Matthew 6:9-13 (NLT)
Pray like this:
Our Father in heaven,
may your name be kept holy.
May your Kingdom come soon.
May your will be done on earth,
as it is in heaven.
Give us today the food we need,
and forgive us our sins,
as we have forgiven those who sin against us.
And don’t let us yield to temptation,
but rescue us from the evil one.
Are you ready for the break down? Go ahead and read The Lord's Prayer one more time before we begin.
Awesome.
Jesus used this prayer as an example of how to pray.
The prayer begins with acknowledging to God and giving God praise. In other words, you should give God glory and praise in your prayers. God is listening, so give Him thanks because you have his attention.
The kingdom mentioned in the prayer is God's kingdom of righteousness. Asking for God's Kingdom is giving God permission to take charge of your life in order for His will to be done in your life.
The prayer continues with asking God to set the world right as He has done in heaven.
Now 'the food we need' can be interpreted as two different things.
Asking for forgiveness for your sins is humbling yourself before God. Matthew 23:12 best explains this that if you humble yourself before God, He will bless you; however, if you pride yourself before God, you will be humbled.
Telling God you "have forgiven those who sin against you" is allowing God to bless you. God cannot bless you if you have an angry heart towards your "haters", so make peace and learn to forgive. It is difficult to shake a hand with a fist.
Finally, the prayer is asking to strengthen us to help us fight against evil forces. This final portion of the prayer is most important because when you are able to defend yourself from The Evil One, you are able to live your life in God's righteousness allowing you to serve the Lord. The Evil One (Satan) has a plan to throw you off course. Satan wants you to hate your haters. Satan wants you to starve. Satan wants you to live your life without God's righteousness.
If you are new to prayer or having a struggle praying, use this prayer as an example how to pray. This prayer covers everything you need to get you through your day and bring you closer to God.
Awesome.
Jesus used this prayer as an example of how to pray.
The prayer begins with acknowledging to God and giving God praise. In other words, you should give God glory and praise in your prayers. God is listening, so give Him thanks because you have his attention.
The kingdom mentioned in the prayer is God's kingdom of righteousness. Asking for God's Kingdom is giving God permission to take charge of your life in order for His will to be done in your life.
The prayer continues with asking God to set the world right as He has done in heaven.
Now 'the food we need' can be interpreted as two different things.
- Jesus lived his life during his ministry poor and as a nomad. This is mentioned in Matthew 8:20 when he explains "The Son of Man (himself) has no place even to lay his head." It is explained further in Matthew 10:9-10 when Jesus gives instructions to his disciples to not carry money, valuables, change of clothes when they are traveling doing their missionary work. Jesus also says "Don't hesitate to accept hospitality because those who work deserve to be fed." In other words, food was more important than money, clothes, or even a place to rest because without food, starvation will occur and hinder the mission.
- The "food" is known as "our daily bread" in other Bible translations which can be interpreted as your daily read of the Bible. The Bible is food for your spirit. If you don't feed your spirit The Word, your spirit will not be strong in God. In Ephesians 6:17, The Sword of the Spirit is the Word of God. The Word of God is important for you to combat any negativity you face daily. With that in mind, getting your daily supplement of The Word is just as important as having your daily meal.
Asking for forgiveness for your sins is humbling yourself before God. Matthew 23:12 best explains this that if you humble yourself before God, He will bless you; however, if you pride yourself before God, you will be humbled.
Telling God you "have forgiven those who sin against you" is allowing God to bless you. God cannot bless you if you have an angry heart towards your "haters", so make peace and learn to forgive. It is difficult to shake a hand with a fist.
Finally, the prayer is asking to strengthen us to help us fight against evil forces. This final portion of the prayer is most important because when you are able to defend yourself from The Evil One, you are able to live your life in God's righteousness allowing you to serve the Lord. The Evil One (Satan) has a plan to throw you off course. Satan wants you to hate your haters. Satan wants you to starve. Satan wants you to live your life without God's righteousness.
If you are new to prayer or having a struggle praying, use this prayer as an example how to pray. This prayer covers everything you need to get you through your day and bring you closer to God.