Prayer is asking God and the very word
‘pray’ comes from an old English word which means
asking a favour from someone greater than ourselves. So
when we pray, we must remind ourselves of the greatness
and the majesty and the holiness of God. What a privilege
to be allowed into his presence. True prayer, therefore, will
not just consist of a shopping list of requests, but will
include adoration. A good example of this is found in the
prayer of Nehemiah recorded in Nehemiah 1:5-6 where his
humble approach to God is full of adoration and worship.
“Then I said: ‘LORD, the God of heaven, the great and
awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with
those who love him and keep his commandments, let
your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear the
prayer your servant is praying before you day and
night for your servants, the people of Israel...’”
To underline this, the word ‘prayer’ carries with it the idea
of being face to face with someone. So when you pray, do
not just blurt out your needs first, but remember who you
are addressing and the great privilege it is to be in the
presence of the Most High God.
(b) Petition Prayer is asking God for things. Paul expresses it like this
in Philippians 4:6,
Introducing the Lord’s Prayer Page 9
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every
situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving,
present your requests to God.”
It is not that God needs to be informed of our needs
because he knows all things, but he wants to hear from us.
If God did not in general make his blessings conditional
upon our asking for them, how much would he hear from
us? One of the reasons why we are such spiritual paupers
is that we do not even ask! James is very pointed about this
as he exposed this deficiency in the prayer lives of his
original readers in James 4:2,
“... You do not have, because you do not ask God.”
(c) Submission Prayer is asking God for things according to his will. And
James 4:3 is again very direct in exposing this sin,
“When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask
with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get
on your pleasures.
Too often we have fixed ideas of what we want and try
and impose them upon God instead of asking for his
help and leaving the way of answering to him, with the
result that often his answers are surprises! In this
connection our understanding of the Scriptures is vital
at this point so that we may know what the Bible
teaches about our particular situation, and then plead
the relevant promises in our prayers. And if we do not
Introducing the Lord’s Prayer Page 10
know how to react in given circumstances, especially
when facing persecution or suffering, then we may
always ask for wisdom (James 1:5). Submission in our
prayers also includes an acceptance of the
circumstances in which God has placed us. This does
not mean that we never ask for relief, but that if it is
clear that God is not going to change our circumstances
then we must submit to his will in them. We see this so
clearly in the life of the apostle Paul. He tells us on
one occasion that he was deeply distressed and
troubled by a messenger of Satan who was causing him
considerable distress. His prayer and God’s reply is
found in 2 Corinthians 12:7-9,
“Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming
conceited, I was given me a thorn in my flesh, a
messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I
pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he
said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my
power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will
boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that
Christ’s power may rest on me.”
Paul gladly submitted to God’s will for him and this ‘thorn
in the flesh’ which was causing him so much distress was
not taken away, but God did promise Paul he would receive
all that he needed to cope with this. It is claimed by some
that prayer is always answered in the affirmative, while
others claim that a negative answer proves that the person
praying is guilty of the sin of unbelief – both of these are
wrong. Paul was full of faith when he prayed for this
trouble to be taken away, but God’s will was a negative
Introducing the Lord’s Prayer Page 11
answer. Paul was not guilty of the sin of unbelief and the
Lord never once rebuked him for his prayer. But God’s
will was for the messenger of Satan to remain and Paul’s
trouble to continue, but that God would give him the grace
needed to cope with it.
Something that is very important to note is that bodily
healing and material wealth are not the Christian's
guaranteed possessions as some are claiming today. That is
not the true gospel of Christ, but sadly many have been led
astray by this false teaching. Yes, the Lord can take illness
and other difficulties away from us, but it may not always
be his will to do so. This does not indicate there is
something wrong with our relationship with the Lord or
that he is angry with us, but that the Lord in his infinite
wisdom knows that is not the best thing for us. In Paul’s
case had the ‘thorn in the flesh’ been removed from him,
Paul tells us that he could so easily have become guilty of
pride by being conceited over the considerable blessings
God had given him. God’s answer ‘No’ helped Paul to
continue to walk humbly before the Lord. To this Paul
gladly submitted.
(d) Confession Confession of sin is an essential part of prayer. In Psalm
32 David tells us of a time when he was in considerable
distress which on that occasion was directly connected to
his sin. He may well be referring to the time when he
committed adultery with Bathsheba and arranged for the
murder of her husband Uriah. As the Psalm opens this is
what we read,
Introducing the Lord’s Prayer Page 12
“Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven,
whose sins are covered. Blessed is the one whose sin
the LORD does not count against them and in whose
spirit is no deceit. When I kept silent, my bones wasted
away through my groaning all day long. For day and
night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was
sapped as in the heat of summer. Then I
acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my
iniquity. I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the
Lord’—and you forgave the guilt of my sin.”
Confession means 'to say the same things as’ or ‘to say
together with’. In other words we try to look at our sins as
God does, not minimising or excusing them, but freely
admitting them. It is that humble, repentant confession of
sin to God which brings the great blessing of his pardon
and forgiveness. (See also 1 John 1:9)
(e) Thanksgiving for the mercies and goodness of God Philippians 4:6 exhorts us to give thanks in everything,
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every
situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving,
present your requests to God.”
Note that this is not necessarily for everything but in
everything. For example, we do not thank God for sin as
some have erroneously taught. But even if we do not
understand what is happening to us or why it is happening,
we can thank God for his wisdom and love to us, telling
him that we believe that all his ways with us are perfect. It
Introducing the Lord’s Prayer Page 13
is possible to thank God for his goodness, even when
surrounded by the most appalling circumstances.
It is also essential that we do thank God for his answers to
our prayers and that he receives the praise of our hearts.
(See also Colossians 4:2)
4. Our praying must only be in the name of Christ
This is such an important point because the only way for
any sinner to approach God and be received and welcomed
and accepted is through the Lord Jesus Christ. John 14:6
makes this very clear as Jesus said,
“I am the way and the truth and the life. No-one comes
to the Father except through me.”
Jesus is quite direct and he excludes any other way of
trying to approach God. He alone is the way.
(a) Scripture evidence for praying in Christ's name
There are a number of passages in John’s Gospel which
record the teaching of Jesus on this important matter. In
John 14:13-14 Jesus said to his disciples,
“And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that
the Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask me
for anything in my name, and I will do it.”
Then in John 15:7 we read,
Introducing the Lord’s Prayer Page 14
“If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask
whatever you wish, and it will be given you.”
Then in John 16:23-24 we find Jesus saying to his disciples,
“In that day you will no longer ask me anything. I tell
you the truth, my Father will give you whatever you
ask in my name. Until now you have not asked for
anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and
your joy will be complete.”
As we read these verses, the clear teaching is that for our
prayers to be answered, they must be in the name of Christ.
There are other conditions which need to be fulfilled for
prayer to be answered, but the underlying principle is that
only prayer offered in the name of Christ is acceptable.
(b) What it means to pray in the name of Christ
We may wonder why there is all this emphasis on the name
of Christ in the verses we have just noted. In answering
this question we need to realise the great difference
between our use of names and the Bible's. To us names are
little more than useful and pleasant labels. In many parts of
the world people name their children because they like the
sound of the word or because there is some friend or
relative of that name. But in God's dealings with his people
in the Bible, names take on a very different meaning; the
name and the person’s character are closely linked together.
For example, Adam means man or mankind, Eve means
life-giving, Abraham means the father of a multitude. But
the most significant name of all is Jesus which really
Introducing the Lord’s Prayer Page 15
means God our Saviour (Matthew 1:21). So to pray in the
name of Christ is not just a question of adding a finishing
touch to our prayers, like ‘yours sincerely’ at the end of a
letter. It means approaching God through Jesus Christ and
in the light of all his work as mediator (see 1Timothy 2:5).
It means we trust that because of Christ's person and work,
our prayers will be heard and answered. But it also means
that our requests must be consistent with the character and
will of Christ. True prayers are not lucky charms or
magical in any way, but when offered in Christ's name take
into account all that he is and has done and has
commanded.
(c) Prayer offered in any other way is unacceptable to
God
This does not mean that God never answers prayers which
are not offered in Christ's name. He sometimes does and
we may be aware of such prayers which ungodly people
have offered during a time of extreme crisis. Such prayers
may be answered by God apart from Christ. The person
who prays to God without trusting in Christ as mediator
cannot be accepted by God. Neither is a person accepted
who prays through another intermediary: Mary or the
Saints. Such prayers are not acceptable. It is therefore
important to understand the theology of prayer in order to
pray aright. We also need to realise the wrongness of some
clichés: 'prayer changes things', 'the power of prayer'. It is
God who changes things and only the prayer of a righteous
man is effective (see James 5:16). Only prayer in the name
of Christ, with all we understand by that phrase, will avail.
Introducing the Lord’s Prayer Page 16
With this understanding we turn next to consider the Lord’s
prayer.
Chapter 2: Introduction To The Lord’s Prayer
The Lord’s Prayer is found in two places in the new
Testament with slight variations between what Matthew
recorded and Luke’s version. Matthew sets the prayer in
the middle of the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 6:9-13,
while in Luke we find the prayer in Luke 11:1-4 in a
section where, in response to his disciples request to him to
teach them how to pray, there is an extended treatment of
prayer of which the Lord’s prayer is a part. Clearly these
were two different situations, and Jesus often repeated
teaching, often with a slight change in emphasis depending
on the context. In this book we shall be following
Matthew’s account, but there is no basic difference with
Luke.
The reason why this prayer has been given by Christ is so
that we may know how we should pray.
1. The need for such a form of Prayer
The purpose of Jesus to teach us through this prayer can be
deduced from the circumstances in which the prayer was
given. In Luke 11:1 the disciples had asked for such
teaching. They had observed that Jesus often prayed and
sometimes for long periods. Clearly they saw how far his
praying was removed from theirs. And this provoked the
Introducing the Lord’s Prayer Page 17
obvious question: “Lord, teach us to pray” for they wanted
to learn to pray like he did and in a way which honoured
him and was particularly suited to them as his followers. It
is part and parcel of true discipleship. They were behaving
as true disciples and wanted to learn from their master in
this matter of prayer. The fact that what we call the Lord's
Prayer was given in response to their request as a pattern
and form, shows that true prayer is not natural to us as
human beings. There is a great deal which passes for prayer,
which is not true prayer, but which human beings often
engage in. And since true prayer is not natural to you and
me, even after conversion, there is this need to be taught
how to pray. Paul writing to believers in Romans 8:26
reminds us,
“We do not know what we ought to pray for...”
We all need to make the disciples' request our own: “Lord,
teach me how to pray.”
Before we leave this point, just think what a great privilege
it is for us not only to have been given this form but to
have been given it by none other than the Lord himself.
How thankful we should be that the eternal Son of God has
put words into our lips so that we can be confident that our
praying is acceptable. Whoever, therefore, despises the
Lord's Prayer as a pattern or form, despises the very Son of
God.
Introducing the Lord’s Prayer Page 18
2. The uses of the Lord's Prayer
In describing the Lord's Prayer, we have used two words:
form and pattern. This has been deliberate for these two
words describe the two uses of the prayer.
(a) As a form of prayer it is a prayer which we may
actually pray In considering this use of the Lord's Prayer, we need to be
aware of two extremes. The first is that some have taught
the more times we say the Lord’s Prayer the greater will be
the result. This is clearly an abuse of the Lord's Prayer,
because in Matthew 6, immediately before giving it, Jesus
warns against such vain repetitions. But equally extreme is
the view of others who refuse to say the Lord's Prayer at all.
This view too is not in accordance with Scripture, for the
Lord's Prayer was given as a prayer and was meant to be
said by the disciples. The words of introduction to the
prayer in Matthew 6:9 indicate this
“This, then, is how you should pray:...”
and Luke 11:2 is similarly clear to understand,
“When you pray, say:...”
So it is right for us to use the actual words of the Lord's
Prayer. To do so sincerely and spiritually is right.
(b) As a model or pattern prayer
The prayer was given in answer to the disciples’ request to
Introducing the Lord’s Prayer Page 19
be taught how to pray. So its structure and order is not just
for us to repeat and use as our own prayer, but it is also a
general pattern for all our praying. It includes things we
should include in our prayers. In fact, one of the amazing
things about this prayer is that while it is so brief, it still
contains everything we need to pray for and about. In
principle nothing is left out, and nothing needs to be added.
So we can say that while the giving of the Lord's Prayer
shows our native ignorance of prayer and provides a form
of prayer we ought to use, it is also a pattern for all our
praying and for us to develop.
3. The Lord's Prayer as a whole
There are four parts to the prayer: (a) The Introduction or
Preface – “Our Father in heaven.” (b) The first three
requests which are centred on God and his concerns. (c)
The last three requests which cover all our physical and
spiritual needs. (d) The doxology. (This has been disputed
by some but is not out of keeping with the rest of the
prayer and is found elsewhere in Scripture).
(a) The Introduction
This little phrase “Our Father in heaven” underlines the
need to pause when we pray and remember to whom we
come - the Almighty God, and what we are - sinful human
beings. Three principles are embodied in this phrase.
(i) We come to God as Father
Again this marks out Christianity from all other
Introducing the Lord’s Prayer Page 20
religions, because which other religion encourages us
to pray to God as father? And since God is our Father
it means that we are his children, not by natural but by
spiritual birth (see John 1:12-13). Only those born of
the Holy Spirit can truly call God ‘Father’. What a
marvellous relationship this is that is taught in the
Lord's Prayer, and what confidence it gives us. For so
often when we come to pray, we are aware of our
sinfulness and only the encouragement of knowing
God as Father dispels our fear and reminds us that God
has received us as sons. However poor our earthly
fathers were, if we went to them for help in time of
need, would they have turned us away? If it is so with
them, how much more with God our heavenly Father?
This preface to the Lord's Prayer also reminds us that
our prayers ought to be addressed to the first person of
the Trinity. This is seen in Paul’s letter to the Ephesian
believers. In Ephesians 2:18 we read,
“For through him (that is Jesus) we both (that is
Jews and Gentiles) have access to the Father by
one Spirit.”
Not that praying to the Lord Jesus or the Holy Spirit is
wrong, but primarily our praying is to be to the Father.
(ii) We come to God as our heavenly Father
And this teaches us to come with a proper sense of
reverence, an attitude which is often lacking in the
Church today. Not that God is far away, he is not, but
that there is a great difference between us and him. The
Introducing the Lord’s Prayer Page 21
Old Testament prophet Isaiah reminds us of this in
Isaiah 55:8-9
“‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither
are your ways my ways,’ declares the LORD. ‘As
the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my
ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than
your thoughts.’”
Our confidence in approaching God as Father must be
tempered by a sense of reverence for his majesty and
power and holiness.
(iii) We come to God as our Father
Does this mean that we must always use the plural
pronoun when praying? Of course not. The singular
pronoun is applicable for private prayers. We have
Jesus’ own example in what is known as his high
priestly prayer in John 17, but we would expect to use
plural pronouns in any kind of corporate praying. The
use of ‘I’ and ‘my’ in corporate prayers is a modern
bad habit and smacks of extreme individualism and
self-centredness. Even in our private praying we
should remember that God is the God of the whole
earth and not just of me and my concerns. So often our
prayers get little further than ourselves; how cramped
they are. If we were to set ourselves to pray more for
others, then God would more readily respond to
prayers for ourselves. If we resolved to make our
praying more all-embracing and less self-centred, then
surely we should see more of the blessing of God upon
Introducing the Lord’s Prayer Page 22
our lives.
Chapter 3: The First Request In The Lord’s Prayer
In studying these requests in turn we shall first consider the
meaning of each request and then its implications and
lessons.
1. The meaning of the first request – “Hallowed be your
name”
(a) The word ‘hallow’ is related to the word holy
In this request we are praying for God's name to be kept
holy or reverenced or honoured. Now the name of God is
holy, but the problem is that men do not regard it as such,
hence the need for this request. We find a lovely example
of this in the book of Nehemiah. The people of God had
gathered together in Jerusalem to read the law of God and
to have it explained to them by the Levites whose job was
to assist the priests in the work of the temple. We read in
Nehemiah 9:5-6,
“And the Levites—Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani,
Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah and
Pethahiah—said: ‘Stand up and praise the LORD your
God, who is from everlasting to everlasting. Blessed be
your glorious name, and may it be exalted above all
blessing and praise. You alone are the LORD. You
made the heavens, even the highest heavens, and all
their starry host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas
Introducing the Lord’s Prayer Page 23
and all that is in them. You give life to everything, and
the multitudes of heaven worship you.”
They desired first and foremost that God should be
honoured, that his name should be hallowed.
(b) Hallowed be your name
When the Bible speaks of the name of God, it is referring
to all that is true of God. Names of people we know, or
even places, are associated with the characteristics of the
person or place. The better we know the person, the more
the name means to us. And it is just the same with the
name of God. When we speak of him we should be
reminded of his nature. He is almighty, all knowing, all
seeing, and infinite. He is holy and majestic, he is merciful
and compassionate. He is loving and kind. We could go on.
The list is almost endless. In the Old Testament God
progressively revealed himself, partly by means of names,
each one showing a further aspect of his character. For
example, Jehovah Jireh which means the Lord will provide,
or Jehovah Shalom which is the Lord our peace, and
Jehovah Tsidkenu meaning the Lord our righteousness. No
wonder the writer of Proverbs says in Proverbs 18:10,
“The name of the Lord is a fortified tower; the
righteous run to it and are safe.”
The name of God represents all that is true of God and all
that he has revealed himself to be.
Introducing the Lord’s Prayer Page 24
2. The place of this request in the prayer
The order of the requests in the Lord’s Prayer is not
accidental or random. Just as there is order in the Ten
Commandments, so too there is order in the prayer. So,
being first, this is the most important request for us to make,
that God's name should be honoured by men on earth; that
God should be given the reverence due to him. What we
are asking is that the whole world should bow before God
in worship and adoration for what he is as well as for what
he has done. True prayer always puts the honour of God
first. “Lord, whatever happens to me, I want your honour
to come first. I want above all else only what will bring
honour and glory to your holy name.” Is that how you pray?
It should be. Let us all aim for this and ask for grace that it
may be the way we pray.
3. How should we expect to see this request answered?
(a).We are praying that men will acknowledge God as
Creator In the world in general, men would prefer to attribute the
origin of all things to chance, evolution, luck or nature
rather than to God. By doing so, they dishonour his name.
We are praying that men will give God the honour as
creator. We discover in that God is exalted as the Creator
in Psalm 8:3 & 9,
“When I consider your heavens, the work of your
fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in
place... Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in
Introducing the Lord’s Prayer Page 25
all the earth!”
We should therefore encourage every effort which
endeavours to achieve this goal.
(b) We are praying that people will honour God as their
Provider
We pray that men will not only honour him as the one who
gave them life, but the one who continues to sustain that
life in this world. Nothing in this world happens by chance,
it is all under God's sovereign control. Our lives are not
subject to mere chance or directed by the stars, but all
things are sustained by God. Let us learn to honour him for
all he does in providence. See how Job did this in Job 1:21
and how Nebuchadnezzar had to learn this lesson the hard
way in Daniel 4.
(c) We are praying that God would be honoured as
Saviour Salvation is God's greatest work; it excels all his works in
creation and providence as wonderful as they are. So when
we pray for God's name to be honoured, we are praying for
his saving work to be truly acknowledged by all. And as it
is only the Christian who can truly honour God as Saviour,
we are therefore praying for the Church. We can break this
down into the following parts:
(i) That the word of God will be faithfully preached by
the Church and truly believed by God's people.
Because we are orthodox now, it is no guarantee of
continued orthodoxy. Many Churches that were greatly
Introducing the Lord’s Prayer Page 26
used of God have departed from the truth and in some
cases God has removed the candlestick altogether and
they no longer exist. To honour God the Church must
be always reforming itself.
(ii) That the worship of God may be purified. In this
area alone many Churches are an utter disgrace. What
passes for Christian worship can be anything from
elaborate ritual that is totally unrelated to anything in
the New Testament, to an almost disco-like party
atmosphere. We are not saying that a totally uniform
worship is being advocated, but that which is called
worship today is often so irreverent. Entertainment has
often taken over, which is utterly dishonouring to God.
Let us strive to keep God's worship as pure as we can
and honouring to him so that we may thus hallow his
name. The words of Revelation 5:7-10 strike the right
note for us,
“He went and took the scroll from the right hand
of him who sat on the throne. And when he had
taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-
four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one
had a harp and they were holding golden bowls
full of incense, which are the prayers of God’s
people. And they sang a new song, saying: ‘You
are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals,
because you were slain, and with your blood you
purchased for God persons from every tribe and
language and people and nation. You have made
them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God,
Introducing the Lord’s Prayer Page 27
and they will reign on the earth.’”
(iii) That true holiness may be seen in the lives of
God's people. One thing that brings much dishonour to
God’s holy name is a professing Christian whose life
does not match his verbal witness. The outsider will
say, ‘If that's Christianity then you can keep it!’ How
important it is for us to live God-honouring lives. What
glaring inconsistencies there are among us, sometimes
seen by the outside world (see Rom 2:24).
We have looked at some of the most important ways in
which we are praying for God's name to be honoured. In
one sense this request encompasses the next two, for God's
name is honoured when his kingdom is extended and when
his people are obedient to his commands.
Chapter 4: The Second Request in the Lord’s Prayer
The second request in the Lord’s Prayer is for God’s
kingdom to come.
1. The relationship between this request and the first
request
When we pray for God's name to be honoured by all, we
realise in reality that it is not being honoured by the
majority in the world. The only way that they may be
brought to truly honour God's name is by being freed from
the kingdom of Satan and brought into God's kingdom (see
Introducing the Lord’s Prayer Page 28
Colossians 1:13). Satan has usurped God's place by
obtaining the honour and service of men in this world in
such a way that the Bible speaks of the world being under
the control of the evil one (see 1 John 5:19). But God has
set up another kingdom, known as the kingdom of grace or
of God or of heaven (these names are used interchangeably
in the Bible). So in this request we are praying for the
extension of his kingdom. The first request in the prayer
has reference to God's honour: the second and third
requests are concerned with the means whereby that
honour and glory is manifested and evident among men.
2. What kind of Kingdom is being referred to?
In considering the kingdom, there is much confusion
among the professing Church as to what aspect of God's
kingdom is being spoken of in the prayer.
(a) Not the kingdom of God's providential rule God’s providential rule can be seen in the following Bible
passages. These are just an example of what we find
throughout the Bible. We read in Psalm 47:1-2 and verses
7-8,
“Clap your hands, all you nations; shout to God with
cries of joy. For the LORD Most High is awesome, the
great King over all the earth!.. For God is the King of
all the earth; sing to him a psalm of praise. God reigns
over the nations; God is seated on his holy throne.”
We discover it in Psalm 99:1-2,
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“The LORD reigns, let the nations tremble; he sits
enthroned between the cherubim, let the earth shake.
Great is the LORD in Zion; he is exalted over all the
nations.”
It is equally clear in Ephesians 1:11,
“In him we were also chosen, having been predestined
according to the plan of him who works out everything
in conformity with the purpose of his will...”
Absolutely nothing falls outside of God’s providential rule.
Clearly the kingdom being referred to in these passages is
not what we are praying for in the Lord’s Prayer since that
providential kingdom already exists. When we pray for
God's kingdom to come we are not praying for God to take
control of all men and nations because he already does
control them although they do not acknowledge his rule
and reign.
(b) Not an earthly and political reign This is how the Jews of Christ's day conceived of
Messiah's kingdom, but they were terribly mistaken. So too
are some present day believers who look for a literal
earthly kingdom. Jesus has told us quite clearly in John
18:36,
“My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my
servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish
leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place.”
Introducing the Lord’s Prayer Page 30
(c) The spiritual kingdom of Christ's rule in the hearts
and lives of people
Jesus did his utmost to help the people of his day
understand that his kingdom was a spiritual one that is
experienced in the believer’s heart. In Luke 17:20, 21 we
read,
“Once, on being asked by the Pharisees when the
kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, "The
coming of the kingdom of God is not something that
can be observed, nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or
‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is in your
midst.”
On another occasion in Luke 11:20 he said,
“But if I drive out demons by the finger of God, then
the kingdom of God has come upon you.”
The difference between God's rule over all people in
providence and his rule over some in grace is really
twofold:
(i) God rules over all people externally but only over
his people inwardly and spiritually.
(ii) God's providential rule is universal but his
gracious rule is restricted to those who willingly
submit to him.
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All people are subject to God's decrees, none can resist his
will in that respect, but only his people readily submit to
his precepts.
3. When will God's Kingdom come?
God's kingdom of grace has existed from earliest times
among the Old Testament believers, but its fullest
expression was brought in with the coming of Christ. Mark
1:14-15 declares,
“After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee,
proclaiming the good news of God. ‘The time has
come,’ he said. ‘The kingdom of God has come near.
Repent and believe the good news!’”
This was prophesied in Daniel 2:44. As more and more
people are converted and brought into willing submission
to the rule of Christ in their hearts and lives, so the
kingdom of grace is being extended. As one poet has put it,
“And soul by soul and silently its shining bounds
increase.” But the kingdom will have only finally come
when all the elect are gathered and at the final judgement
every knee shall bow to Christ - some willingly, some
unwillingly. In which group will you be on that great day?
4. What we are asking for when we pray this request
When we ask for God’s kingdom to come we are praying
that the gospel will be preached throughout the world and
believed and obeyed by everyone.
Introducing the Lord’s Prayer Page 32
(a) We are praying that the gospel may be preached
And this is because it is only by hearing the true gospel that
anyone is saved out of the kingdom of Satan and brought
into the kingdom of God. Romans 10:13-15 states,
“Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be
saved. How, then, can they call on the one they have
not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of
whom they have not heard? And how can they hear
without someone preaching to them? And how can
anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written,
‘How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good
news!’”
And when we pray that the gospel may be preached it is the
true gospel which is being referred to. It is belief of the
truth which is the vital method. Helpfully Peter speaks of
this in 1 Peter 1:22-25,
“ Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the
truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love
one another deeply, from the heart. For you have been
born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable,
through the living and enduring word of God. For,
‘All people are like grass, and all their glory is like the
flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers
fall, but the word of the Lord endures for ever.’ And
this is the word that was preached to you.”
Do you pray for the preaching of the true gospel?
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(b) We are praying that the gospel will be preached
everywhere
The great commission commands the gospel to be preached
worldwide (see Matthew 28:18-20 and Luke 24:45-48).
The kingdom of God is composed of men and women from
every tribe and kindred and nation (Revelation 7:9-10).
This means that our prayers are not to be insular or
parochial – not ‘you in your small corner and I in mine’.
Rather we should view the situation as John Wesley did.
He said, ‘The world is my parish.’ We should have an
interest and concern for every other place in the world
where the gospel is preached truly and faithfully.
Obviously we cannot pray for every true Church
individually but we can pray for those we know of.
(c) We are praying for the success of the gospel
For the kingdom of God to come, men must first hear the
gospel, since faith comes by hearing (Romans 10:17). So
we are praying that God will raise up true gospel preachers
who will not only be faithful to the message, but who will
be given power and unction in their preaching (see Luke
10:2). But we are not only praying for preachers to be
thrust out, but for men and women to believe the message
and for churches to be planted and established in every part
of the globe. What a great missionary petition is this
second petition!
(d) We are praying for revival
God's kingdom is advanced and brought in most
successfully during periods of revival. During revival,
whole communities are humbled and converted. God will
Introducing the Lord’s Prayer Page 34
often do more to advance his kingdom in a few days of
spiritual awakening than in many long years previously.
The classic example of this was the day of Pentecost even
compared with the ministry of Christ!
(e) We are praying for the salvation of Jews as well as
Gentiles
When we pray for God's kingdom to come we should look
for a reinstatement of the Jews as part of the Church. (See
Rom 11:12, 15, 25-27)
Chapter 5: The Third Request in the Lord’s Prayer
The third request is for God’s will to ‘be done on earth as
it is in heaven.’
1. The relationship between the second and third
request
In the second request we were considering the rule and
reign of Christ in the hearts and lives of men and women.
But the question arises; how does God's rule manifest itself?
This occurs when his will is carried out by his subjects. For
although the kingdom of God is inward and spiritual, it
does show itself in the outward obedience of its subjects to
the will of the King. Just as the second request fulfils the
first, so too the third request fulfils the second. The perfect
order and arrangement of this prayer is thus clearly shown.
Introducing the Lord’s Prayer Page 35
2. Whose will are we praying to be done?
The phrase “your will” is God's will, because this prayer is
addressed to God as our Father in heaven. This may seem
like stating the obvious, but it needs to be emphasized that
when you or I truly pray “...your will be done...” we are
saying that whatever our own inclinations might be,
whatever we may want or desire, that our first concern is
for God's will to be done. Doing the will of God was
something that was of paramount importance to Jesus
himself. While speaking to his disciples he said in John
4:34,
“My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to
finish his work.”
Then at the end of John 5:30 Jesus declared,
“...I seek not to please myself but him who sent me.”
It is that kind of attitude that we are praying for, for
ourselves and for others, regardless of the personal cost to
us.
3. What do we mean by God's will?
This question also needs to be asked because of the great
confusion among Christians as to what constitutes God's
will. Some Christians would regard this request as being
solely a prayer for guidance. Now although God's
guidance is included in his will, this prayer is primarily
Introducing the Lord’s Prayer Page 36
concerned with his revealed will. God's will can be viewed
from two aspects:
(i) His secret will; his decrees as to what will take
place.
(ii) His revealed will; those instructions he has given to
us for living in this world.
(a) God's secret will We call this aspect of his will secret because it is
hidden from us until it has actually occurred. It has
been defined in chapter 3 of the Westminster
Confession as: “God from all eternity, did, by the most
wise and holy counsel of his own will, freely and
unchangeably ordain whatsoever comes to pass.” It
has been similarly put in the 1689 Baptist Confession
of Faith as: “God has decreed in himself, from all
eternity, by the most wise and holy counsel of his own
will, freely and unchangeably, all things, whatsoever
comes to pass...” God's secret will is his providential
disposing of the affairs of our lives. There are two
passages in the book of Job which put this clearly. The
first stated by Job immediately on hearing the news
that he had lost all his possessions and also his children.
We read in Job 1:20-21,
“At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his
head. Then he fell to the ground in worship and said:
‘Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I
shall depart. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken
away; may the name of the LORD be praised.’”
Introducing the Lord’s Prayer Page 37
The second is Job’s response to his wife when she
suggested he actually curse God for all the terrible things
that had happened to him. We read in Job 2:9-10,
“His wife said to him, ‘Are you still maintaining your
integrity? Curse God and die! He replied, ‘You are
talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good
from God, and not trouble?’ In all this, Job did not sin
in what he said.
Job was saying in effect “Your will be done”. He humbly
submitted to God's decree. This was a remarkable and yet
superb response from that godly man of faith Job, but the
supreme example of submission to God's decree is in the
case of our Lord Jesus Christ. It was the night before his
crucifixion and knowing what dreadful sufferings lay ahead
for him, Jesus went to pray in the Garden of Gethsemane.
We read in Matthew 26:39,
“Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the
ground and prayed, ‘My Father, if it is possible, may
this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you
will.’”
What astonishing willingness to submit to the will of God!
The important thing for us to grasp about this aspect of
God's will is that we do not know what it actually is until it
happens. As the Puritan Thomas Watson puts it:
“Providence is the Christian's diary, not his Bible.” Alas,
too many Christians today are trying to make God's
Introducing the Lord’s Prayer Page 38
providential dealings with them their Bible or rule of
obedience. Such a course of action often ends in disaster.
(b) God's revealed will This is the aspect of God's will which has been given to us
as a rule for living in this world. Basically it is found in the
commandments, exhortations and teaching of Scripture.
We read in 2 Timothy 3:16-17,
“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for
teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in
righteousness, so that the servant of God may be
thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
The Bible gives us instructions about God's revealed will in
every area of our lives. There is instruction about the home
for fathers, mothers, husbands, wives and children. We
have teaching about how we are to live our lives in the
world of work as employers or employees. We are
instructed how to live in an evil world. We have directions
for how we are to conduct ourselves in the Church as
elders, deacons and church members. So when we pray
“...your will be done...”, we are praying primarily that our
lives and the lives of others will conform to the pattern laid
down in the Scriptures.
We need to submit passively to God's secret will of
providence, not trying to pry into it, and actively obeying
all his revealed will in the Scriptures. May God enable us
to do so.
Introducing the Lord’s Prayer Page 39
4. We are praying that men may serve God just as the
angels do in heaven
There is a lovely statement 1 Thessalonians 1:9 which
describes the change that had taken place when the people
of Thessalonica came to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.
Paul was recording what other people were saying about
these new believers,
“They tell how you turned to God from idols to serve
the living and true God...”
This is very important for us to remember and to do. In
fact it is a dimension which points up the clear difference
between the Christian and the most upright and moral
unbeliever. The good-living unbeliever may do a great deal
for his fellow man, and the Christian should not be behind
in this kind of activity. But the great difference is the
motive. The unbeliever does good to his fellow at best
only for his fellow's sake. The Christian behaves well
towards his neighbour also for the Lord's sake. We have
the example of this in the instruction given in Ephesians
6:5-8,
“Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and
fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey
Christ. Obey them not only to win their favour when
their eye is on you, but as slaves of Christ, doing the
will of God from your heart. Serve wholeheartedly, as
if you were serving the Lord, not people, because you
know that the Lord will reward everyone for whatever
Introducing the Lord’s Prayer Page 40
good they do, whether they are slave or free.”
And there is the similar teaching found in Colossians 3:23-
24,
“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as
working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you
know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord
as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.”
We are to serve others as if we were serving the Lord. Our
whole lives should be not to please ourselves but to please
the Lord.
5. Our service of God is demonstrated by our service of
others
This is the example which Christ gave us all when he
washed the disciples’ feet. We discover in John 13:12-15,
“When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his
clothes and returned to his place. ‘Do you understand
what I have done for you? he asked them. ‘You call me
“Teacher” and “Lord”, and rightly so, for that is what
I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed
your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I
have set you an example that you should do as I have
done for you.
This same emphasis is found in Mark 10:42-45,
Introducing the Lord’s Prayer Page 41
“Jesus called them together and said, ‘You know that
those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it
over them, and their high officials exercise authority
over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to
become great among you must be your servant, and
whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For
even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to
serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.’”
This service to others is to be primarily expressed to our
fellow Christians (see Galatians 5:13 and Matthew 25:37-
40). This does not mean that we are not to serve those
outside the Church, we should. But a great test of our
whole position is the service which we render to our fellow
Christians. Do you serve them or are you waiting for them
to serve you? This is helpfully explained to us in Galatians
6:10,
“Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to
all people, especially to those who belong to the family
of believers.”
6. An encouragement to our service
We are praying that people on earth will serve God as the
angels do in heaven. This raises the question why the Lord
brought in a reference to heaven at this point? Why not
stop at ‘..your will be done on earth’? Surely the reason is
to arouse hope and encouragement in prayer. If we simply
look around at the chaos on earth or to go no further, at the
remaining disobedience in our own hearts, then we would
Introducing the Lord’s Prayer Page 42
no doubt be utterly discouraged. But here we are given an
incentive by the reminder that God's will is already being
done in heaven. Thus our praying is not a vain hope. The
will of God is done perfectly in heaven by all its
inhabitants: both angels and the spirits of righteous men
and women made perfect. We read in Psalm 103:20-21,
“Praise the LORD, you his angels, you mighty ones
who do his bidding, who obey his word. Praise the
LORD, all his heavenly hosts, you his servants who do
his will.”
This should give us great encouragement to pray for that
time when God's will will also be done on earth, which
points us towards to the new heaven and the new earth
described in 2 Peter 3:13.
“But in keeping with his promise we are looking
forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where
righteousness dwells.”
If we want to know the will of God for our lives then let us
become thoroughly acquainted with the precepts and
commands of the Scriptures and seek to be obedient to all
His commandments. The longest of all the Psalms is Psalm
119 and is most helpful in teaching us how important the
Scriptures are in revealing God’s will to us.
Introducing the Lord’s Prayer Page 43
Chapter 6: The Fourth Request In The Lord’s Prayer
The fourth request is, ‘Give us this day our daily bread.’
You will notice that with this request we move from God's
interests to our own. The order is significant and we must
emphasise it: God first, ourselves afterwards.
1. The last three requests together
As we consider these three requests it should not take us
long to realise that here we have in these simple but perfect
petitions, a complete statement of all our needs as
Christians in this world. The requests cover both physical
and spiritual needs and there is nothing which we need for
life here below which is not included. The needs of the
whole man are covered, both for body and soul, in these
three amazing statements. There is nothing which we need
or ought to ask for ourselves which is outside the scope of
this part of the prayer: our daily bread, forgiveness of sins
and to be kept from sin in the future. How amazingly
comprehensive is this wonderful prayer, yet how
condensed.
2. The place of the fourth request
In the Lord's Prayer we have been dealing with those
infinities and immensities concerning God's glory, his
kingdom, his will. As we move into this second part of the
prayer, you would have expected something more elevating
than a request for our daily bread! And yet it is the first and
foremost of our needs. Why? There is really a very simple
Introducing the Lord’s Prayer Page 44
answer to this. We human beings consist of two parts:
body and soul (spirit). We have a physical aspect to us and
a spiritual aspect. But for the soul to find expression, the
body must also be functioning. Thus we ought to recognize
that the body needs to be sustained in order to keep body
and soul together. This request recognizes the importance
of the whole person, not just our spiritual part (see James
2:15-17).
3. The meaning of the fourth request
(a) Our daily bread
We are praying for our physical needs, and for those things
necessary for our physical wellbeing. This does not only
include bread but all the food we need. Not that we should
eat sumptuously, but that we should have enough to sustain
us. In addition, when we pray for our daily bread we are
also praying for work so that we can buy our food. We are
taught this in 2 Thessalonians 3:10,
“For even when we were with you, we gave you this
rule: ‘The one who is unwilling to work shall not eat.’”
This request takes on a new significance for those who are
unemployed. When we pray for our daily bread we also
pray for the means to obtain it.
(b) It is daily bread We are not asking that we should have enough for the
future, but only for the present. Every day has its own
needs and concerns. We might not even be here tomorrow
Introducing the Lord’s Prayer Page 45
so we have this instruction to ask for our needs on a daily
basis. Matthew 6:34 echoes a similar sentiment where
Jesus teaches us,
“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for
tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough
trouble of its own.”
Note also that we are being instructed to pray every day.
(c) We ask God to give us our daily bread
This reminds us that we have no essential rights before
God. All that we have, down to our necessary food is a gift
from God, not a right. And in this age when everyone is
shouting about their rights, it is a salutary reminder that
even our staple diet is a gift from God. The Psalmist
teaches us this in Psalm 145:15-16,
“The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their
food at the proper time. You open your hand and
satisfy the desires of every living thing.”
(d) We ask God to give us our daily bread It is not give me, but us. And this reminds us that the needs
of others are as important as our own and we must never
adopt a wholly selfish view even about our food.
4. With this request we are asking God to give us all
things needful for our bodies
Introducing the Lord’s Prayer Page 46
(a) God is interested in the smallest details of our lives
As our heavenly Father, God has a concern for our well-
being which exceeds our own. In Matthew 6:25-26 Jesus
taught that even the very hairs of our head are numbered.
So we should not be afraid to bring to God those details of
our lives which are causing us concern. He too is
concerned about our physical as well as spiritual well-
being. Nothing is too small or minor or beyond His
concern.
(b) We are completely dependent upon God for all our
physical needs
God not only created all things, but he also sustains them.
We are taught in Psalm104:13-15,
“He waters the mountains from his upper chambers;
the land is satisfied by the fruit of his work. He makes
grass grow for the cattle, and plants for people to
cultivate— bringing forth food from the earth: wine
that gladdens human hearts, oil to make their faces
shine, and bread that sustains their hearts.”
We need to be reminded of this in our day. It is true that
people today know more of the laws of Science than ever
before and are supposedly able to control our environment
better. Yet that does not alter the fact that it is through
God's providential and sustaining work that our physical
needs are met. We may plant and sow, but if God does not
give the increase then there will be no harvest. If he
withholds the rain or sun or sends hail or frost then the
crops either will not grow or will be spoiled. That is why it
Introducing the Lord’s Prayer Page 47
is appropriate for Christians to have a Harvest
Thanksgiving.
(c) It is not spiritual to neglect the body
This is not very common today because we seem more
tempted to neglect our souls. It does however need to be
said, for there are still some who have this view that the
body is really an encumbrance. This was the view that was
behind the medieval practice of beating oneself and
holding a protracted fast. Martin Luther, before his
conversion, fasted and beat himself almost to the point of
killing himself. Our bodies do need food and rest and
relaxation and exercise. If you are a workaholic then you
need to take note of this point. And particularly in this day
of sedentary work, if you sit at a desk all day and take little
or no physical exercise then do not be surprised if your
body suffers as a result.
(d) Our physical condition has a significant influence
over our spiritual condition
In his book on Spiritual Depression, Dr. D. M. Lloyd-Jones
advises that we should first look for physical reasons as to
why we are depressed. In many cases our physical
condition can cause spiritual depression. For example, if
you come to Church tired out then it is much more difficult
to concentrate on the sermon, whereas if you are rested and
refreshed then it becomes so much easier to apply yourself
to spiritual activities. Physical fitness, if wisely used, can
be a great help in performance of spiritual duties.
Introducing the Lord’s Prayer Page 48
(e) We shall be rewarded for ministering to the physical
needs of others
This is particularly true of aid given to God's people. Even
a cup of cold water given in the Lord's name will not be
forgotten (see Matthew 25:34-40). We must not neglect the
spiritual needs of others, but our care and concern for the
physical wellbeing of the people of God will not be
forgotten on the day of judgement.
Chapter 7: The Fifth Request In The Lord’s Prayer
The fifth request is for God to, “Forgive our debts, as we
also have forgiven our debtors.”
1. The relationship between the fourth and fifth
requests
Perhaps you had thought that there was no connection, but
there is one, since the connecting word ‘and’ is used in the
original Greek manuscripts which is often not included in
some Bible translations. By the use of that term the Lord is
reminding us that just as we need to pray daily for our
physical needs, so too we must daily pray for our sins to be
pardoned and cleansed. As the Puritan Thomas Watson puts
it: “Daily bread satisfies the physical appetite, daily
forgiveness the conscience.” We need reminding of this
because even Christians sometimes think of themselves in
terms of physical necessities only and lose sight of their
soul's relationship to God. Just as God does not supply all
our physical needs in one lump, neither does he supply our
Introducing the Lord’s Prayer Page 49
spiritual needs in one lump sum. If God had done this we
would take the gift and ignore the Giver. So God puts the
supply for our spiritual needs as a deposit in the ‘bank of
faith’ and we may only draw on it in instalments. 1 John
1:9 states,
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will
forgive us our sins and purify us from all
unrighteousness.”
The tense of the verb ‘purify’ is 'goes on purifying’ or ‘goes
on cleansing.’ How good to know the Lord’s provision is
for on-going pardon for we all stumble and fall and let the
Lord down, yet he is always willing to pardon us when we
repent. One pastor from a former age said that if he died in
the pulpit he would like to die preaching repentance, and if
he died out of the pulpit he wanted to die practising it.
2. That our spiritual needs are more important than our
physical needs
We learn this because there is only one request to do with
physical needs but two to do with our spiritual wants.
Although the body is important and we sin if we neglect
our bodies, the soul is the highest faculty we possess and is
far more valuable than the body. This principle is
illustrated in the temptations when Jesus declared in
Matthew 4:4,
“It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but
on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
Introducing the Lord’s Prayer Page 50
Jesus also emphasized the importance of our spiritual lives
over our physical in Matthew 10:28,
“Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot
kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can
destroy both soul and body in hell.”
3. The meaning of forgiveness
When God forgives us he pardons us, which means that he
wipes out the debt of our sins and will not exact the
punishment due to them. Forgiveness with God means that
he forgets our sins and that he will never bring them up
against us. The Psalmist David was so grateful to the Lord
for this and described it in these words in Psalm 103:12,
“as far as the east is from the west, so far has he
removed our transgressions from us.”
Then quoting from Jeremiah 31:34 the writer to the
Hebrews declared in Hebrews 10:17,
“Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more.”
God’s forgiveness is complete.
4. The basis of forgiveness
Immediately we talk about God forgiving and forgetting
sins, the question arises: how can a holy God forgive the
sinner and remain just and righteous? The answer is, only
because the Lord Jesus Christ paid the debt due to his
Introducing the Lord’s Prayer Page 51
people when he laid down his life on the cross. To keep
this ever before us the apostle John wrote in 1 John 1:7,
“But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we
have fellowship with one another, and the blood of
Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.”
That is the basis on which we can ask God to forgive us
and be assured that he will. It is a most costly forgiveness
for Jesus had to die in order for us to be forgiven. Only
those who have repented of their sin and have received the
salvation offered in Christ can thus pray for forgiveness, no
others have the right to do so. The Lord's Prayer is the
Christian's prayer and not for unbelievers.
5. The depth of this request
In answer to the question, ‘What do we pray for in this fifth
request of the Lord’s prayer?’ we have to say we are asking
that God will pardon our sins for Christ's sake and help us
to forgive those who have sinned against us.
(a) Sin is described as a debt
There are several terms used to describe sin in the
Scriptures. For example, ‘transgression’ which means
stepping over a line. But in this prayer the term debt is used.
This simply means that sin consists of not fulfilling my
obligations to God, which are found in the ten
Commandments. This request for God to forgive us our
debts is a clear indication that the Christian is obliged to
keep the ten Commandments. Because his imperfection in
Introducing the Lord’s Prayer Page 52
meeting the standard has been dealt with by the death of
Christ, it does not remove the obligation to live to God's
glory. Paul put this another way in Romans 8:12-14,
“Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an
obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according
to it. For if you live according to the flesh, you will
die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of
the body, you will live. For those who are led by the
Spirit of God are the children of God.”
(b) The true Christian will be conscious of sin
If there was to be no consciousness of sin then why have
this request in the prayer at all? Immediately we can see
that two particular errors are demolished by the Lord's
Prayer:
(i) Perfectionism
There are those who claim that they have been
delivered from all known sin and therefore do not have
to pray any longer for forgiveness. But this claim only
proves their ignorance of the darkness and iniquity of
their own hearts, and it also proves their ignorance of
the spirituality of the law. Those who hold these
perfectionist views say that if you need to pray for
forgiveness then you are not in a state of victory. But
surely the exact opposite is true. If you do not pray this
regularly then you will soon not be in a state of victory.
The Bible flatly denies such perfectionism (see 1 John
1:5-10; Matthew 5:4). The Apostle Paul, in one of the
Introducing the Lord’s Prayer Page 53
last letters he ever wrote, speaks of himself as the
‘chief’ or ‘worst’ of sinners (see 1 Timothy 1:15).
(ii) Positionalism
Those who advocate this view say that for the
Christian your sin has been dealt with by God through
Christ. God has justified you and forgiven you; why
drag up your sin again if God has forgotten it? Yes it is
true that we are no longer under condemnation for sin,
we do not come to God as Judge, but the Lord's prayer
has to do with our continued fellowship with God and
he will not allow us to enjoy this to the full if it is
marred by sin. We must confess our sins if we are to
enjoy the Father's smile. Not having our sins dealt with
is probably why so many Christians are lacking in joy.
(c) The true Christian is one who forgives others
“Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.” The
importance of this principle is underlined by the Lord in
Matthew 6:14 where he adds,
“For if you forgive other people when they sin against
you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.”
It is the only part of the prayer which he repeats, so it must
be very important. It is not that God forgives us because we
forgive others, but that we can test whether or not we are
forgiven by our attitude to others. There is no such person
as an unforgiving Christian. The parable of the unmerciful
servant illustrates the point forcibly in Matthew 18:21-35.
The servant had been forgiven a huge debt and then went
Introducing the Lord’s Prayer Page 54
out and exacted a trivial sum from a fellow servant. The
supreme example of what we should be like is our Lord
Jesus Christ on the cross who said, “Father forgive...”
Chapter 8: The Sixth Request in the Lord’s Prayer
The sixth request asks, “And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil” or “the evil one”.
1. The relationship of this request to the rest of the
prayer
There is a progression of thought throughout the whole
prayer: God's name, God's kingdom and God's will take
precedence and should have first place in our praying. We
are also encouraged to pray for our own needs and
requirements both physical and spiritual. And after asking
that our basic bodily needs should be met, the fifth request
has dealt with our most urgent spiritual need, the need of
forgiveness of sins. But even as true Christians receive
forgiveness from God, they realise their weakness and the
possibility of falling into further sin in the future. So this
final request deals with the whole problem of being kept
from sin in the future. Not that the Christian will ever be
sinless in this life - the Bible never teaches that - but it is
still the earnest desire of the genuine Christian to live “a
godly, righteous and sober life to the glory of God's holy
name” as the Prayer Book puts it. Another writer has said:
“The loathing which we have of sin in the holy moment of
pardon, strangely weakens when we find ourselves in the
Introducing the Lord’s Prayer Page 55
old atmosphere with the old temptation wearing its most
alluring garb.”
2. The meaning of this request
The request has two aspects to it: negative and positive.
Some have suggested that there are two requests, but the
thought in these two parts is so linked that in reality they
are one request.
(a) The negative aspect of the request. “And lead us not
into temptation.”
Now the word temptation means simply to put to the test
and it can be with a good or bad end in view. God tests us
with a good motive (see Job 23:10). But the context here is
not that of being tested by God, but of being tempted with
the motive of us falling into sin. We are not praying to be
kept from temptation as such, but we are asking that God
will not lead us into a situation or circumstances where we
would be overcome by temptation. 1 Corinthians 10:13
expresses a similar thought,
“No temptation has overtaken you except what is
common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not
let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when
you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that
you can endure it.”
We are asking to be kept from situations which would
prove too much for us and so lead us into sin. There are
certain circumstances, places and company which would be
Introducing the Lord’s Prayer Page 56
our undoing. We are therefore praying that God would help
us avoid such and we must thus not tempt the providence
of God by deliberately putting ourselves in the way of
temptation.
(b) The positive aspect. “but deliver us from evil” or “the
evil one.”
This request is not so much referring to physical protection
but protection in spiritual matters. Some modern
translations limit the sense to the evil one, but that is only
one aspect of evil from which we are praying to be
delivered. We do need to be delivered from the devil and
all his schemes, but we also need to be delivered from the
evil of our own hearts (see Jeremiah 17:9), and the evil in
the world - those influences which would mould us into its
way of thinking and behaving (see 1 John 2:15-17). Thus
in this petition we are asking that God would keep us and
deliver us from every kind of evil which would draw us
into sin. Jesus himself prayed for this concerning his
disciples in John 17:15,
“My prayer is not that you take them out of the world
but that you protect them from the evil one.”
As A. W. Pink says: “To be kept from the evil of sin is a far
greater mercy than deliverance from the trouble of
temptation.” Or as Thomas Watson puts it: “Not that we
pray to be delivered immediately from the presence of
indwelling sin, for that cannot be in this life, but we pray
that God would deliver us more and more from the power
Introducing the Lord’s Prayer Page 57
and practice, from the very acts of sin.” Is that what you
are praying for?
3. We are praying that God would keep us from sin
(a) The greatest evil we face is sin
We are not asking for deliverance from the threat of war or
the nuclear bomb or natural disaster or illness or trials in
this request. In this respect we are not asking to be
delivered from these, but from the far greater evil of sin.
Why is this? Because it is God's prime concern, not to save
us from the mere consequences of sin but from sin itself.
How seriously do you regard sin? Is it to you ‘the plague of
plagues’? One of our greatest problems is that we have too
light a view of sin. Great claims are being made about the
Holy Spirit's work today, but where is his first work:
conviction of sin? The pathway to true revival has always
been through a greater awareness and consciousness of
personal sinfulness.
(b) The great evil of sin is that it strikes at the
relationship between the Christian and God
The thing which mars fellowship with God is sin. Isaiah
the prophet declared this to the people of his day in Isaiah
59:2,
“But your iniquities have separated you from your God;
your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will
not hear.”
Introducing the Lord’s Prayer Page 58
So when we pray this petition, it is because we do not want
our fellowship with God to be marred or broken. True
fellowship with God is the very essence of the Christian
life (see John 17:3).
(c) This request reminds us that it is through
temptation that we are led into sin
Temptation is the means that the devil uses to get us to sin.
There will be temptations; the request reminds us of that
fact. The Christian life will be a war where we will be
constantly assaulted by evil. We need to be on our guard
against those three avenues of temptation: the world, the
sinful nature and the devil. Temptations will come from all
three quarters.
(d) The Bible tells us how to deal with temptation
Jesus said in Mark 14:38,
“Watch and pray so that you will not fall into
temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
(i) Watch. First of all we need to watch ourselves to
know our weaknesses. We also need to watch the
enemy and his tactics. Do not be ignorant of his
devices and schemes (know our Bibles).
(ii) Pray. Depend upon God in all situations and
circumstances. Pray for His help at all times.
Develop the habit of being like Nehemiah. His
arrow prayer in Nehemiah 2:4 was only on the
basis of regular prayer (see Nehemiah 1:4ff). Pray
Introducing the Lord’s Prayer Page 59
both when facing a crisis and in the midst of a
crisis, but always with the first desire to be kept
from sin and evil.
This is the last study specifically on the Lord's Prayer.
There is one final consideration, which is the doxology
which appears in some versions of the Bible: “Yours is the
kingdom and the power and the glory for ever and ever.
Amen.” Although we cannot be sure whether these words
were actually uttered by our Lord at this point, all we can
say is that they are a fitting and appropriate conclusion to
the prayer. For no prayer is complete without praise and
thanksgiving. Indeed, the measure of our spirituality is
indicated by the measure of our praise and thanksgiving.
The sentiment of that closing doxology that has
traditionally been added at the end of the Lord’s prayer is
fully in accord with what we find in 1 Chronicles 29:11
where David prays to God,
“Yours, LORD, is the greatness and the power and the
glory and the majesty and the splendour, for everything
in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, LORD, is the
kingdom; you are exalted as head over all.”
Chapter 9: Prayer teaches us our complete dependence
on God
1. Prayer teaches us our complete dependence upon
God for Salvation
Introducing the Lord’s Prayer Page 60
The Bible is clear in its statements that it is God who saves:
we cannot save ourselves. It is only on the basis of what
God has done through his Son that the sinner can be
reconciled to God. Where does prayer come in? Prayer
comes in because in order to obtain this salvation we must
call upon God (see Acts 2:21; Matthew 7:7-9). Asking,
seeking and knocking are all descriptive of prayer. In John
6:37 Jesus speaks of coming to him. Prayer is the only way
we can come to Christ today, for he is not here in the flesh.
2. Prayer teaches us our complete dependence upon
God for our growth in grace
Just as the Christian enters into new life by prayer, so too
does he or she continue by prayer. Indeed the measure of
our growing will be determined by the measure of our
praying. Consider the following:
Ephesians 6:18 The whole armour of God is to be put
on with prayer.
Philippians 4:6 Prayer is the only antidote to anxiety. If
our minds are in a constant state of agitation, with no
real peace then we are ignoring this exhortation.
Hebrews 4:16 Prayer will enable us to find grace to
help in time of need.
James 1:5 If we lack anything, including wisdom, we
must ask of God.
James 4:2-3 We do not have because we do not ask
God, or we ask for the wrong things.
Growing Christians are praying Christians.
Introducing the Lord’s Prayer Page 61
3. Prayer teaches the Church's dependence upon God
for its reviving and restoring
Just as the Christian cannot expect to grow without prayer,
so too the Church cannot expect to grow without prayer.
The Apostle Paul in his letters often asks for prayer,
particularly that he will be given power in his preaching
(see Ephesians 6:19-20). Notice the phrase “devote
yourselves to prayer” in Colossians 4:2-3. One of the
main troubles in the Church today is that we have got our
priorities wrong; prayer does not have the place in our lives
which it should. That is why there are empty places at the
church prayer meetings and why we often put other
Christian activities before prayer. Yet prayer should be first,
and it would be if we realised our complete dependence
upon God.
This book is supplied by Grace Baptist Mission and
other titles are available in e-mail format at the address
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Abingdon
OXON
OX14 3JD
UK
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