Deepening Our Relationship Through the Lord's Prayer

 

Summary

In today's gathering, we explored the profound depth and significance of the Lord's Prayer, a prayer that Jesus taught his disciples as a model for how we should communicate with God. This prayer is not merely a set of words to be recited but a framework that guides us into a deeper relationship with our Heavenly Father. We began by acknowledging the revolutionary nature of addressing God as "Our Father," which signifies not only a personal relationship but also the humility and sacrifice of Jesus, who became our brother by sharing the same Father. This opening line invites us into a familial relationship with God, emphasizing the unity and shared identity we have as children of God.

We delved into the importance of aligning our will with God's, as expressed in "Thy kingdom come, thy will be done." This is not a prayer of resignation but a call to actively participate in God's redemptive work in the world. It challenges us to prioritize God's agenda over our own desires, fostering a spirit of humility and service.

The prayer also teaches us to bring our needs before God with "Give us this day our daily bread," reminding us of our dependence on God's provision and the importance of specific, heartfelt prayer. It encourages us to look beyond ourselves and pray for the needs of others, fostering a community of care and support.

Forgiveness is another crucial element, as we ask God to "forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors." This part of the prayer challenges us to let go of grudges and embrace the grace that God offers, recognizing that our ability to receive forgiveness is linked to our willingness to forgive others.

Finally, we explored the plea for deliverance from temptation and evil, acknowledging the reality of spiritual warfare and the need for God's protection and guidance. This prayer concludes with a powerful reminder of God's sovereignty and glory, calling us to trust in His ultimate authority and power.

Key Takeaways:

1. Our Father, Our Brother: Addressing God as "Our Father" signifies a profound relationship that includes Jesus as our brother. This familial bond invites us into a shared identity as children of God, emphasizing unity and humility. It challenges us to reflect on the depth of our relationship with God and with each other. [43:03]

2. Aligning with God's Will: "Thy kingdom come, thy will be done" is a call to prioritize God's agenda over our own. It invites us to participate in God's redemptive work, fostering humility and service. This prayer challenges us to see the world through God's eyes and align our desires with His purposes. [46:17]

3. Dependence and Provision: "Give us this day our daily bread" reminds us of our dependence on God's provision. It encourages specific, heartfelt prayer and an outward focus on the needs of others. This part of the prayer teaches us to trust in God's timing and provision, laying aside anxiety and worry. [49:17]

4. The Power of Forgiveness: Asking for forgiveness as we forgive others challenges us to let go of grudges and embrace grace. It highlights the importance of forgiveness in our relationship with God and others, reminding us that our ability to receive forgiveness is linked to our willingness to forgive. [52:30]

5. Deliverance from Evil: The plea for deliverance acknowledges the reality of spiritual warfare and the need for God's protection. It calls us to keep God as the supreme authority in our lives, trusting in His power and sovereignty to overcome temptation and evil. [56:14]

Youtube Chapters:

- [00:00] - Welcome
- [20:56] - Announcements and Prayer
- [23:03] - Second Harvest Update
- [26:00] - Personal Reflections
- [27:38] - Prayer First Posture Series
- [31:26] - Importance of Prayer
- [33:00] - Jesus' Prayer Life
- [34:51] - Teach Us to Pray
- [35:57] - Jesus' Instructions on Prayer
- [36:34] - The Lord's Prayer
- [38:28] - Framework for Prayer
- [40:02] - Our Father, Our Brother
- [41:26] - Humility and Sacrifice
- [43:03] - Unity in Prayer
- [45:18] - Worship and Protection
- [46:17] - Aligning with God's Will
- [49:17] - Dependence and Provision
- [52:30] - The Power of Forgiveness
- [56:14] - Deliverance from Evil
- [58:22] - God's Sovereignty and Glory
- [01:02:59] - Silence and Reflection
- [01:07:00] - Closing Remarks

Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide: The Lord's Prayer

Bible Reading:
- Matthew 6:5-13

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Observation Questions:

1. What does Jesus emphasize about the manner in which we should pray in Matthew 6:5-6? How does this contrast with the behavior of the hypocrites? [35:57]

2. In the sermon, it was mentioned that the opening of the Lord's Prayer, "Our Father," is revolutionary. What are the implications of using "Our" instead of "My" when addressing God? [40:02]

3. How does the phrase "Thy kingdom come, thy will be done" challenge our personal desires and priorities according to the sermon? [46:17]

4. What is the significance of asking for "daily bread" in the context of dependence on God, as discussed in the sermon? [49:17]

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Interpretation Questions:

1. How does addressing God as "Our Father" shape our understanding of our relationship with Him and with each other as believers? [43:03]

2. What does it mean to align our will with God's will, and how can this be reflected in our daily lives? [46:17]

3. In what ways does the request for forgiveness in the Lord's Prayer highlight the importance of forgiving others? How does this affect our relationship with God? [52:30]

4. How does the plea for deliverance from evil in the Lord's Prayer acknowledge the reality of spiritual warfare, and what does it teach us about God's role in our protection? [56:14]

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Application Questions:

1. Reflect on your personal prayer life. How often do you begin your prayers by acknowledging God as "Our Father"? How might this change your perspective on prayer? [40:02]

2. Consider a situation where your desires conflict with what you believe to be God's will. How can you actively seek to align your will with God's in this situation? [46:17]

3. Think of a time when you struggled to forgive someone. How did this affect your relationship with God? What steps can you take to embrace forgiveness more fully? [52:30]

4. Identify an area in your life where you feel anxious about provision. How can you practice trusting God for your "daily bread" in this area? [49:17]

5. Reflect on a recent temptation you faced. How did you respond, and what role did prayer play in your response? How can you strengthen your reliance on God for deliverance from temptation? [56:14]

6. How can you incorporate the practice of silence and listening into your prayer life to better hear what God is saying to you? [01:02:59]

7. In what ways can you foster a community of care and support by praying for the needs of others? How can this practice transform your small group? [49:17]

Devotional

Day 1: Our Father, Our Brother
The Lord's Prayer begins with the revolutionary address to God as "Our Father," which signifies a profound relationship that includes Jesus as our brother. This familial bond invites believers into a shared identity as children of God, emphasizing unity and humility. It challenges individuals to reflect on the depth of their relationship with God and with each other. By calling God "Our Father," we are reminded of the humility and sacrifice of Jesus, who became our brother by sharing the same Father. This opening line invites us into a familial relationship with God, emphasizing the unity and shared identity we have as children of God. [43:03]

"For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, 'Abba! Father!'" (Romans 8:15, ESV)

Reflection: How does viewing God as "Our Father" change the way you approach Him in prayer and in your daily life?


Day 2: Aligning with God's Will
"Thy kingdom come, thy will be done" is a call to prioritize God's agenda over our own. It invites believers to participate in God's redemptive work, fostering humility and service. This prayer challenges individuals to see the world through God's eyes and align their desires with His purposes. It is not a prayer of resignation but a call to actively participate in God's work in the world. By aligning our will with God's, we are challenged to prioritize His agenda over our own desires, fostering a spirit of humility and service. [46:17]

"And he said to them, 'The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.'" (Luke 10:2, ESV)

Reflection: What is one area of your life where you find yourself holding back from surrendering to God's will? What would surrendering this area to Him actually look like in terms of daily habits?


Day 3: Dependence and Provision
"Give us this day our daily bread" reminds believers of their dependence on God's provision. It encourages specific, heartfelt prayer and an outward focus on the needs of others. This part of the prayer teaches individuals to trust in God's timing and provision, laying aside anxiety and worry. By bringing our needs before God, we are reminded of our dependence on His provision and the importance of specific, heartfelt prayer. It encourages us to look beyond ourselves and pray for the needs of others, fostering a community of care and support. [49:17]

"Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all." (Matthew 6:31-32, ESV)

Reflection: What is one specific need you have today that you can bring before God in prayer, trusting in His provision?


Day 4: The Power of Forgiveness
Asking for forgiveness as we forgive others challenges believers to let go of grudges and embrace grace. It highlights the importance of forgiveness in our relationship with God and others, reminding us that our ability to receive forgiveness is linked to our willingness to forgive. This part of the prayer challenges individuals to let go of grudges and embrace the grace that God offers, recognizing that our ability to receive forgiveness is linked to our willingness to forgive others. [52:30]

"Bear with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive." (Colossians 3:13, ESV)

Reflection: Think of someone in your life you need to forgive. Can you ask God to help you begin to extend His love and forgiveness to them today?


Day 5: Deliverance from Evil
The plea for deliverance acknowledges the reality of spiritual warfare and the need for God's protection. It calls believers to keep God as the supreme authority in their lives, trusting in His power and sovereignty to overcome temptation and evil. By asking for deliverance from temptation and evil, we acknowledge the reality of spiritual warfare and the need for God's protection and guidance. This prayer concludes with a powerful reminder of God's sovereignty and glory, calling us to trust in His ultimate authority and power. [56:14]

"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil." (Ephesians 6:10-11, ESV)

Reflection: What is one temptation or struggle you are facing today? How can you actively seek God's protection and guidance in overcoming it?

Quotes

"Jesus' opening certainly does that, right? Focuses directly on who we are talking to, our Father, which art in heaven. Here's the thing, pronouns matter, okay? Did you catch the pronoun Jesus uses here? Our. This is significant. But often gets overlooked. Not only is this pointing directly to the father-child relationship that God desperately desires to have with us." [00:41:05] (33 seconds)


"Yes, the opening of this prayer points to God's desire to have a relationship with us. But it also points to the humility and sacrifice of Jesus, son and only son, so we can be his brothers and sisters because we become children of God. I mean, wow. Okay, we're only six words in. I should have given myself a few weeks for this instead of just a single Sunday." [00:44:11] (35 seconds)


"Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, as earth as it is in heaven. Some view these sentences as a prayer of resignation. Thy will be done. what I'm hoping or desiring or wanting doesn't really matter. So, thy will be done. That isn't what's happening here. First, this is a way to put the Father's agenda before our own. Again, humility. We must decrease. He must increase." [00:45:59] (44 seconds)


"Using this as a framework protects us from the trap of consistently praying a constant stream of request after request after request. Again, this points towards dependency upon God and expectancy for what he will do. These sentences are not some resignation to whatever God's will is. These sentences are a prayer for the redemption of the created world and the continuation and the beginning with the work of Jesus." [00:47:03] (39 seconds)


"Give us this day our daily bread. If we're honest, this is where most of our prayers start. Here's where we bring our requests to God and our Father. Often we skip the earlier elements. We skip addressing him. We skip worshiping him. We skip seeking what he desires us to do and what our role is for whatever is laying in front of us." [00:49:03] (33 seconds)


"These words point us toward specific prayer. Give us... Give us this day, our daily bread. Point us toward specific prayer for ourselves, but not only for ourselves. Again, the pronoun here is our. And that's important. We need to look outward towards those who are hurting, those who are hungry, those who are living in fear, those who don't know Jesus yet." [00:51:09] (37 seconds)


"And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. Can we please skip this part? I mean, let's face it. We live in a culture that, for the most part, we don't know God. For the most part, has tossed forgiveness to the side with words like tolerance within society and within the culture or words like forbearance in the church." [00:52:30] (30 seconds)


"That's the example we are given by Jesus. That's the example Jesus decided and chose to give to us. The father running. While we sit here in our lives and we wait. Those who have wronged us to finally come around. We harbor grudges, resentment, They need to come to us. I was right, they are wrong. In doing so, we are blocking our ability to receive God's grace." [00:54:26] (45 seconds)


"deliver us from evil. These phrases, they can sometimes lead to confusion and questions. Is Jesus insinuating or implying that God leads us into temptation? No, he is not. As Chris Hodges writes in his book, we get there just fine on our own. Many scholars argue that a more accurate translation of this would be, do not allow us to be led into temptation." [00:55:29] (33 seconds)


"This portion of the Lord's Prayer, it acknowledges spiritual warfare. It acknowledges the existence of evil. It acknowledges God's power, and sovereignty, and ultimate victory over it. And we begin to allow other things to climb that hierarchy. Or we begin worshiping them, prioritizing them over God. We give them authority in our life." [00:57:03] (44 seconds)


"This is a cry for God to remain the supreme authority in our life. We would be vigilant. victorious in the face of temptation and be delivered from evil. There's all sorts of more connotation in that portion. And if you want a good book, I've got an awesome one if you want to dig deeper. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen." [00:58:06] (36 seconds)


"And Jesus is calling us here to not look to any earthly leader, but to acknowledge that the kingdom of heaven, and this earth, are God's. And all power, all glory, all authority are his. Forever, amen. That's what we're being called to here. Our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Acknowledge and worship who God is." [00:59:10] (61 seconds)


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Transcript
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