[Excerpt from ‘The Discovery Bible’ ~ Experience a Renaissance in Bible research & reading]
"The Our Father" (The Lord's Prayer)
"The Our Father" (Matthew 6:9-13), rightly called "the Model Prayer," is the only recorded prayer in the Bible we are commanded to pray (which is far more than reciting!). This divinely-given guide for meditation is of the greatest value to growing in the "school of prayer" (directed praying) – which prevents "mind drift" and "getting stuck" in the same thoughts each day.
Oswald Hoffman, "The Lord's Prayer is a pattern, not a formula. It is not a string of magic words. He (Christ) did not pray that way Himself, and He didn't want anybody else to pray that way" (The Lord’s Prayer, Harper & Row, 1982, 1).
Reflection: In "the Model Prayer," Jesus calls us to make ten affirmations (yeses) that should be done regularly – note the opening Greek present imperative which conveys ongoing, regular action ("Pray thusly, i.e. after this manner . . . !, Mt 6:9).
1. Our Father . . . Yes, I believe
You want to transform me as I know your loving protection and fellowship.
Nurture me Father, so I can become more like you.
I want to resemble you, because I belong to you
Thank you for adopting me and caring for all my needs as your child
My greatest desire is to know your transforming fatherly touch
2. Who is in the heavens . . . Yes,
You are the Holy One who is above (beyond) every sin defect and limitation.
You are the one perfectly revealed in the Scriptures.
I desire to know more and more of You – in all the "levels" You offer to fellowship with me
I long to know more of your wondrous attributes and go higher and higher in laying hold of you.
I empty myself of all unworthy thoughts about You, and affirm Your absolute perfection.
3. Hallowed be Your name . . . Yes,
I treasure everything about you!
You are everything to me and I hold every part of you as ultimately special and wonderful.
All praise belongs to You, Yahweh – "the One who is, always was, and always will be."
You are my everything and I love you with the intense affections of a bride.
I stand in awe of you and have a healthy fear of your holiness
Your name must be hallowed, by me and all creation.
I hallow you Lord, I cherish you above all things, in every way and in all I do.
4. Your kingdom come . . . Yes,
I desire Your kingdom (absolute Lordship)
I submit completely to your authority as my King.
I surrender self-agenda and self-government and want to be ready to see You return – with nothing of Your will for me undone.
You are the king of every domain of my being:
o heart (decisions, emotions),
o soul (identity),
o mind (intellect),
o strength (resources) and
o my relationships
5. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven . . . Yes,
I will obey all of Your will as You birth it in me through faith.
I will live it out, with You, and be a doer of Your word.
Make Your preferred-will in heaven plain to me, so I can live it out here and now.
I commit to doing Your will in every physical scene of life – in times of difficulty, "routine" and temporal blessing.
6. Give us this day our daily bread . . . Yes,
I am content with Your manna (bread) that You have given.
I want only (all) Your provision for the coming day.
I commit to living by all (only) Your provision with nothing of my own "ingenuity" (resources).
I want to live only by what comes from Your hand.
I know you will meet every true need
7. And forgive us our debts . . . Yes,
I receive cleansing through the blood of Jesus Christ.
I do not want the slightest separation between my soul and the Savior
I confess my sins and receive Your cleansing forgiveness.
Every time I live in my own plan (even when it is "respectable"!) & fail to live in faith, it leaves a debt of sin.
I confess all my sins so I have Christ's complete forgiveness, even for sins of omission (i.e. things I fail to do).
8. As we also have forgiven our debtors . . . Yes,
I refuse to hate any human being
I refuse to hold bitterness towards anyone who has wronged me in the past, present, or future –
I release all desire to vengefully punish anyone (be punitive).
Un-forgiveness is idolatry
o Its puts people on the throne of my life instead of God.
o It puts me on the throne by usurping God's exclusive prerogative to punish sin
Un-forgiveness brings an unfulfilled, bitter life and cuts me off from the grace of God.
I must be free of hatred (bitterness, malice) towards any human being, every day of my life.
9. And lead us not into testing . . Yes,
I affirm a holy fear of You so I reject compromises which You must chasten (discipline).
I choose the life of faith and therefore will not try to bypass you.
May you never have to send negative tests to discipline me for going astray
10. But deliver us from evil . . .Yes,
I desire to live in Your maximum,
Deliver me from every bondage and enslavement of sin
o (Physical, psychological, intellectual and emotional).
Also deliver me from the pains that go with these as You bring me into Your health and wholeness.
Deliver me to Yourself and for Yourself . . .
o out of my "stuff" and into Your glorious liberty as your faithful bride and wife.
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Thank you for sharing, Phil. This is amazing.