“This, then, is how you should 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. 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)
Some
Christians pray the Lord’s Prayer in a habitual manner, which is not wrong,
because the Lord listens whenever He is addressed. But this prayer demands more
commitment from us than we suspect. For instance, if we add the words, “in and
through my life,” we get the following:
“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name
in and through my life. Your kingdom come in and through my life. Your will be
done in and through my life on earth as it is in heaven.”
The result is a commitment. We ask
God to let those around us recognize His name as holy through the way we live.
We ask Him to let His Kingdom come in our lives, making Him King of our lives.
We ask Him to let our lives be the vehicle through which His Kingdom will be
established. We commit to sacrificing our will and making it subject to
His.
How is the above to be done? As it is
done in heaven. Is this what we
experience? Could materialism reign in heaven
as it presently does on earth? Would false religions, idolatry, and humanism be
tolerated in heaven as Christians tolerate it? If Jesus was on earth today,
would He be as passive about evangelism as we are? What would the topics of
discussions in heaven be—politics, sports, gossip, and jokes? Or would we discuss
the wonders of God and His Word? What would recreation in heaven be
like—secular movies, partying, violent computer games, and dancing? Or would
God be constantly worshipped, and would His Word enjoy high priority? Is that
what we experience here on earth?
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How holy does the world consider God?
Why do we get the impression that the world has no awe or respect for God? In
countries where Christianity has freedom and a majority, how much influence
does the Kingdom of God have? Is the Christian church (and we are not talking
about religious institutions, but true Christianity) still respected and a
powerful voice to the nation, or do people just do as they like?
How much say does the King of kings
have in your community or country? Who sits on the throne of your life? Who
stands in the pulpit of the church? Do you follow your own desires and will,
satisfying their carnal demands? Does your congregation follow the will of the
Lord for your specific area, or does it follow good ideas and programs received
from other sources, copying other moves of God?
Give us
this day our daily bread. Do we have to ask for only our daily bread? What about my
new car, my better income, my health, and my protection? We think God wants us
to prosper, so asking for only our daily bread might be asking for too little.
Is that right or wrong?
“For
the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you
need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these
things will be given to you as well (Matthew 6:32, 33). All we
need to ask for in prayer is our daily bread. Then we can focus our prayer on
the needs of the Kingdom of God and our (and our neighbor’s) righteousness
before Him. Then you have used your time well. The Lord knows what we need. He also
knows about that car and house. He knows what is good for us and what He has in
mind for us concerning His Kingdom. To be continued...
For children and adults who are prepared to learn in a childlike way. For more information see http://t-a-c.co.za.
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