Tag: Our Father

Andrew Murray’s study on the model prayer Jesus gave us covers the basic points we need to remember while reciting it. (Matthew 6:9).

First is the wonderful revelation that the Son came to earth to make: His Father is also our Father. The knowledge of God’s father-love is the highest lesson, calling for a personal relationship to the living God. And, in true worship, the Father must be all – only as we yield ourselves to be led of Him will the Father be hallowed in our lives.

Remember: the heir of the King has no higher ambition than the glory of his father’s kingdom. So the coming of the kingdom is the one great event on which the revelation of the Father’s glory and salvation of the world both depend. So the Master teaches us to pray for it.

The Master then teaches us to ask that God’s Will be done in the spirit of adoring submission and ready obedience. Faith accepts the Father’s love; obedience accepts the Father’s Will. Consecration to God and His Will gives wonderful liberty in prayer for temporal things; the whole earthly life is given into His loving care.

As bread is the first need of the body, so forgiveness is the first need for the soul. In each prayer I make, I must be able to say “I know of no one whom I do not heartily love.” [Not easily said for this author, much less for me to actually do…] In three petitions all our personal needs are comprehended. Prayer for bread and pardon must be accompanied by surrender to live in holy obedience to the Father’s Will. The believing prayer in everything is to be kept by the power of the indwelling Spirit from the power of the evil one.

Therefore, let His Name and Kingdom and Will have first place in our love to Him. Then His providing and pardoning and keeping love will be our sure portion. Such prayer will indeed be an interchange of love, always bringing us back in trust and worship to Him who is not only the Beginning but also the End.

Andrew Murray’s first lesson for us on prayer is that Jesus directs us to speak to “Our Father”.

The chief thing Jesus teaches is the “Fatherliness” of God. Three times He uses the name Father. Jesus directs us to meet our Father as the first and primary thing in prayer. Thus each thought or petition we breathe out will be simple, heartfelt, childlike trust in the Father.

As a father pities his child, so the Lord pities us. Do not be thinking of how little you have to bring to God, but of how much He wants to give you. The Father’s exceptional loving heart will give light and warmth to you. Depend upon it. Not on strong or fervent feeling of prayer does the blessings depend, but upon the love and power of the Father to whom we entrust our needs.

“My Father knows I need it and must have it. And if there be any delay in the answer, it will teach me in quiet perseverance to simply hold on.” Sometimes we just need to be still and remind ourselves: “My Father sees, my Father hears, my Father knows.”

Our highest joy is to know the Father rewards our faith; it’s our highest strength day by day. Knowing the Father sees my needs gives me liberty to bring every need to Him in the assurance that He supplies according to His riches.

The model or form of all prayer, the inspiration for all praying, was given by Jesus to His disciples. If it can be taught, it is a skill that can be learned.

Whenever you pray, say: Father, Your name be honored as holy. Your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins, for we ourselves also forgive everyone in debt to us. And do not bring us into temptation (Luke 11:2-4).

What a treasure our Lord Jesus gave us when His disciples asked Him to teach them to pray. Once you learn to pray there is nothing, absolutely nothing, sweater than knowing you have touched the hem of His garment in prayer. It’s healing! It’s renewing! It brings a quietness and a confidence that flows over your soul like the balm of Gilead. (Kay Arthur)

Thanks to Jesus, every single principle of prayer can be condensed into several simple sentences so we can remember them easily. The Lord’s Prayer is a collection of index sentences covering every element of prayer. When you follow principle by principle, you find yourself covering every possible aspect of prayer. Every requirement for prayer, every element of worship and praise, every perspective of intercession and petition is covered in this prayer model. It is the true pattern for all praying.

Our Father in heaven [Worship]. Your name is holy [Allegiance]. Your kingdom come [Submission]. Your will be done here as there [Petition and Intercession]. Give us today our daily bread [Stating Need]. Forgive us our sins and teach us to forgive also [Confession]. Lead us away from temptation [Deliverance]. Deliver us from the evil one [Protection]. Yours is the glory and honor and power and might both now and forever {Thanksgiving and Praise].

Do not be anxious about being clever or eloquent. By now you know there is nothing eloquent about my writing or my speech, yet God uses it. So relax. Let God give you insight. Then practice what you learn in prayer.

Keep your prayer simple, short, and to the point. God doesn’t hear better just because we pray longer.

I found a paraphrase of the “Our Father” given by St. Francis of Assisi.

Our Father — most holy, Creator and Redeemer, Savior and Comforter.

Who art in heaven — in the angels and saints; You give them light so they may have knowledge; You, O Lord of Light, inflame them so they may live; You, O Lord of Love, live continuously in them and fill them so they may be happy; You, O Lord, are the supreme good, the eternal good, and it is from You that all good comes, and without You no good is.

Hallowed be Thy name — may our knowledge of You become ever clearer, so we realize the extent of Your benefits, the steadfastness of Your promises, the sublimity of Your majesty, and the depths of Your judgments.

Your Kingdom come — so You may reign in us by Your grace and bring us to Your kingdom where we shall see You clearly, love You perfectly, be blessed in Your company, and enjoy You forever.

Your Will be done on earth as it is in heaven — so we may love You with our whole heart by always thinking of You; with our whole mind by directing our whole intention toward You and seeking Your glory in all things; and with all our strength by spending all our powers and affections of soul and body in the service of Your love alone; and may we love our neighbors as ourselves, encouraging them to love You as best we can; rejoicing at their good fortunes as if it were our own; and sympathizing with their misfortunes, while giving offense to no one.

Give us this day our daily bread — that is, Your own beloved Son, our Lord Jesus, to remind us of the love He showed for us and to help us understand and appreciate it and everything He did or said or suffered.

And forgive us our debts — in Your infinite mercy, and by the power of the passion of Your Son, together with the merits and the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary and all Your saints.

As we forgive those who have debts against us — and if we do not forgive perfectly, Lord, make us forgive perfectly, so we may indeed love our enemies for love of You, and pray fervently to You for them, returning no one evil for evil, anxious to serve everybody in You.

And lead us not into trials and temptations — hidden or obvious, sudden or unforeseen; deliver us from all evils, past, present, and to come.

Amen — So be it.