Some issues relevant for today

Who am I?
What do I need?
Whom do I want to be?
To whom do I want to relate?
How can I know about the above?
How does the Christian faith help me deal
with these issues?
The issue about prayer
Is it right to pray?

Is it right to pray right?

Which one is more right?

THE LORD’S PRAYER

THE ANSWER TO THE

HUMANITY
 THE LORD’S PRAYER
In the wider context of Jesus’ genealogy and
Sermon on the Mount (Mt 1-7):
1. Birth of Jesus and the fruit-bearing life (Mt
1-4; 7:15-23)
2. Distinctive role of Jesus (Mt 1:20-21)
3. Image and likeness of God (Mt 5:48)
 THE LORD’S PRAYER
In the context of Sermon on the Mount (Mt
5:1-7:29)
5:1-16 The Beatitudes
5:17-48 Our relationship to neighbour
6:1-18 Our relationship to God (the climax)
6:19-23 Our relationship to ourselves
 THE LORD’S PRAYER
6:1-4 Alms-giving
6:5-15 Prayer
6:16-18 Fasting
 THE LORD’S PRAYER
6:5-6 Wrong perspective of the Jews of God
=> hypocrisy
=> lack of reverence and respect
Jesus’ alternative: private / intimate

6:7-8 Wrong perspective of the Gentiles of God

=> babbling
=> lack of trust in God
Jesus’ alternative: what we need is the Lord’s prayer
 THE LORD’S PRAYER
“Do not be like them, for your Father knows
what you need before you ask him.” (6:8)

Jesus teaches us:

 Be DIFFERENT;
 Trust that HE KNOWS better than we do;
 Live a third way of life: the LORD’S PRAYER
is what we need.
 THE LORD’S PRAYER
Is about:
 What I need
 Who I am
 How I can live a fruit-bearing life
THE LORD’S PRAYER
WHAT DOES
THE LORD’S PRAYER
MEAN TO YOU
TODAY?
 THE LORD’S PRAYER
Our Father in heaven,

Hallowed be your name,

Your kingdom come,

Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us today our daily bread.

Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.

And lead us not into temptation,

But deliver us from the evil one.

For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
 THE LORD’S PRAYER
Our Father in heaven,

“Our” = communal
“Father” = sonship
“in heaven” = transcendent; foreseeing
 THE LORD’S PRAYER
Hallowed be your name,

“hallowed” = glorified

May Your name be glorified within us and

through us
 THE LORD’S PRAYER
Your kingdom come,

“We are not talking about one sector of human

affairs, one aspect of human life, one strand out of
the whole fabric of world history, we are talking
about the reign and about the sovereignty of God
over all that is, and therefore we are talking about
the origin, meaning, and end of the universe and
of all man’s history of the Universe.”
Leslie Newbigin, The Open Secret, 1979, p32.
 THE LORD’S PRAYER
Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

“For my Father’s will is that everyone who

looks to the Son and believes in him shall
have eternal life, and I will raise him up at
the last day.” John 6:40
 THE LORD’S PRAYER
Give us today our daily bread.

“Our daily bread”

‘Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me

will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never
be thirsty.”’ John 6:35

“Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life,

and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is real
food and my blood is real drink. Whoever eats my flesh and
drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him.” John 6:54
 THE LORD’S PRAYER
“Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true
God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.” John 17:3

“For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his
whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name.
I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with
power through his Spirit in your inner being,
so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray
that you, being rooted and established in love, may have
power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and
long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know
this love that surpasses knowledge – that you may be filled
to the measure of all the fullness of God.” Ephesians 3:14-19
 THE LORD’S PRAYER
Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.

“Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone

happy? Let him sing songs of praise. Is any one of you
sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over
him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And
the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well;
the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be
forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and
pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer
of a righteous man is powerful and effective.” James 5:13-
16
 THE LORD’S PRAYER
And lead us not into temptation,

“Watch and pray so that you will not fall into

temptation.”
Matthew 26:41; Mark 14:38
Luke 11:4; 22:40; 22:46

“The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear

minded and self-controlled so that you can pray.
Above all, love each other deeply, because love
covers over a multitude of sins.” 1 Peter 4:7-8
 THE LORD’S PRAYER
But deliver us from the evil one.

“On him we have set our hope that he will continue to

deliver us,
as you help us by your prayers.
Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious
favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many.” 2
Corinthians 1:10-11
 THE LORD’S PRAYER
For yours is the kingdom and the power and
the glory forever. Amen.

“glory” = “Hallowed be your name”

“kingdom” = “Your kingdom come”
“power” = “Your will be done”
(the authority to give eternal life
and the power to raise one up)
 THE LORD’S PRAYER
What I need is to live the LORD’S PRAYER.

I am one of the children of the heavenly Father, a

prince/princess of the sovereign King, and one of
the members in the world.

To live a fruit-bearing life is to choose every day to

know Jesus and his love, to forgive one another,
to be clear-minded and self-controlled, and to
have hope in Him and in prayers.
 THE LORD’S PRAYER
In short:
1. Be different;
2. Start praying for His glory, kingdom, and
will within us and through us;
3. Then pray for our knowledge of His love,
act to forgive people, choose to be clear-
minded and self-controlled, and hope in
Him.
 THE LORD’S PRAYER
Points to ponder:
 “Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His
righteousness, and all these things shall be added
unto you.” (Mt 6:33)
 The significance of Holy Communion: a deep
knowledge of Jesus and His love.
 The practice of confession and forgiveness in the
church and in the world.
 New understanding of the Lord’s prayer in the life
of disciples (James, Peter, and John) and apostle
(Paul).
 THE LORD’S PRAYER
for _________ from _________
Heavenly Father,
I pray that he/she will be different.
I pray that Your glory, kingdom, and will be
within him/her and through him/her.
I also pray that he/she will every day know
Your love, forgive people, be clear-minded
and self-controlled, and have hope in You.
Amen.