LORD'S PRAYER REVISITED - NYOBS 49.02

LORD’S PRAYER REVISITED

Although Jesus did not pray this prayer, the prayer is only possible on the basis of His Merits.

First Word

The Lord’s Prayer stands on it’s on and needs no further interpretation, however just out of  my own interest, I wanted to unpack it.  – Jesus speaks succinctly to the Disciples, avoiding the many word and gets right to the point with conciseness and brevity of speech.

A little Background

·         Jesus was teaching the disciples to petition a PERSONAL loving Heavenly Father; the Greek word for father in Aramaic is “ABBA” meaning “daddy”, a name a child would use as she climbed up into her daddy’s lap. – This request to “teach us to pray” was probably in response to John the Baptist as he also taught his followers to pray. – There is no indication that Jesus ever felt the need to ask for forgiveness for Himself.

·         There is no evidence that Jesus prayed this prayer, but was actually summarizing and teaching what to pray; an “attitude” toward God; a form or model of a prayer to a personal God; for them to formulate their own personal prayers as if talking to their earthly daddy.

·         Jesus wants us to call upon God and approach Him in the confidence, closeness and warmth as you would your own Father. – The prayer is also known as “The Disciples Prayer”.

·         The only people who might rightly use the name “Father” is the children of God; Christians.

·         This prayer in no way embodies all of the teaching of Jesus on prayer, nor it is not meant to be recited meaninglessly, but should be recited as an act of public worship.

·         It is not an attempt to change the will of God, but is more to conform our will to HIS.

·         You will notice it is void of “empty phrases” and the “many words” and gets right to the point; the reason is because the Father already knows what we need before we ask Him.

·         Two forms of the Lord’s Prayer are recorded in the New Testament which needs to be addressed. – The Lord’s Prayer was repeated by Jesus on any number of occasions with slightly different verbiage; so the argument against the authenticity of the different passages is totally without merit.

1.     The shorter version is found in Luke, when a Disciple asked Jesus to “teach us to pray”.

2.     The longer version is found in Matthew where Jesus is speaking on the Mount of Olives. This is the version that is most commonly used.

·         A Confession or invocation opens the prayer acknowledging who God is. – You will notice throughout the prayer the absence of the word “I” and the inclusion of We, Us and Our. 

·         There are Seven Petitions; the first three addresses God; the other four address human concerns and needs; and to that is usually added a Doxology. – I think it is noteworthy to mention that in the scriptures the number seven is symbolic of completeness.  – I must also note that the division of the Seven Petitions is not given to us; so there are variations on how they are divided up, however that does not change the spirit of the petitions in anyway.

·         A Doxology ends the prayer; it’s typically an “Expression of Praise” sung to the Holy Trinity. I must go on to say that there are derivations of this Doxology, but they are still all a short declaration of Faith and Praise to God.– You have heard Doxologies sung in Church forever; “Praise God, from whom all blessings flow; Praise him, all creatures here below; Praise him above, ye heavenly host; Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.”

Matthew 6:15 - Doxology

15 For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.

Luke 5:33 – John the Baptist’s disciples prayed regularly
³³ One day some people said to Jesus, “John the Baptist’s disciples fast and pray regularly, and so do the disciples of the Pharisees. Why are your disciples always eating and drinking?” (NLT)

Setting the stage

·         We are NOT to PRAY to the disciples, the saints, angels or any person living or dead, but to God only. - As Christians we are reminded to NOT CALL any man on earth ”Father”, but only God our Father in Heaven. – As our Father; our daddy, we can approach Him with boldness.

·         In preparation for prayer we are instructed to speak succinctly, avoiding the many word and vain repetitions and get right to the point with conciseness and brevity of speech.

·         We should pray not only privately and for ourselves, but pray openly with others; praying for their needs.

·         I met a man who had written a book titled “Are you running with me Jesus”; I thought the title was a little sacrilegious, and told him so. -  He told me that throughout the day, no matter what he was doing, he was in a running conversation with Jesus Christ. – He was Praying without ceasing according to the scriptures.

·         In the book of Daniel we find Daniel’s prayer was heard immediately, but Satan fought the Angel for 21 days in order to stop his answer from getting to him … When we pray without ceasing, we become a part of the fight to receive the answer; what if Daniel had stopped praying? - God hears us before we begin to pray, and sends the answer before we finish.

Matt 6:5-8 – Jesus teaches us how to Pray

5 “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.

6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

7 when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them,

8 for your Father knows what you need before you ask him

Matthew 23:9 - Call no man on earth your father
⁹ And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. (ESV)

1 Thessalonians 5:16 - Pray without ceasing – giving thanks
¹⁶ Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

Isaiah 65:24 - God will hear us before we even begin to pray
²⁴ And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear. (KJV)

Daniel 10:12-13 – Satan fought 21 days to hinder the answer
¹² he said unto me, Fear not, Daniel; for from the first day that thou didst set thy heart to understand, and to humble thyself before thy God, thy words were heard: and I am come for thy words' sake.
¹³ But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days; but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me: and I remained there with the kings of Persia. (ASV)

PETITIONING THE UN-MOVED MOVER

The Confession - Invocation

·         Our Father who art in Heaven

·         I am addressing the Un-moved Mover who does not change. - He is Omnipresent, everywhere all at once; Heaven cannot contain Him.

·         I am acknowledging that He is not of this Creation, but is the Sovereign Creator ruling over every area of life in the entire cosmos with no limit with regard to time and space.  

·         I am clearing my mind of every worldly thing around me; approaching Him with the correct attitude of Holy reverence, and boldly confessing Him as my Father with confidence and purity of conscious; knowing He hears me.

Jer 23:24 – He Is Ever Present- Omnipresent

24 Can anyone hide in secret places so that I cannot see him?"

declares the LORD. NIV

Psalm 139:8 – In Heaven or Hell; God is there
⁸ If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there! (ESV)
Matthew 6:33 – Seek first the kingdom of God - Our needs next
³³  But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. (KJV)

First Petition

·         Hallowed be thy name

·         Did you see it? - Jesus just gave us the Perfect Name of God; HALLOWED.

·         We petition that His name not only be made Holy to us, but petition as well that His name will become Holy to others who are not yet called by His name.

·         His name is not to be trivialized as if it is a magical good luck omen or a tool to put others in their place. – The ultimate end to our petition should end with God being glorified.

·         The very life we live in our community lets the name of God be made Holy or it brings it to non-existence. – There is a song from my childhood; “Let other see Jesus in you”.

·         When we speak God’s name, it is serious, His name is the most frightening, yet most wonderful name that can be imagined. - All through the OT, the name of God was so reverenced by the Hebrews that they would use words like “heaven” to refer to God, but never ever utter His name.

·         In Hebrew; YHWH is God’s unpronounceable name, and for us to be even able to say it, we add the vowels to get the name YAHWEH – This name comes from the verb that means “to be”, “become”, or “come to pass”. – Moses asked God his name and He said; “I am that I am” or I will become whatever I want to become.

·         To defile or dishonor His name is to reject His Sovereignty.  - God will not hold the person guiltless who takes His name in vain. – SELAH; ponder that – God said it, not me -

Exodus 20:7 – Don’t use God’s name carelessly

⁷ You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.

(ESV)

Exodus 3:13-14 – I am that I am
¹³ What is his name? What shall I say unto them?
¹⁴ And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me (ASV)

Second Petition

·         Thy Kingdom come

·         This petition begins with placing God’s interest first; seeking the Kingdom of God, then our physical needs then moving to our spiritual needs of deliverance from evil.

·         Some Jewish liturgies alter the verse to read; “May your Holy Spirit DESCEND upon us and cleanse us” which certainly brings on a different personal flavor.

·          “Basukeua” is the Greek word which we get the English word “Kingdom”, however it has a double meaning; “Kingdom” – “Reign of Messiah”– “Dominion” – “Governing” – “A Royal Power”

1.     The Kingdom is a heavenly territory with the concept of a hierarchical dominion, with God at the top; next a court of saints; (that would be us), followed by archangels, then angels; then with the Messianic Kingdom extended to this present age here and now.

2.     The Kingship is a monarchy ruled by a king; so the kingdom to come is preceded by the return of the Messiah, the FINAL RULER who brings cleansing, renewal and restoration.

·         We are praying and petitioning for the glorious appearing of the “Son of Man”, the Messiah; coming during our lifetime with power to establish His Kingdom of perfection on the earth and to come alive in us.

·         We acknowledge that we play a role with our own actions in this Kingdom and that we are surrendering our will to His total interest and plan. – “Even so Lord; Come Quickly”

·         If we are not willing to do something about the kingdom ourselves, then we are just pretending; MAKE-BELIEVERS, reciting a prayer by rote.

Revelation 22:20 – Even so Lord Jesus; come quickly
²⁰ He which testified these things says, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. (KJV)

Third Petition

·         Thy WILL be done on earth as it is in Heaven

·         This phrase is missing from Luke’s reporting, but it must be remembered that Jesus taught this model prayer on many occasions to different audiences.

·         Our prayer is to have the baser earthly things to become more like the noble things of Heaven; that the pattern of God’s Will in Heaven be carried out perfectly on earth.

·         We ask that God’s Will be done not just in the world, but in our own life – This cannot happen unless we surrender our Will to His Will. – Jesus gave us the example when He prayed; Not my will, but Thine be done.

·         The petition for the Will of God includes our obedience. – This petition is that our Will be merged with His Will and our prayer becomes “Lord what will you have me to do?” – I want what YOU want. – I want to join You in making things on earth the way they are in Heaven.

·          Isaiah 6:8 - “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?”  I said, “Here I am! Send me”.

·         We are praying for the time when the power of darkness will be utterly destroyed; and every knee bow to the King of Kings; that God’s WILL may ultimately be fully accomplished.

Luke 11:2-3 – Missing scripture – “Thy WILL be done”
² And he said to them, “When you pray, say: “Father, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. ³ Give us each day our daily bread,

Romans 14:11 - Every knee shall bow,
¹¹ For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, to me every knee shall bow, And every tongue shall confess to God. (ASV)

Luke 22:42 – Not my will, but your WILL be done
⁴² Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done. (KJV)

GOD’S WILL - RABBIT TRAIL

·         Thy WILL be done on earth as it is in Heaven – Third Petition of the Lord’s Prayer.

·         Did you see it? – Jesus is petitioning that the Will of God happen on earth, that means that God’s will is NOT happening on earth or in Man.  This takes us to; if God is All Powerful, then why does His WILL not happen on earth and in Man.

·         Bill Maher (TV Host) – said “RELIGION is just THE ULTIMATE HUSTLE. – Why can’t God just defeat the Devil? – It’s the same reason a comic book character can’t defeat his nemesis – Then there’s no story – If God gets rid of the Devil, and he could because he’s all powerful, well there’s no fear; no reason to come to church.”

·         God is Omnipotent – He is ALL powerful; He can do whatever He wants to do EXCEPT break His promise. - If “Free Will” exist, it happens with the permission of God.

·         Bill Maher uses the word “Religion”, because he has NOT embraced the Bible. -  He does not have a clue to the integrity, qualities and attributes of God. – God does not change; he gave us Free Will and we still have it. - NYOBS 37.29 - FREE WILL

·         Scripture says that God created everything; so did God also create Evil?

·         In the beginning God created everything and IT WAS GOOD.

·         The first time we see Evil appear is in the person of an Angel named Lucifer also called Satan; the Devil. - In the first earth age, scripture says that Evil was FOUND in him and that is when Satan became the Father of Sin.  NYOBS 02.10 - SATAN; WHY IS HE

• Satan was created perfect and was beautiful to behold and was full of wisdom. He was created GOOD, but using his “FREE WILL” he desired to be as God and sit on His Throne. 
• This “iniquity” or sin that was FOUND in him was the direct result of God creating him with FREE WILL. - So in effect, God allowed Sin to come into existence because of the gift of Free Will which He gave to angels and men.
• God wanted His creations to fellowship with Him because that chose to do so of their own Free Will, otherwise He could have made robots that would just praise Him all day.

·         God as a truly omnipotent and good being; created Angels and Man with true freedom over Himself.  Furthermore, He did so voluntarily because "The Greatest Good” which can be done for man, is to allow him to be truly free; for God loves His creations. 

·         Free Will gives man the ability to do the GREATEST GOOD as well as the ability to do the GREATEST EVIL.

·         Free Will is the main factor for man's accountability for his actions throughout his life.  His actions will be counted on the Day of Judgment; each man stands as his own person and is responsible for his own decisions and choices in life. – Life is Choice Driven.

MAN’S WILL - RABBIT TRAIL

• When God created the world, there was only “One Will” in the whole universe.
• When Satan rebelled there became “Two Wills”; Satan’s and God’s.
• Satan sought to detach man from God; in order to attach man to himself and receive his will.
• Satan was successful in detaching man from God, but man had his “own will” and would not attach himself to Satan. – NYOBS 12.02 - NOW AND NOT YET – Jesus’ words in Red
• Now there are “Billions of Wills” in the world; that’s why God sent His Son to re-attach us.
• The war began against God; then against His greatest creation; “MAN”, who was created in God’s own image. - There is an Invisible War going on - and it’s over us. – Choose Life.

Ezek 28:12-15 – Satan created perfect – Given Free Will

12 Thus says the Lord GOD; You … full of wisdom, and PERFECT in beauty. - Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God

15 You were PERFECT in thy ways from the day that you were created, till iniquity was FOUND in thee. NIV

Ezekiel 28:15 – Evil was detected; found in Satan
¹⁵ From the day of your creation you were sheer perfection... and then imperfection—EVIL was detected in you. (MSG)

John 8:44 – Satan - The Father of lies

44 He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks of his own: for he is a liar, and THE FATHER of it. KJV

Rom 14:10-12 - Each will give an account of himself to God

10 Why do you judge your brother? Or why do you look down on your brother? For we will all stand before God's judgment seat.

11 It is written: "`As surely as I live,' says the Lord, `every knee will bow before me; every tongue will confess to God.'" 

12 So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God. NIV

2 Cor 5:10 – All Believers will appear Judgment Seat of Christ

10 For we must all appear before the JUDGMENT SEAT OF CHRIST, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad. NIV

Rev 20:11-13 – Un-believers appear before Great White Throne

11 Then I saw a GREAT WHITE THRONE and him who was seated on it.

12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books.

13 and each person was judged according to what he had done. NIV

PETITIONING THE NEEDS OF MAN

Fourth Petition

·         Give us this day our daily bread

·         This petition reflects on the needs of man rather than the glory of God. - Workers in the time of Jesus were hired day to day. - This prayer is seeking our daily needful ration of food for our existence – Not just bread to eat, but those things which are necessary this very day to sustain life. – This is not a selfish prayer, asking for dainties and superfluities, but an acknowledgement of our utter dependence upon Him for our basic needs.

·         Giving of food in no way diminishes our responsibility to Work for it. – Don’t work; don’t eat.

·         The word “US” reflects compassion and charity for others who are in common with us.

·         It also reflects forward to the future, to trust that God will provide what is necessary for our existence in the coming days. – It is for our needs, not our greed’s.

·         God gave the Israelites Manna bread each day to sustain them.  We need that same bread today, both physical bread and spiritual bread. – NYOBS 25.10 - MANNA

·         Man shall not live by bread alone; but he lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the GOD – NYOBS 12.35 – MAN’S WILL – GOD’S WILL

·         Taking it a step further; it is our longing and desire to participate in the Devine feast in the Kingdom of God in Heaven.

Ex 16:4 – God gave His people Daily Bread - Manna

4 Then the LORD said to Moses, "I will rain down bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day. NIV

Deut 8:3 – Man shall not live by bread alone

3 man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the LORD. NKJV

Luke 14:15 - Eat bread in the kingdom of God.
¹⁵ And when one of them that sat at meat with him heard these things, he said unto him, Blessed is he that shall eat bread in the kingdom of God. (ASV)

2 Thessalonians 3:10 - If you DON'T WORK, you DON'T EAT
¹⁰ Don't you remember the rule we had when we lived with you? "If you don't work, you don't eat." (MSG)

Fifth Petition

·         And forgive us our debts as we forgive our Debtors

·         Note: Jesus was addressing His Disciples. - This is NOT a prayer for the non-believer; but for Believers who need to confess their sins.

·         Some commentaries include “Forgive us our WRONGS as we forgive others who WRONG us.”  

·         The grounds for condemnation are not so much wrongdoing in the ordinary sense, but failure to do right, missing opportunities for showing love to others.  The smallest thing we do for others is doing it unto the Lord.

·         There is a debt of duty to our Creator that we cannot pay. – Our debt increases every day and His forgiveness abounds everyday as we acknowledge our total dependence on Him.

·         Consequently having received such a great pardon from Him; should we not also forgive others whose debts to us are so trivial compared to our debt to God.

·         Withholding forgiveness from someone is not only incongruous, but hypocritical when you consider how much God has already forgiven us. – An unforgiving spirit is SIN.

·         Forbear Forgive and Forget the affronts is the moral qualifications for Pardon and Peace.

·         We ourselves can never earn our forgiveness; we can only receive it through grace alone. – We must ask with a pure heart, free from all thoughts of hatred and revenge toward others. – We are to be kind to one another, tenderhearted; forgiving as God has forgiven us.

·         There is a Parable of a Wicked Servant who owed the KING (God) much money, but was forgiven all his debt because he begged for mercy. – Forgiven; the servant went out and threw another man in jail because he owed him a little money.  – The King (God) delivered the wicked servant to the tormentors until he paid the large debt that he owed.

·         God’s mercy is to be reciprocated through our own compassion - God will forgive us as we forgive others. – SELAH - ponder that -

Matthew 18:23-35 – Wicked Servant’s Debt
²³ Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants.
²⁴ And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents.
²⁵ But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made.
²⁶ The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.
²⁷ Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt.
²⁸ But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellow servants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest.
²⁹ And his fellow servant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.
³⁰ And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt.
³¹ So when his fellow servants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done.
³² Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because you asked me:
³³ Should you not also have had compassion on thy fellow servant, even as I had pity on thee?
³⁴ And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him.
³⁵ So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not everyone his brother their trespasses.

(KJV)

Matt 5:14-15 – Forgive so your father will forgive you

14 For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.

15 But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

Matthew 25:40 – Opportunity to do good is doing it to the Lord
⁴⁰ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’ (ESV)

Ephesians 4:32 – Forgive one another, as God has forgiven you ³² Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. (ESV)

Trespasses - Debts – Sins

·         In Greek the word Hamartias is translated Sins which means “Missing the Mark”.

·         When shooting an arrow and it misses the mark, it is called “SIN”. – We all have missed the mark and fall short of the glory of God.

·         In Aramaic the word Opheilemata is translated Debt.

·         In English the word trespasses was first found in the 1526Tyndale translation of the Bible and then in 1549 it appeared in English in the first “Book of Common Prayer”.

·         NOTE: I was brought up in the Baptist Church to recite “forgive us our TRESPASSES as we forgive those who TRESPASS against us. – Now we see in the book of Luke the word “SIN” is used instead of trespass and then in Matthew we see the words; “DEBTS and DEBTOR”.

·         To make it even worse; as a congregation we recited “Trespasses”, but in the choir we sang Debts and Debtors.

·         I always thought that Satan was messing with the Lord’s Prayer just to cause confusion in the body of Christ. – Even today when we come to this part, the congregation is a little softer in the reciting; unsure of which word to use, subconsciously thinking they forgot; thus breaking their concentration on the prayer.

·         Churches have both Debts and Trespasses which refers to the same thing; SIN.

Matthew 6:9-13 Forgive TRESPASSES – Old English Translation

9 Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.

10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

11 Give us this day our daily bread,

12 and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us,

13 and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever.

1928 Anglican Bible BCP

Matthew 6:9-13 - Forgive our DEBTS
⁹ After this manner therefore pray ye:

Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
¹⁰ Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
¹¹ Give us this day our daily bread.
¹² And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
¹³ And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil:

For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen. (KJV)

Luke 11:2-4 – Forgive our SINS – (No Doxology)
² And he said unto them, when ye pray, say,

Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.
³ Give us day by day our daily bread.
⁴ And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil. KJV)

Romans 3:23 – We have all Missed the Mark and fall short
²³ for all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God; (ASV)

Sixth Petition

·         And lead us not into temptation,

·         At first reading you would think that you are begging God to NOT lead you into temptation; like that is what He does… God is not the Tempter; Satan is the Tempter. – If we are tempted, it is because of our own desires.

·         A better translation of it is “Leave us not in temptations”

·         Some renderings of this read; “Do not bring us to the Test”. – Jesus was FIRST tested in the wilderness by Satan – We are praying; “Father, keep us from being tested by Satan”– We are petitioning that we not FALL into temptation through trials or testing. – We are confessing that God is in control of the circumstances of our lives.

·         If God puts us to the test, our prayer should NOT be that we not be tested, but that we not fail the test.

·         Testing can also bring about refinement, ascertaining the strength of character with the results of greater purity, self-confidence and growth in faith; but testing is uncomfortable.

·         Jesus had the FINAL test at a place called Gethsemane, when He prayed for what was about to come to pass; He said Not my will, but yours be done.

·         If we keep God’s Word, He will keep us from “The hour of Temptation” that is going to come on the world.

James 1:13-16 – No one is tempted by God
¹³ Let NO ONE say when he is tempted, "I am tempted by God"; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone.
¹⁴ But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed.
¹⁵ Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.
¹⁶ Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. (NKJV)

Matthew 4:2-3 – Satan is the Tempter
² And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungered.
³ And when the tempter (Satan) came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. (KJV)

Luke 22:39-40 - Pray that you do not enter into temptation
³⁹ And he came out, and went, as he was wont, to the Mount of Olives; and his disciples also followed him.
⁴⁰ And when he was at the place, he said unto them, Pray that ye enter not into temptation. (KJV)

Hebrews 3:8 – Keep my heart from being tested by Satan
⁸ do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, on the day of testing in the wilderness, (ESV)

Revelation 3:10 – God will keep us from the hour of temptation
¹⁰ Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth. (KJV)

Seventh Petition

·         But deliver us from evil.

·         We are praying for the day when our Lord will put an end to Evil and establish His Eternal Kingdom of righteous.

·         From the Greek; this seems to reflect on the greater Evil; Deliver us from THE EVIL ONE; Satan, the Devil. – Preserve us from being assaulted by Satanic EVIL of every kind.

·         In this life our nature is prone to be tempted and drawn to do evil – We need the filling of the Holy Spirit in order to re-direct our spirit in the paths of righteous.

·         We are asking God for protection as well as a COURSE CORRECTOR in our life.

John 17:15 – Keep them from THE EVIL
¹⁵ I pray not that you should take them out of the world, but that you should keep them from the evil (one) . (KJV)

2 Thessalonians 3:3 – God is faithful to keep us from evil
³ But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil. (KJV)

Mark 14:38 - Pray that you may not enter into temptation
³⁸ Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (ESV)

Matthew 26:42 – Not my will, but your will be done
⁴² He went away a second time and prayed, “My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done.” (NIV2011)

The Doxology

·         For thine is the Kingdom and the Power and the Glory forever. Amen.

·          This is praise for the unmerited privilege of knowing God as our Father and that with confidence we know that He hears our petitions.

·          This was probably not in the original, but is a common doxology often sung or spoken with praises to God. – It was presented both in unison and antiphonally. (The back and forth of alternating responses)

·         The Doxology of Praise – “For thine is the kingdom, and the Power, and the glory, forever, Amen.” was added to the King James Bible as they had copied it from old English translations believing it to be the “oldest”, but it seems to NOT be found in the older original manuscripts. -  I say this because you may see it omitted from your Bible. – Whether present or omitted, it does not change the seven petitions of Jesus Christ.

·         Amen  means; So let it be. – The trust and assurance that God can and will bring it to pass.

It’s not too late

• A wonderful thing about the Gospel is that the man who accepts Christ late in life; perhaps even on his death bed, gets in on the same reward of salvation as that of the man who served God from his youth - That’s the mercy and grace of God. – It’s His good pleasure. – But, find the “narrow road” early. -  For those that are “faithful”, there are blessings now as well as abundant blessings in the future.
• The Thief on the cross got in on salvation just before he died, but missed out on all the blessing he could have had all his life. – He missed out on helping others and making a difference in their lives; he missed out on sharing the Gospel with others, possibly saving their life. – He missed out on being a part of God’s plan on earth.
• Side Note: When we give money to ministries or help others, we are getting to “GET IN” and be a part of what God is doing.  SELAH
• The Holy Hound of Heaven will stay after His sheep (the Believer) that has wandered away and WILL bring him back.

Matt 20:1-15 – It’s never too late to accept Christ.

1 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard.

2 He agreed to pay them a denarius for the day and sent them into his vineyard.

3 “About nine in the morning he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing.

4 He told them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.’

5 So they went. “He went out again about noon and about three in the afternoon and did the same thing.

6 About five in the afternoon he went out and found still others standing around. He asked them, ‘Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?’

7 “‘Because no one has hired us,’ they answered. “He said to them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard.’

8 “When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last ones hired and going on to the first.’

9 “The workers who were hired about five in the afternoon came and each received a denarius.

10 So when those came who were hired first, they expected to receive more. But each one of them also received a denarius.

11 When they received it, they began to grumble against the landowner.

12 ‘These who were hired last worked only one hour,’ they said, ‘and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day.’

13 “But he answered one of them, ‘I am not being unfair to you, friend. Didn’t you agree to work for a denarius?

14 Take your pay and go. I want to give the one who was hired last the same as I gave you.

15 Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?’

NIV

Luke 23:42-43 – Criminal on the cross repented – not too late

42 he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom."

43 Jesus answered him, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise."

NIV

Matt 18:12-14 - It’s Jesus that comes to find you.

12 “What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off?

13 And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off.

14 In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish. NIV

IF YOU DO NOT KNOW HOW TO PRAY

Start with The Lord’s model Prayer and in time add your own needs to it.

As children we are taught; “Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep”…

Later we add; God bless mama and God bless daddy, etc.

We don’t need to pray a lot of words; just get to the point, God already knows our needs.

I will never forget it; as I was presiding over a very large dinner banquet,

I asked a well know evangelist and musician to “ask God to bless our meal” and he prayed,
 “God bless our meal, Amen”.

Ecclesiastes 5:2 – Let your words be few.
² Be not rash with your mouth, nor let your heart be hasty to utter a word before God, for God is in heaven and you are on earth. Therefore let your words be few. (ESV)

Matthew 6:8 – God knows what you need before you ask Him
⁸ Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. (NIV2011)

In the multitude of counselors,

there is wisdom.

Proverbs 11:14

I am grateful to those that went before me providing concepts, ideas, historical information, and scripture verses.  Because of them I can stand on their shoulders and see further that I otherwise ever could have.

                                                                                                                                     

Bible Commentary – F.B. Meyer

English Standard Version Bible – ESV

Expositor’s Bible Commentary; The – Frank E. Gaebelein

Harper’s Bible Dictionary – Harper & Row

Illustrated Bible Dictionary – Nelson’s

New International Dictionary of the Bible; The – Douglas – Tenney

Illustrated Bible Dictionary; The - Tyndale

Interlinear Greek-English New Testament – Baker

Invisible War; The – Donald Grey Barnhouse

Liberty Commentary on the New Testament – Falwell

Matthew Henry’s Commentary - Zondervan

Mysteries of the Bible – Readers Digest

Thru the Bible – J. Vernon McGee

Wikipedia

Wycliffe Bible Commentary; The – Pfeiffer - Harrison

Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible; The - Tenney