"After this manner, therefore, pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen."
Matthew 6:9-13
Part 1
The “Lord’s Prayer,” or perhaps we could call it the “Disciple’s Prayer,” for Jesus used these words to teach His men how to pray. This prayer is found in Matthew 6:9-13 and Luke 11:1-4; although they vary a bit, it is the same general thought in both.
Today: We Learn God’s Pattern of Prayer
(Matthew 6:9)
“After this manner, therefore, pray ye.”
The words here help us see that this prayer is a sample, a model prayer to teach God’s children how to pray. This “prayer” was never to be repeated over and over again. This is clear from verse 7 when Jesus told His men,
“And in praying use not vain repetitions, as the Gentiles do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking” (Matthew 6:7).
Isn’t it true that anything memorized and repeated by rote and then thoughtlessly repeated quickly loses its meaning? I know that is true for me. It then can become just words regurgitated without thought or consequence. I fear that many well-meaning people have memorized this model prayer as “magic words to repeat over and over if you want God to hear you.” These words go along with other “magic words” they echo over and over. Jesus makes it clear that the Heavenly Father rejects this kind of “prayer!” Sadly, God will not listen to their vain repetitions! Heres’ why! The idea of “vain repetitions” in verse 7 is this,
“…to repeat a thing often; to say the same thing in different words, or to repeat the same words, as though God did not hear at first”[1] (Barnes).
“Vain repetitions” are an insult to God! He will not listen to them.
Do you remember the pagan prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel and their faceoff with Elijah, the Prophet of Jehovah? Baal’s prophets ranted and raved and repeated, and repeated and ranted for hours, but could not get a single spark to light their fire from Baal, the “sun god!” Talk about vain repetitions! When Elijah prayed to Jehovah, he spoke only sixty-three words (in the King James language, 1 Kings 18:36b-37), and God heard him. His fire fell from heaven and consumed the sacrifice: no vain repetitions here, just sincere prayer from a trusting heart.
God rejects “prayers of vain repetitions.” Note below what two Bible preachers said about this “prayer.”
“This Manner”
“This prayer is given as a ‘model.’ It is designed to express the ‘manner’ in which we are to pray, evidently not the precise words or petitions which we are to use. … That he did not intend to prescribe this as a form to be invariably used is further evident from the fact that there is no proof that either he or his disciples ever used exactly this form of prayer, but clear evidence that they prayed often in other language” [2] (Barnes).
“Pray Ye”
“Ye,” “‘You’ [His disciples] expressed in contrast with ‘the Gentiles.’ It should be called ‘The Model Prayer’ rather than ‘The Lord’s Prayer.’ ‘Thus’ pray as he gives them a model. He himself [Jesus] did not use it as a liturgy (cf. John 17). There is no evidence that Jesus meant it for liturgical use by others”[3] (Robertson).
What a great lesson this is on how we should pray. “The Lord’s Prayer” teaches us to pray. Tomorrow we will speak of “Who” we are praying to. See you then.
Quote: “Nothing tends more to cement the hearts of Christians than praying together. Never do they love one another so well as when they witness the outpouring of each other’s hearts in prayer”[4] (Charles Finney).
[1] Albert Barnes, Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible, the electronic version in eSword. Matthew 6:9-13.
[2] Albert Barnes, ibid.
[3] A.T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament, the electronic version in eSword. Matthew 6:9.
[4] Finney’s quote Downloaded: Friday, June 4, 2021. From: https://thelife.com/great-quotes-on-prayer.