Did you learn the Lord’s Prayer as a child? Maybe, like me, you recited the words without understanding their meaning. Jesus taught us to pray: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.” (Matthew 6:9-13, NIV) There’s much to learn from this short but powerful model for prayer.
First, by referring to God as our Father, Jesus shows us that He is accessible, intimate, and personal. At the same time, “hallowed be your name” illustrates the importance of approaching the Lord with reverence and awe. One commentary explains, “Too often we barge into God’s presence with presumptuous ‘to-do lists’ for Him, without being mindful of His holiness, His awesomeness, and the vast chasm that separates our nature from His. That we are even allowed to come before His throne is due only to His gracious, merciful love for His own (Hebrews 4:16). We must never take that grace for granted.”1
Our Heavenly Father is sovereign and deserves to be praised just because He’s God, not because of anything He’s done for us. This provides a humbling reminder that God doesn’t exist for us, we exist for Him. Acknowledging His holiness helps us to regain perspective when our needs seem urgent.
Next, praying “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven” invites God to increase His kingdom on earth right now through each of us. As followers of Jesus, we are citizens of God’s kingdom, and we carry that citizenship with us wherever we go. We’re each marked by the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13). Just like a passport identifies you as a citizen of a specific country, the Holy Spirit identifies you as God’s child. So, wherever you go, you have the opportunity to let the light of God’s love shine out from you, as Jesus describes when He says, “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14-16, NIV)
Praying for God’s kingdom to come impacts how believers view their immediate circumstances. We recognize that God has empowered us to change the atmosphere of our surroundings and we invite Him to work in and through us. In the rest of the prayer, Jesus shows three ways we can pray personally that will expand the Lord’s rule and reign:
-Make Room for the Kingdom of God in Your Daily Life: We have the privilege of asking God to meet our needs for “daily bread.” Just as our bodies were made to need sustenance from food every day, our hearts were made to need daily connection with God. Going to Him consistently reminds us self-sufficiency is only an illusion. Everything we have, including our ability to earn a living, ultimately comes from God. Asking the Lord to meet our physical and spiritual needs daily keeps us humble, but also enables us to grow in our connection to Him and our dependence upon Him. So, commit to spending time in God’s Word and prayer consistently, even when the Extraordinary Prayer study comes to an end. Be intentional about creating space in your schedule to be quiet before the Lord. Ask your Heavenly Father to show you what distractions you can eliminate that will free you up to draw near to Him consistently. To read an expanded explanation on this portion of the prayer, see the link at the bottom.*
-Expand the Kingdom of God with Confession and Forgiveness: In the next part of the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus illustrates the importance of identifying and confessing our sins. “And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.” (Matthew 6:12, NIV) We’ve become a society averse to accepting responsibility for our wrongdoing. But if we follow Jesus, we must be willing to confess when we’ve sinned and seek forgiveness from God and others we’ve hurt. Likewise, we expand God’s kingdom when we forgive others for the wrongs done to us. This is the only portion of the Lord’s Prayer that Jesus expands on further: “For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.” (Matthew 6:12, 14-15, NIV) Our willingness to ask for and offer forgiveness stands out in a world bent on sidestepping sin, nursing resentment, and seeking retaliation. For a deeper dive on these two topics, see the links at the bottom.*
-Spread the Kingdom of God by Praying Against Temptation and Evil: In the final portion of the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus tells us to pray: “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.” (Matthew 6:13, NIV) Our flesh and spirit battle continually; praying for the Lord not to lead us into temptation and to deliver us from evil demonstrates humble acknowledgement of this fact. It’s a request to keep sin from gaining a foothold in our lives. When we know our weaknesses and are aware of the areas where we’re likely to fall into sin, we can pray proactively, asking the Lord to guide and protect us. Relying on God’s strength to withstand temptation also encourages others who may be struggling in similar ways. Making the hard choice to uphold integrity and righteousness expands the Lord’s kingdom and inspire others to do the same.
Increasing God’s dominion on earth starts in our hearts and minds. Let Rend Collective’s song “Build Your Kingdom Here” inspire your prayers today.
*Interested in understanding more? Take a look at this post on daily bread by clicking here, this one on confession by clicking here or this one on forgiveness by clicking here.
1. Commentary quotation from: https://www.gotquestions.org/Lords-name-vain.html