The Lord's Prayer - Part 2
Matthew 6:9-15
Last week we studied the Lord's introduction to his model prayer. Before providing a pattern, the Lord wanted us to know certain attitudes in prayer we should avoid. He first warns against a wrong motive for prayer, the desire to be seen. He teaches his disciples that prayer is intended for close, intimate fellowship with God, not for self-glorying and public acclaim. The second important lesson we learn is that we cannot assume that long or repetitious prayers will get God's ear. He hears us not because we badger him with our requests, but because he is a good Father who already knows what we need.
Today we will focus on the Lord's Prayer itself, the model we have from Jesus on how to talk with our heavenly Father like he did. The Lord's Prayer holds a unique religious value in our culture. Even if someone is not a Christian, they most likely have heard the prayer before or seen it displayed on Christian art. Some may even remember praying the Lord's Prayer in public school several generations ago.
Have you ever considered how offensive the Lord's Prayer is? It's no secret that secular groups are responsible for removing the Lord's Prayer from schools, government buildings, and other public venues. Certainly, the world does not like Scripture displayed publicly in any form, but many unbelievers reserve a special dislike for the Lord's Prayer. Why? As a prayer, it seems so innocent and heartfelt. How could anyone dislike it? When you take a closer look at the words of the prayer, you realize how offensive it can be to those who do not know the Lord.
Jesus first addresses God as Father. No other faith conceives of God in this way - not Islam, or Buddhism, or Hinduism. In these religions, God is not a transcendent reality; no one can approach him. Yet, we get to approach the creator of the universe as our Father. Jesus prays for his kingdom to come. What an insult to the kingdoms of this world! All political institutions have failed to administer justice and establish peace in our world. The perfect kingdom that Jesus will establish in the future is an affront to today's political class.
Jesus prays for the Father's will to be done. The last thing our politicians, academics, and social elites want is for God's will to be done. They love themselves and their sin, which means God's will must be scorned in the public eye and prevented by any means. Jesus prays for forgiveness of sin, which forces us to admit we have offended God by our wrong choices. It also forces us to reckon with our brokenness and depravity before a holy God.
Prayer builds your closeness with and confidence in God.
Main Thought
As we look at the Lord's Prayer today, it's helpful to realize that to a broken sinful world, his prayer is not a comfort. To the strongest opponents of our faith, it could seem offensive, even threatening. To children of the King, however, this prayer rings with the sweet disposition of a child making a request of his Father. That is what prayer as a spiritual discipline does for us - it builds our closeness with and confidence in God. Today we will unpack the first half of this prayer (vv. 9-10), those requests which center around God and his will. Next week we will look at how Jesus wants his disciples to pray for their own needs.
Addressing God in Prayer
If we were not so used to the loving, worshipful tone of the prayer, we might have a different conception of what it means to unbelievers. Many are offended by its message, and rightfully so. They have no conception of what it means to talk to God so openly and lovingly. That is the privilege we enjoy as his children, as citizens of his spiritual kingdom. Christ speaks to those who have left behind the ways of this world for a higher way, the way of the kingdom. Part of living in this new spiritual kingdom that our Lord established is regular communication with him. How do we do that? What kinds of things can we tell him?
Before Jesus tells us how to pray, he gives us an important disclaimer. Notice he says, "In this manner, pray." This suggests that he is not giving us a rigid or rote form of prayer. Rather, what follows is a pattern after which we can model our own prayers. We mentioned last week that many faiths around the world use ritual prayers regularly in worship because they expect that these prayers will give them favor with their god. The Catholic Church has adopted this passage in Matthew 6 as a rote prayer to God. Priests in Catholic churches still lead their parishioners in reciting this prayer.
The problem with that approach is that it is not what Christ intended for this prayer. If prayer is talking to God (which it is), then surely, he does not want us to say the same things to him every time. That is why he reminded us in his introduction that long, repetitious prayers cannot replace prayers with good content. To recite this prayer repeatedly is not an appropriate way to talk to God. However, that is not to say we can never use this prayer verbatim. Believers should not think that the misguided practices of one church should deprive them of the privilege of using the Lord's Prayer themselves. We can talk to God using these words, just not all the time. We can pray this prayer in Matthew 6, as long as we are not praying to get attention from people or from God.
When Jesus gave this pattern for prayer to his Jewish followers, I am sure some of them were taken aback. They knew how to talk to God; many of them had prayed as a matter of habit since they were children. What makes the Lord's model prayer different? The most obvious difference comes right at the start, how Jesus addresses God: "Our Father in heaven." Though Jews understood that God was the heavenly Father of the Jewish nation (Deut 32:6; Ps 103:13; Isa 63:16; Mal 2:10), they rarely addressed him that way (1 Chron 29:10; Ps 89:26; Isa 9:6 ). Jews were known for attaching many high and lofty names to God at the beginning of their prayers to emphasize his greatness, majesty, and glory. Never would they address him as simply "Father."
Jesus broke that mold and introduced his disciples to a new manner of prayer. In this sermon, he has already referred to God as the Father of his kingdom citizens several times (Matt 5:16, 45; 6:1, 4, 6, 8). What makes this so radical is that in giving his followers a model prayer, he starts by addressing God with such familiar tones. Since Jesus is the Son of God, the second person of the Trinity, we have no qualms about him using this title. But he is inviting you and me to join him in talking to God the same way he does, as a loving Father.
In most churches, believers do not have a problem talking to God as Father. It's a familiar, normal way to start a prayer. I would challenge those who assume every prayer must begin with a long and lofty address to God. There is nothing wrong with talking to God this way, but we should also feel just as comfortable talking to him in simple terms - God, Lord, or Father. He certainly deserves our fear and highest respect. He is our Father "in heaven," which highlights his superiority and exalted position over us. But that same God who is high and holy also wants intimacy with his chosen people. As "our Father" we all have the privilege of praying this way individually and corporately; we all share this blessed relationship with the heavenly Father.
When George Washington was unanimously elected as the first President of the United States in 1789, Americans did not know what to call him. As the General for the Continental Army against the British, he was known as "General" or "Your Excellency." Congress began a vigorous debate about how the president of the new nation should be addressed. Some suggested "Your Highness," "His Exalted Highness," "His Majesty the President," and many others. The Vice President, John Adams, offered a more illustrious title: "His Highness, the President of the United States, and Protector of the Rights of the Same." Thankfully, one congressman suggested simply addressing Washington as "Mr. President." Washington was relieved by this decision, and the title has stuck ever since.
The God we serve is higher, holier, and more powerful than any president, king, or emperor this world could ever produce. He deserves our lavish praise, and we are right to give it to him on occasion. But sometimes, a simple "Father" will do. Not only does God desire that familiarity with us, but it is good for us to talk to him this way. We need a regular reminder that because of our salvation in Christ, we have the privilege of approaching the creator and sovereign over heaven and earth as our Father. Before you pray, consider how you talk to God. Is he like a father to you? Do you treat him this way? Can you talk to him about anything? Will you trust him with your worst fears and highest aspirations? You can because you are his child.
Because our Father is in heaven inhabiting all of time and space, he has a name that is above every name. The exalted titles of deity that we ascribe to him in prayer belong exclusively to him. As such, his name is set apart, far superior to any other title or name of authority. To hallow means to sanctify, or to set apart for a special purpose. To put it mildly, God's name is special, completely unlike any other name or designation. As such, it deserves our special attention in prayer.
What does it mean to hallow, or set apart, God's name? His name is already superior to all other rulers, whether earthly or heavenly. Should we ask for his name to be more holy? No, instead the Lord's burden in this prayer is that we treat him as the holy God. Names in Scripture often have more importance than they do today. People today pick names because they sound unique or because they run in the family. In biblical times, your name was associated with who you were, your character and reputation. God's reputation is summed up in his name. When you pray for his name to be sanctified, you are acknowledging his holy character. You are recognizing that his name describes who he is, and as such, he deserves to be treated differently by you and everyone else. He deserves our submission and worship.
The Jewish audience listening to Jesus would have understood that God's name received special attention. In the Mosaic Law, Jewish people were commanded to never take God's name in vain, and if they did, God would not hold them guiltless (Ex 20:7). To this day, Jewish people will not say or even write God's proper name, Yahweh. In reverence of his chief name, they will instead insert his other names, either Adonai or Elohim. Jesus is not advocating for this kind of legalism, but he is confronting us with an important truth: God is our Father who deserves the highest praise and adoration, especially from his people. Now, consider how you talk about God. Does his name receive special attention from you in prayer? Could a non-Christian tell that you think God is unique and worthy of worship? Do you look to Scripture for how it exalts the name and character of God?
Making Requests for God
The Lord transitions from how to address God to what kinds of requests we can make to him in prayer. Instead of starting with requests for other people, or even for ourselves, the Lord starts with requests about God. We might think that God does not need anything from us. As much as this is true, he also wants us to cooperate with him on his plans and purposes for the world. While he continues working out the details of his will, he waits for his people to join him in fulfilling his ultimate purposes through prayer.
One of those purposes is the inauguration of his kingdom on earth. This is the heart behind the request, "Your kingdom come." This prayer expects that God will be the one who brings his kingdom into fruition; people will have nothing to do with this endeavor. It is also a prayer with firm roots in the OT, though couched in different language. The OT prophets often referred to the Day of the Lord, a dramatic future event in which God brings judgment on Israel's enemies and restores Israel as a nation by instituting his kingdom.
Jewish people had this expectation, though they saw it purely in political terms. They expected that for God to establish his kingdom, he had to overthrow the Roman empire. Many of Jesus' followers, including his twelve disciples, expected him to be the Messiah who would lead a military coup against their Roman overlords. What they did not realize was that Jesus did not come the first time to institute a political, earthly kingdom. As he told Pontius Pilate while on trial, "My kingdom is not of this world" (John 18:36). The kingdom which Jesus preached from the beginning of his ministry was a spiritual one (Matt 4:17).
When Jesus tells us to pray, "Your kingdom come," I believe he has both aspects of his kingdom in mind. Yes, we should expect the future consummation of his kingdom on earth. Revelation 20 tells us that this kingdom will endure for a thousand years before Satan is released one last time and finally crushed. After that, his righteous rule will continue forever without interruption. While the Lord works out the details for this future kingdom, he is busy fleshing out his spiritual kingdom in the world right now. We all have a part to play in that work. God's kingdom in the world advances as the church continues to fulfill its mission of glorifying God by spreading the gospel and building up believers in their faith.
As we consider this prayer, I cannot think of a more relevant request for 2020. We live in an earthly kingdom governed by sinful people. No matter what party they represent, they promise peace and prosperity in our time. They promise to take care of the citizens and deliberate peace throughout the world. No political administration has ever successfully done this. They have achieved minor victories, but no one has solved the political and military conflicts around the world. This year, we saw in real time the inadequacy of our politicians and scientists in facing the greatest medical crisis of our time. Some of our leaders saved countless lives through their policies and recommendations. But in the final analysis, none of these people could say they had the COVID situation fully under control.
In the future kingdom of God, there will be no sickness (including COVID). There will be no plunge in the stock market, no unemployment problems, and no strife between political parties. Jesus will reign over a world of peace and righteousness. Justice will be administered perfectly. We look forward to this kingdom. For NT Christians, that means praying for his soon return. But it also means that we must continue the work that Jesus has given us to do right now.
We have a high calling from our Lord (1 Thess 2:12). We fulfill that calling by obeying his commands to raise godly families, serve in our local church, and accomplish the Great Commission. In light of this, consider how you talk to God about his future plans. Do you acknowledge the dire state of our present social, cultural, and political climate? Do you see the kingdom of God as the only solution to these problems? Are you expecting and preparing for his return? How are you involved in furthering his kingdom today? Obeying Jesus is the surest way to demonstrate that you take this prayer request seriously.
On the coat tails of praying for the kingdom to come is the next request that God's will would be done on earth as it is in heaven. This prayer has echoes of the previous two in it. For God's will to be done, people have to understand and relate to him as his name suggests. For his will to be done, we need to anticipate the arrival of his kingdom, an event that will be the consummation of his will on earth.
If you think carefully about this prayer, it is a difficult one to pray. In heaven right now, God's will is done perfectly, and it has always been that way (Ps 103:20). On earth, this is not the case. Sinful people cooperate with Satan to let sin run rampant through our world. What would it look like for God's will to be accomplished on earth? Certainly, this means that people would act and treat each other according to his desires as prescribed in his Word. It requires active obedience to his will, not just for other people, but for us too. It also includes the future hope that God is going to establish his righteous reign on earth so that his good and perfect will is always done.
Throughout the opening of this prayer, Jesus carries us between the present and the future. We hope with expectation for the future to come when everyone will honor his name, submit to his reign, and perform his will. Until then, we have a part to play in bringing those things about right now on earth. But it starts with you. It starts with a personal, humble submission to the will of God for your life. You cannot expect to ask for these requests with any sincerity if you have not committed yourself to living this way.
A popular psychologist has made this observation. He noted all the people in the world today who want change to happen. They join protests and marches of all kinds, expecting the world will somehow change because of their actions. He suggested that these same people should pause and do one thing first: clean their room. His point is simple, but profound. The same people who want change are themselves troubled people. We are so quick to notice the obvious changes that need to happen in our families, our jobs, our churches, and our government. But we forget we have a dirty room at home. We forget we have a messy house that prevents us from seeing the world as it is.
The same principle applies in your prayer life. Before you pray for the world to be changed, consider the change that must occur in your own heart. Before you pray for your neighbor who needs Christ, consider how you need his power and influence in your life today. Before you pray for your church to be more loving and hospitable, consider how you can show more love to people in your church family. In short, our consideration in prayer must be this: how do we talk to God about his present plans? Are you aware of how his will needs to be accomplished in your personal life, family, workplace, and church? Are you committed to doing God's will in your life first?
Remember that praying this way draws us closer to the Father's heart. He wants his children to come to him in full confidence that we belong with him at his throne. He wants to hear our requests, but not just as a grocery list. He wants our prayers to reflect our understanding of what he is trying to do in the world. He aims to bring glory to his name, to further the work of his kingdom, and to accomplish his will. All of that will happen in the future when his kingdom is fully realized on earth. Until then, we should pray for it. Until then, we should live in full submission to these same purposes. Our prayers serve as God's arms and legs in the world right now for these important things to get done. Will you join the Lord in prayer for these purposes to be fulfilled on earth as they are in heaven?
