Word of Life

Wednesday, 25th, February 2009 Devotion

Prayer Series:

EFFECTIVE PRAYER – The Lord’s Prayer

In our previous devotion, we considered how Jesus jumps into the whole topic of prayer by showing us his concern for our needs, telling us that our Heavenly Father knows our needs even before we ask, even to the extent that He very often provides our needs before we ask. Knowing how to ask is the center and core of the Lord’s Prayer, as Jesus teaches us to pray.

We begin our study of the Lord’s Prayer by pondering Luke’s version first before jumping over to the more popular version in Matthew.  

LORD, TEACH US TO PRAY

In (Luke 11:1), the disciples of Jesus come to Him and demand, “Lord teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.” Hearing this request, Jesus replies with an outline on how to pray, which we commonly call, “The Lord’s Prayer.” However, Jesus never intended for us to mimic his words. But He fully intended us to learn from them. They are an example of how to pray, as well as what to pray. [Note: The Greek makes it clear that they were not just asking Jesus but rather they are demanding that He teach them. I know that this may well be hard for us to grasp, that these men had a very down to earth relationship to Jesus, a man to man kind of thing, so that it did not trouble them to make demands of Him and not just politely ask.]

Jesus’ disciples are asking Him to teach them about prayer. At first, this request seems a bit extraordinary. After all, these men grew up in Jewish households, where they were taught to pray from childhood. Why, therefore, did they make this demand? On one hand, they saw John the Baptist teaching his disciples how to pray. But, more than that, they saw Jesus praying with inconceivable results. The sick were healed, demons and evil spirits were cast out, the dead were raised the hungry were fed, the storm was calmed – all of this and more – as He proclaimed the Kingdom of God with power and authority. No one had ever seen anything like this before. He barely spoke but a word and things began to happen. Never before had they seen such prayer power. Now their spirits hungered just to have a glimmer into a realm that seemed just beyond their reach. So, we too, like the disciples, let’s hunger for the pure supernatural milk that we might declare the wonderful works of the Kingdom of God. As you enter into this adventure with Jesus, He will train you in how to pray with power and authority in the Lord’s Prayer. This prayer was conceived by Jesus to train his disciples in such a way that they too would have the same results. Mountain moving power lies at the very root and core of this prayer.

TRADITION – A WORD OF CAUTION

Bible translators have understood for years that certain passages of Scripture are more sacred in the minds of men than other portions. In reality this is not true. All Scripture is inspired of God. However, in their desire to sell Bibles, many times so-called “new” English versions never tamper with the 23rd Psalm or the Lord’s Prayer, or a few other common passages. Even though a new translation may be more accurate, they leave the older form in place, so that men’s minds are not offended. Nevertheless, footnotes are often added to show the correct translation, as you may see in your own Bible. A very familiar footnote is the phrase, “For thine is the Kingdom and the power and the glory for ever and ever. Amen.” Consequently, as we begin this study of the Lord’s Prayer, I pray that I will not offend or displease you. But rather it is my desire to enhance your understanding of this prayer, and to be very pleasing to our Heavenly Father. I am certain that you will also be challenged to expand your horizons as never before.

THE FORM

The form of the prayer can be seen from the structure of the verbs. At this point, you may be rolling your eyes and wondering if there can be any value in a discussion about verbs. You may have the feeling that such a study is at best boring. My hope is that you will not get bored but rather you will show you a deeper, more power filled awareness to your ability to pray with greater confidence. In other words, the prayer is not one of begging or pleading with the Lord to do something. Nor are we commanding God. But rather it is a form of command directed toward establishing a goal or a purpose, which gives glory to the Father. As we progress in this study, this concept will become increasingly clear and more carefully defined.

The intent of the prayer is to give you wisdom and insight to the power and authority which is contained in the spoken word. Its goal is to give you confidence in praying. Jesus tells us, as he begins the prayer, “Therefore, pray in this manner.” We are being encouraged to pray in a particular manner or style. The verb, to pray, has the fuller meaning of praying continually. With these two added insights, Jesus is really saying “Therefore, pray continually in this manner or style.” Because the verb is in the imperative form, we might even say that Jesus is commanding us to pray continually in this way.

As we continue, I urge you to simply consider some of the insights that are coming out of this. These insights are meant to enrich your understanding of the prayer. It is not my intent to change your style of praying or to intrude on your comfort zone. I still continue to pray the prayer as we learned it a few months ago in School of prayer. However, in recent days, I have begun to pray the prayer in the manner in which Jesus actually taught it to his disciples with a greater sense of power and confidence.  

THE CONTENT

The content of the prayer is governed by Jesus. He lists seven vital components, which are essential to our ability to pray any prayer successfully. Traditionally these seven elements have been referred to as “the seven petitions”. I will use (Matthew 6:9-13) as the main text.

Since each of these components in the Greek is in the realm of a command rather than a petition, I have labeled each element accordingly. In each of the following components, the traditional form of the prayer is listed first, followed by a suggested form based upon the imperative, command form of the Greek.

 THE PURPOSE

As you study the prayer, I believe that you will see that the purpose of the prayer is to bring forth the Kingdom of God. Jesus is showing us how to take those things which are above in Heaven and make them tangible realities in your life and in the life of the folks around you. Note also the briefness of the prayer. In four lines, Jesus is able to construct a prayer which takes into account every need known to men that it may be on earth as it is in Heaven. This, in and of itself, was a shock to the average Jew whose prayers very often went on for hours, such as you might see at the “Wailing Wall” in Jerusalem.  

And these are the 7 petitions:

a)       THE SALUTATION “Our Father who art in Heaven,”

Jesus must have shocked his disciples by speaking to God as his Father. This was totally unheard of in the Jewish community. To even speak directly to the Lord would not have been permitted. Calling Him Father was totally incomprehensible. At one point in the life of Jesus, the Jews wanted to kill Him because He dared to refer to God as his Father – thus making Jesus equal to God. In their mind He was guilty of blasphemy. He could have been stoned. This is an utterly amazing statement when you consider that God, who is the very Creator of the entire universe, has become the God whom you may address in a very familiar fashion as your Abba Father. This is absolutely astonishing. Your mind cannot even begin to grasp the incomprehensible nature of this concept to be able to cling in love to God as your Father. As we struggle to grasp this relationship, Jesus brings us to the first element of the prayer.

b)       THE FIRST COMMAND OR PETITION “Hallowed be thy name.”

Jesus reminds us that the name of God is to be hallowed or consecrated. We have a responsibility to demand respect for the name of God, to see to it that it is hallowed. Of course, we ultimately learn that the name of God is the name that is above every name; it is the name of Jesus. Because the Greek is in the third person of the imperative form of the verb, we might translate this petition as “Our Father in Heaven, let your name be hallowed and consecrated. [On earth as it is in Heaven.]“ However, there is a second possibility. We may also translate this component in a slightly stronger fashion, “Our Father in Heaven, we command your name to be hallowed and consecrated. [On earth as it is in Heaven!]” The traditional translation seems to fall somewhere between these two.

The first three petitions of the prayer are all in the third person of the imperative form of the verb, so that each of them is open to one possibility or the other. Since there is some latitude in what we might do, I have chosen to use the stronger translation, which would be in keeping with the last four petitions of the prayer. Every time I have this prayer, the Lord has opened my eyes to various aspects of the prayer. The implication here is that the Lord wants to show us that through prayer we may manifest the Kingdom of Heaven here on earth. This is in keeping with Col. 3:1, which admonishes us “If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.” This concept, I believe, pertains not just to one element of the prayer, but to all seven components. As you read each petition, I believe you will see how well this phrase fits in.

c)        THE SECOND COMMAND OR PETITION “Thy Kingdom come.”

We learn from this petition that we may command the Kingdom of God to come to our family, to our friends, to the folks in our church, to the people where we work, and ultimately to the folks in the market place. At this point in the prayer, I believe you will begin to get a deeper insight to the use of the command form of the verb. When we command the Kingdom of God to come to us, we are in fact inviting the gifts of the Holy Spirit to be manifested in our midst with signs and wonders. “Thy Kingdom come” now becomes: “We command your Kingdom to come! [on earth as it is in Heaven.]” A second translation might be, “Let your Kingdom come. [On earth as it is in Heaven.]” An example of how this petition may be used is when someone is sick. When sickness strikes, we command the Kingdom to come to them with healing, “I command this sickness to be healed in the name of Jesus.” That’s how we usually pray. For those contending with demonic spirits, we command demons and evil spirits to be cast out from those affected, thus bringing the Kingdom of God to the affected person. Then, through Kingdom power we also command prosperity to flow where there is poverty. When the Kingdom of God is present, no evil will befall you. This petition is filled with Kingdom power.

d)       THE THIRD COMMAND OR PETITION “Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.”

This portion of the prayer is filled with creative power, as we invite the will of God to be established in our midst. “Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.” Thy will be done in the Greek is not just the simple word, “to be done,” but rather it is a much more complex word having a deeper meaning “to be created” or “to come into existence” or “to be established.” This element of the prayer has to do with the very creative power of God, nothing more and nothing less. Jesus used a more complex word because He wanted us to have a deeper, fuller, richer awareness in our praying, and not just a superficial perception. Prayer is to have a creative, divine nature about it. This verse now becomes, “We command your will to come into existence and to be established! [on earth as it is in Heaven!]” Here again we use the slightly weaker phrase, “Let your will come into existence and to be established! [on earth as it is in Heaven.]”

Commanding the Kingdom to come, and commanding God’s will to be done are both very complementary to one another. Both of them have as their goal the need to bring forth the Kingdom of Heaven here on earth. When the Kingdom comes through our prayers, and when the will of God is accomplished through our prayers, then healing is manifested, demons are cast out, the storms are calmed and the five thousand are fed. In fact, this fits in with the basic theme established by Jesus in Matthew 6:8b, when He indicates that our Heavenly Father desires to meet all of our needs even before we ask – as we saw in our previous study. The Lord’s Prayer is concerned with meeting all of our needs, physical, spiritual, and financial. At this point we might well recall the words of Jesus when He commands us to “Seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all the things [of the Kingdom] will be added to you.” (Matthew 6:33) I believe that you can now see a simple correlation between these two commands of Jesus.

“On Earth As It Is In Heaven”:

This phrase punctuates the desire of the Father to bring forth his Kingdom that it might be manifested here on earth in each of our lives. This concept of bringing Heaven down to earth is repeated two more times in Matthew’s Gospel. In the following passages we are overwhelmed by the depth of the implications that what we bind on earth will be bound in Heaven and what we loose on earth will be loosed in Heaven.

Mt. 16:19. “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”

Mt. 18:18. “Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”

This understanding is totally obscure to our finite minds. Nevertheless, Jesus shows us that this idea is central to the prayer. The ramification of this teaching is that the will of God becomes a tangible reality on earth as it is in Heaven, through the process of binding and loosing. Later in this series study of asking and commanding we will come once again to the concept of binding and loosing.

e)       THE FOURTH COMMAND OR PETITION “Give us this day our daily bread.”

This petition deals with fulfilling our daily needs. It is here in the last four petitions that the verb tense changes slightly to a stronger command form as depicted by the use of the second person. No longer is it possible to use the word, let, as in the three previous petitions. It would not be possible to say, “Let our daily bread come.” Not only does the verb tense change, but the kind of bread also changes from today’s bread to the bread for tomorrow. Even the footnote in your Bible will admit this alternate reading. But why? I have heard that the phrase, “bread for tomorrow” is an idiom which refers to the Word of God, which is the bread for tomorrow. On a number of different occasions as I meditated on the meaning of this passage, I began to understand that this verse has to do with prosperity. I believe that this verse is far more tangible and reflects the words of Jesus in Matthew 6:8b, “Your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.” It is this understanding which we sense as we pray: “Give us this day our daily bread.” which now becomes: “We command the bread for tomorrow to be given and supplied to us today. [on earth as it is in Heaven!]”

To have tomorrow’s bread today is certainly a double blessing, a double portion spoken about in other portions of God’s Word, such as Isaiah 61:7. “Instead of your shame you shall have a double portion, instead of dishonor you shall rejoice in your lot; therefore in your land you shall possess a double portion; yours shall be everlasting joy.” You may have also noted that the word for supply is also imbedded in the word to give. God is our supplier. It is our Abba Father who provides us with an overflowing portion that we cannot contain it. He is the one who gives his children a hundred fold returns. Tomorrow’s bread for today, an overflowing abundance! So, we should not be surprised when we see that the prayer of prayers has this emphasis. God is our provider and this prayer is aimed at our obtaining that provision.

f)        THE FIFTH COMMAND OR PETITION “And forgive us our debts [trespasses].”

Forgiveness and repentance are the usual theme for this part of the prayer; but, a deeper study teaches us differently. We are not asking for forgiveness from sin. If the prayer were dealing with the topic of sin, then the Greek word, “harmatia,” would be used. This petition has to do with our relationship to the people around us in our lives and our ability to forgive them their debts and trespasses against us. The Greek not only speaks of debts and trespasses, but it also deals with bondage and obligations. Forgiveness also has the connotation of having our debts dismissed. The implications here are stupendous. “And forgive us our debts [trespasses].” now becomes: “We command our debts, our bondage, our obligations and our trespasses to be forgiven and to be dismissed.”

Here again Jesus uses a very complex word, which contains a multifaceted meaning concerned with debts, bondage, obligations, and trespasses. It also shows us that forgiveness is a dismissal of all of these things that we owe to another person. This becomes the Christian’s year of jubilee. It coincides with Jesus’ admonition to “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” Once again there is mountain moving power implied in this very powerful petition. When we learn to release others from their debts, we are destined to see the overflowing blessing and the hundredfold return. But there is an obligation needed before the benefits of this petition can be fulfilled, and that is we must be willing to forgive and dismiss the obligations of other people. “Even as we have forgiven others their debts and trespasses” now becomes: “Even as we have forgiven and dismissed the debts, the bondage, the obligations and the trespasses of other debtors and those bound under an obligation to us [on earth as it is in Heaven!]”

Admittedly, Luke’s version of this passage does ask for forgiveness from sin, only to conclude with the need to forgive men their debts and their trespasses. Still, this is a need, a need for forgiveness in a variety of ways, a need which hinges on our ability to offer forgiveness to others. Their need for forgiveness is in our hands, that the same need might be met in each of us. “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” “Even as we have forgiven others their debts and trespasses.” now becomes in the Greek: “Even as we have forgiven, dismissed, delivered, and sent away the debts, the bondage, the obligations and the trespasses of others [on earth as it is in Heaven!]“ See how this petition is reflected in the words of Paul, when he tells us, “I do not mean that others should be eased and you burdened, but that as a matter of equality your abundance at the present time should supply their want, so that their abundance may supply your want, that there may be equality.” (2nd Cor. 9:13-14.)

Jesus establishes a very unique principle which goes against all human reason. It is one that is manifested in the principle of giving. Abundance is to be shared as a means of storing up for the future. Giving produces abundance, and releasing others from their obligations creates wealth. Such thinking is absolutely uncanny.

g)       THE SIXTH COMMAND OR PETITION NOW BECOMES AN AFFIRMATION: “and lead us not into temptation.”

This element of the prayer is more of an affirmation than a command or a petition. It affirms that our Father has never brought us into temptation, or into trials, or even into affliction. These are all possible translations of the Greek. Traditionally, our appeal is, “And leads us not into temptation.” However, the Greek uses the past tense of the verb, so that our appeal now becomes an affirmation. “And you have not led us into trials or into temptations or into afflictions.” Just as it is [on earth as it is in Heaven!] This just is not God’s way. In Jeremiah 29:10, the Lord tells us that He has plans for us, plans for prosperity – and get this – NOT FOR EVIL! And we need to acknowledge that! Our Abba Father is so determined to meet our needs that He will even heal our faithlessness as in Hosea 14:4. Again in Isaiah 57:17-19, the Lord acknowledges our iniquity as well as our backsliding. Nevertheless, He is willing to step in and bring healing to us. While we were yet sinners – in spite of our sin – Jesus died for us. Not only that but as we shall see in the next petition, He covers us from the evil one.

h)       THE SEVENTH COMMAND OR PETITION “But, deliver us from evil.”

Not only has the Lord not brought us into temptation, but it affirms that He has done all that He can to save us. The Greek is rich in meaning showing us that He has done everything to rescue us, to deliver us, and to drag us out of danger from all evil as well as from the evil one, so that we may now declare: “But, we demand to be rescued and delivered and to be dragged away from the evil one.” Again we can add the phrase [on earth as it is in Heaven!] This last element of the Lord’s Prayer has ramifications which are so vast we could begin a whole new study at this point. For this is the main focal point of all that Jesus came to do as we read in 1st John 3:8b, “The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.” Jesus’ reason for coming was to “deliver us from evil.” Once again our needs are being spoken about as we demand to be delivered from the evil one and all that Satan represents: i.e. sickness, demonic bondage, various forms of anxiety, worry and depression, all kinds of fornication and lust, from poverty and pestilence and a whole myriad of various evils including death itself. Deliverance from the evil one has to do with fellowship and intimacy with Jesus. As James 4:7-8 tells us, “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and he will draw near to you.”

 THE ADDED FOOTNOTE

“For thine is the Kingdom and the power and the glory for ever and ever. Amen.” now becomes, “For yours is the Kingdom and the power and the glory into eternity for ever. Amen.” These concluding words are more in the realm of worship and praise than another element or petition directed to our needs. They seem to coincide with other such passages of praise and worship as in the 4th and 5th chapters of Revelation.

 APPENDIX

Following are two translations, showing you how you might use the insights manifested in this study.

“The Lord’s Prayer – In Two Versions” Translated by Richard Lang

 Version One

“Our Father in Heaven, we command your name to be hallowed and consecrated. [On earth as it is in Heaven!]” “We command your Kingdom to come! [on earth as it is in Heaven.]” “We command your will to come into existence and to be established! On earth as it is in Heaven!” “We command the bread for tomorrow to be given and supplied to us today. [On earth as it is in Heaven!]” “We command our debts, our bondage, our obligations and our trespasses to be forgiven and dismissed. [On earth as it is in Heaven!]” “Even as we have forgiven, dismissed, delivered, and sent away the debts, the bondage, the obligations and the trespasses of others. [On earth as it is in Heaven!]” “And we affirm that you have not led us into trials, or temptations, or afflictions,” “But, we demand to be rescued and delivered and to be dragged away from the evil one. [on earth as it is in Heaven!]” “For yours is the Kingdom and the power and the glory into eternity for ever. Amen.”

Version Two

“Our Father in Heaven let your name be hallowed and consecrated.” “Let your Kingdom come.” “Let your will come into existence and be established!” “On earth as it is in Heaven.” “We demand that the bread for tomorrow be given and supplied to us today.” “We demand that our debts, our bondage, our obligations and our trespasses be forgiven and be dismissed.” “Even as we have forgiven, dismissed, delivered, and sent away the debts, the bondage, the obligations and the trespasses of others.” “And we affirm that you have not led us into trials, or temptations, or afflictions.” “But, we demand to be rescued and delivered and to be dragged away from the evil one.” “For yours is the Kingdom and the power and the glory into eternity for ever. Amen.”

You have received a great deal to think about and ponder as you meditate on the various concepts I have opened up for you. I trust that your prayer life has been enhanced through this study series – not only for you – but for those around you, as you use these principles to intercede on their behalf.

Amen!!!

February 25th, 2009 Posted by Mutuma, Dennis | The Series!! | Leave a Comment

Wednesday, 25th, February 2009 Devotion

Prayer Series:

EFFECTIVE PRAYER – The Lord’s Prayer

In our previous devotion, we considered how Jesus jumps into the whole topic of prayer by showing us his concern for our needs, telling us that our Heavenly Father knows our needs even before we ask, even to the extent that He very often provides our needs before we ask. Knowing how to ask is the center and core of the Lord’s Prayer, as Jesus teaches us to pray.

We begin our study of the Lord’s Prayer by pondering Luke’s version first before jumping over to the more popular version in Matthew.

LORD, TEACH US TO PRAY

In (Luke 11:1), the disciples of Jesus come to Him and demand, “Lord teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.” Hearing this request, Jesus replies with an outline on how to pray, which we commonly call, “The Lord’s Prayer.” However, Jesus never intended for us to mimic his words. But He fully intended us to learn from them. They are an example of how to pray, as well as what to pray. [Note: The Greek makes it clear that they were not just asking Jesus but rather they are demanding that He teach them. I know that this may well be hard for us to grasp, that these men had a very down to earth relationship to Jesus, a man to man kind of thing, so that it did not trouble them to make demands of Him and not just politely ask.]

Jesus’ disciples are asking Him to teach them about prayer. At first, this request seems a bit extraordinary. After all, these men grew up in Jewish households, where they were taught to pray from childhood. Why, therefore, did they make this demand? On one hand, they saw John the Baptist teaching his disciples how to pray. But, more than that, they saw Jesus praying with inconceivable results. The sick were healed, demons and evil spirits were cast out, the dead were raised the hungry were fed, the storm was calmed – all of this and more – as He proclaimed the Kingdom of God with power and authority. No one had ever seen anything like this before. He barely spoke but a word and things began to happen. Never before had they seen such prayer power. Now their spirits hungered just to have a glimmer into a realm that seemed just beyond their reach. So, we too, like the disciples, let’s hunger for the pure supernatural milk that we might declare the wonderful works of the Kingdom of God. As you enter into this adventure with Jesus, He will train you in how to pray with power and authority in the Lord’s Prayer. This prayer was conceived by Jesus to train his disciples in such a way that they too would have the same results. Mountain moving power lies at the very root and core of this prayer.

TRADITION – A WORD OF CAUTION

Bible translators have understood for years that certain passages of Scripture are more sacred in the minds of men than other portions. In reality this is not true. All Scripture is inspired of God. However, in their desire to sell Bibles, many times so-called “new” English versions never tamper with the 23rd Psalm or the Lord’s Prayer, or a few other common passages. Even though a new translation may be more accurate, they leave the older form in place, so that men’s minds are not offended. Nevertheless, footnotes are often added to show the correct translation, as you may see in your own Bible. A very familiar footnote is the phrase, “For thine is the Kingdom and the power and the glory for ever and ever. Amen.” Consequently, as we begin this study of the Lord’s Prayer, I pray that I will not offend or displease you. But rather it is my desire to enhance your understanding of this prayer, and to be very pleasing to our Heavenly Father. I am certain that you will also be challenged to expand your horizons as never before.

THE FORM

The form of the prayer can be seen from the structure of the verbs. At this point, you may be rolling your eyes and wondering if there can be any value in a discussion about verbs. You may have the feeling that such a study is at best boring. My hope is that you will not get bored but rather you will show you a deeper, more power filled awareness to your ability to pray with greater confidence. In other words, the prayer is not one of begging or pleading with the Lord to do something. Nor are we commanding God. But rather it is a form of command directed toward establishing a goal or a purpose, which gives glory to the Father. As we progress in this study, this concept will become increasingly clear and more carefully defined.

The intent of the prayer is to give you wisdom and insight to the power and authority which is contained in the spoken word. Its goal is to give you confidence in praying. Jesus tells us, as he begins the prayer, “Therefore, pray in this manner.” We are being encouraged to pray in a particular manner or style. The verb, to pray, has the fuller meaning of praying continually. With these two added insights, Jesus is really saying “Therefore, pray continually in this manner or style.” Because the verb is in the imperative form, we might even say that Jesus is commanding us to pray continually in this way.

As we continue, I urge you to simply consider some of the insights that are coming out of this. These insights are meant to enrich your understanding of the prayer. It is not my intent to change your style of praying or to intrude on your comfort zone. I still continue to pray the prayer as we learned it a few months ago in School of prayer. However, in recent days, I have begun to pray the prayer in the manner in which Jesus actually taught it to his disciples with a greater sense of power and confidence.

THE CONTENT

The content of the prayer is governed by Jesus. He lists seven vital components, which are essential to our ability to pray any prayer successfully. Traditionally these seven elements have been referred to as “the seven petitions”. I will use (Matthew 6:9-13) as the main text.

Since each of these components in the Greek is in the realm of a command rather than a petition, I have labeled each element accordingly. In each of the following components, the traditional form of the prayer is listed first, followed by a suggested form based upon the imperative, command form of the Greek.

THE PURPOSE

As you study the prayer, I believe that you will see that the purpose of the prayer is to bring forth the Kingdom of God. Jesus is showing us how to take those things which are above in Heaven and make them tangible realities in your life and in the life of the folks around you. Note also the briefness of the prayer. In four lines, Jesus is able to construct a prayer which takes into account every need known to men that it may be on earth as it is in Heaven. This, in and of itself, was a shock to the average Jew whose prayers very often went on for hours, such as you might see at the “Wailing Wall” in Jerusalem.

And these are the 7 petitions:

a)       THE SALUTATION “Our Father who art in Heaven,”

Jesus must have shocked his disciples by speaking to God as his Father. This was totally unheard of in the Jewish community. To even speak directly to the Lord would not have been permitted. Calling Him Father was totally incomprehensible. At one point in the life of Jesus, the Jews wanted to kill Him because He dared to refer to God as his Father – thus making Jesus equal to God. In their mind He was guilty of blasphemy. He could have been stoned. This is an utterly amazing statement when you consider that God, who is the very Creator of the entire universe, has become the God whom you may address in a very familiar fashion as your Abba Father. This is absolutely astonishing. Your mind cannot even begin to grasp the incomprehensible nature of this concept to be able to cling in love to God as your Father. As we struggle to grasp this relationship, Jesus brings us to the first element of the prayer.

b)       THE FIRST COMMAND OR PETITION “Hallowed be thy name.”

Jesus reminds us that the name of God is to be hallowed or consecrated. We have a responsibility to demand respect for the name of God, to see to it that it is hallowed. Of course, we ultimately learn that the name of God is the name that is above every name; it is the name of Jesus. Because the Greek is in the third person of the imperative form of the verb, we might translate this petition as “Our Father in Heaven, let your name be hallowed and consecrated. [On earth as it is in Heaven.]“ However, there is a second possibility. We may also translate this component in a slightly stronger fashion, “Our Father in Heaven, we command your name to be hallowed and consecrated. [On earth as it is in Heaven!]” The traditional translation seems to fall somewhere between these two.

The first three petitions of the prayer are all in the third person of the imperative form of the verb, so that each of them is open to one possibility or the other. Since there is some latitude in what we might do, I have chosen to use the stronger translation, which would be in keeping with the last four petitions of the prayer. Every time I have this prayer, the Lord has opened my eyes to various aspects of the prayer. The implication here is that the Lord wants to show us that through prayer we may manifest the Kingdom of Heaven here on earth. This is in keeping with Col. 3:1, which admonishes us “If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.” This concept, I believe, pertains not just to one element of the prayer, but to all seven components. As you read each petition, I believe you will see how well this phrase fits in.

c)        THE SECOND COMMAND OR PETITION “Thy Kingdom come.”

We learn from this petition that we may command the Kingdom of God to come to our family, to our friends, to the folks in our church, to the people where we work, and ultimately to the folks in the market place. At this point in the prayer, I believe you will begin to get a deeper insight to the use of the command form of the verb. When we command the Kingdom of God to come to us, we are in fact inviting the gifts of the Holy Spirit to be manifested in our midst with signs and wonders. “Thy Kingdom come” now becomes: “We command your Kingdom to come! [on earth as it is in Heaven.]” A second translation might be, “Let your Kingdom come. [On earth as it is in Heaven.]” An example of how this petition may be used is when someone is sick. When sickness strikes, we command the Kingdom to come to them with healing, “I command this sickness to be healed in the name of Jesus.” That’s how we usually pray. For those contending with demonic spirits, we command demons and evil spirits to be cast out from those affected, thus bringing the Kingdom of God to the affected person. Then, through Kingdom power we also command prosperity to flow where there is poverty. When the Kingdom of God is present, no evil will befall you. This petition is filled with Kingdom power.

d)       THE THIRD COMMAND OR PETITION “Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.”

This portion of the prayer is filled with creative power, as we invite the will of God to be established in our midst. “Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.” Thy will be done in the Greek is not just the simple word, “to be done,” but rather it is a much more complex word having a deeper meaning “to be created” or “to come into existence” or “to be established.” This element of the prayer has to do with the very creative power of God, nothing more and nothing less. Jesus used a more complex word because He wanted us to have a deeper, fuller, richer awareness in our praying, and not just a superficial perception. Prayer is to have a creative, divine nature about it. This verse now becomes, “We command your will to come into existence and to be established! [on earth as it is in Heaven!]” Here again we use the slightly weaker phrase, “Let your will come into existence and to be established! [on earth as it is in Heaven.]”

Commanding the Kingdom to come, and commanding God’s will to be done are both very complementary to one another. Both of them have as their goal the need to bring forth the Kingdom of Heaven here on earth. When the Kingdom comes through our prayers, and when the will of God is accomplished through our prayers, then healing is manifested, demons are cast out, the storms are calmed and the five thousand are fed. In fact, this fits in with the basic theme established by Jesus in Matthew 6:8b, when He indicates that our Heavenly Father desires to meet all of our needs even before we ask – as we saw in our previous study. The Lord’s Prayer is concerned with meeting all of our needs, physical, spiritual, and financial. At this point we might well recall the words of Jesus when He commands us to “Seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all the things [of the Kingdom] will be added to you.” (Matthew 6:33) I believe that you can now see a simple correlation between these two commands of Jesus.

“On Earth As It Is In Heaven”:

This phrase punctuates the desire of the Father to bring forth his Kingdom that it might be manifested here on earth in each of our lives. This concept of bringing Heaven down to earth is repeated two more times in Matthew’s Gospel. In the following passages we are overwhelmed by the depth of the implications that what we bind on earth will be bound in Heaven and what we loose on earth will be loosed in Heaven.

Mt. 16:19. “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”

Mt. 18:18. “Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”

This understanding is totally obscure to our finite minds. Nevertheless, Jesus shows us that this idea is central to the prayer. The ramification of this teaching is that the will of God becomes a tangible reality on earth as it is in Heaven, through the process of binding and loosing. Later in this series study of asking and commanding we will come once again to the concept of binding and loosing.

e)       THE FOURTH COMMAND OR PETITION “Give us this day our daily bread.”

This petition deals with fulfilling our daily needs. It is here in the last four petitions that the verb tense changes slightly to a stronger command form as depicted by the use of the second person. No longer is it possible to use the word, let, as in the three previous petitions. It would not be possible to say, “Let our daily bread come.” Not only does the verb tense change, but the kind of bread also changes from today’s bread to the bread for tomorrow. Even the footnote in your Bible will admit this alternate reading. But why? I have heard that the phrase, “bread for tomorrow” is an idiom which refers to the Word of God, which is the bread for tomorrow. On a number of different occasions as I meditated on the meaning of this passage, I began to understand that this verse has to do with prosperity. I believe that this verse is far more tangible and reflects the words of Jesus in Matthew 6:8b, “Your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.” It is this understanding which we sense as we pray: “Give us this day our daily bread.” which now becomes: “We command the bread for tomorrow to be given and supplied to us today. [on earth as it is in Heaven!]”

To have tomorrow’s bread today is certainly a double blessing, a double portion spoken about in other portions of God’s Word, such as Isaiah 61:7. “Instead of your shame you shall have a double portion, instead of dishonor you shall rejoice in your lot; therefore in your land you shall possess a double portion; yours shall be everlasting joy.” You may have also noted that the word for supply is also imbedded in the word to give. God is our supplier. It is our Abba Father who provides us with an overflowing portion that we cannot contain it. He is the one who gives his children a hundred fold returns. Tomorrow’s bread for today, an overflowing abundance! So, we should not be surprised when we see that the prayer of prayers has this emphasis. God is our provider and this prayer is aimed at our obtaining that provision.

f)        THE FIFTH COMMAND OR PETITION “And forgive us our debts [trespasses].”

Forgiveness and repentance are the usual theme for this part of the prayer; but, a deeper study teaches us differently. We are not asking for forgiveness from sin. If the prayer were dealing with the topic of sin, then the Greek word, “harmatia,” would be used. This petition has to do with our relationship to the people around us in our lives and our ability to forgive them their debts and trespasses against us. The Greek not only speaks of debts and trespasses, but it also deals with bondage and obligations. Forgiveness also has the connotation of having our debts dismissed. The implications here are stupendous. “And forgive us our debts [trespasses].” now becomes: “We command our debts, our bondage, our obligations and our trespasses to be forgiven and to be dismissed.”

Here again Jesus uses a very complex word, which contains a multifaceted meaning concerned with debts, bondage, obligations, and trespasses. It also shows us that forgiveness is a dismissal of all of these things that we owe to another person. This becomes the Christian’s year of jubilee. It coincides with Jesus’ admonition to “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” Once again there is mountain moving power implied in this very powerful petition. When we learn to release others from their debts, we are destined to see the overflowing blessing and the hundredfold return. But there is an obligation needed before the benefits of this petition can be fulfilled, and that is we must be willing to forgive and dismiss the obligations of other people. “Even as we have forgiven others their debts and trespasses” now becomes: “Even as we have forgiven and dismissed the debts, the bondage, the obligations and the trespasses of other debtors and those bound under an obligation to us [on earth as it is in Heaven!]”

Admittedly, Luke’s version of this passage does ask for forgiveness from sin, only to conclude with the need to forgive men their debts and their trespasses. Still, this is a need, a need for forgiveness in a variety of ways, a need which hinges on our ability to offer forgiveness to others. Their need for forgiveness is in our hands, that the same need might be met in each of us. “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” “Even as we have forgiven others their debts and trespasses.” now becomes in the Greek: “Even as we have forgiven, dismissed, delivered, and sent away the debts, the bondage, the obligations and the trespasses of others [on earth as it is in Heaven!]“ See how this petition is reflected in the words of Paul, when he tells us, “I do not mean that others should be eased and you burdened, but that as a matter of equality your abundance at the present time should supply their want, so that their abundance may supply your want, that there may be equality.” (2nd Cor. 9:13-14.)

Jesus establishes a very unique principle which goes against all human reason. It is one that is manifested in the principle of giving. Abundance is to be shared as a means of storing up for the future. Giving produces abundance, and releasing others from their obligations creates wealth. Such thinking is absolutely uncanny.

g)       THE SIXTH COMMAND OR PETITION NOW BECOMES AN AFFIRMATION: “and lead us not into temptation.”

This element of the prayer is more of an affirmation than a command or a petition. It affirms that our Father has never brought us into temptation, or into trials, or even into affliction. These are all possible translations of the Greek. Traditionally, our appeal is, “And leads us not into temptation.” However, the Greek uses the past tense of the verb, so that our appeal now becomes an affirmation. “And you have not led us into trials or into temptations or into afflictions.” Just as it is [on earth as it is in Heaven!] This just is not God’s way. In Jeremiah 29:10, the Lord tells us that He has plans for us, plans for prosperity – and get this – NOT FOR EVIL! And we need to acknowledge that! Our Abba Father is so determined to meet our needs that He will even heal our faithlessness as in Hosea 14:4. Again in Isaiah 57:17-19, the Lord acknowledges our iniquity as well as our backsliding. Nevertheless, He is willing to step in and bring healing to us. While we were yet sinners – in spite of our sin – Jesus died for us. Not only that but as we shall see in the next petition, He covers us from the evil one.

h)       THE SEVENTH COMMAND OR PETITION “But, deliver us from evil.”

Not only has the Lord not brought us into temptation, but it affirms that He has done all that He can to save us. The Greek is rich in meaning showing us that He has done everything to rescue us, to deliver us, and to drag us out of danger from all evil as well as from the evil one, so that we may now declare: “But, we demand to be rescued and delivered and to be dragged away from the evil one.” Again we can add the phrase [on earth as it is in Heaven!] This last element of the Lord’s Prayer has ramifications which are so vast we could begin a whole new study at this point. For this is the main focal point of all that Jesus came to do as we read in 1st John 3:8b, “The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.” Jesus’ reason for coming was to “deliver us from evil.” Once again our needs are being spoken about as we demand to be delivered from the evil one and all that Satan represents: i.e. sickness, demonic bondage, various forms of anxiety, worry and depression, all kinds of fornication and lust, from poverty and pestilence and a whole myriad of various evils including death itself. Deliverance from the evil one has to do with fellowship and intimacy with Jesus. As James 4:7-8 tells us, “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and he will draw near to you.”

THE ADDED FOOTNOTE

“For thine is the Kingdom and the power and the glory for ever and ever. Amen.” now becomes, “For yours is the Kingdom and the power and the glory into eternity for ever. Amen.” These concluding words are more in the realm of worship and praise than another element or petition directed to our needs. They seem to coincide with other such passages of praise and worship as in the 4th and 5th chapters of Revelation.  

APPENDIX

Following are two translations, showing you how you might use the insights manifested in this study.

“The Lord’s Prayer – In Two Versions” Translated by Richard Lang

Version One

“Our Father in Heaven, we command your name to be hallowed and consecrated. [On earth as it is in Heaven!]” “We command your Kingdom to come! [on earth as it is in Heaven.]” “We command your will to come into existence and to be established! On earth as it is in Heaven!” “We command the bread for tomorrow to be given and supplied to us today. [On earth as it is in Heaven!]” “We command our debts, our bondage, our obligations and our trespasses to be forgiven and dismissed. [On earth as it is in Heaven!]” “Even as we have forgiven, dismissed, delivered, and sent away the debts, the bondage, the obligations and the trespasses of others. [On earth as it is in Heaven!]” “And we affirm that you have not led us into trials, or temptations, or afflictions,” “But, we demand to be rescued and delivered and to be dragged away from the evil one. [on earth as it is in Heaven!]” “For yours is the Kingdom and the power and the glory into eternity for ever. Amen.”

Version Two

“Our Father in Heaven let your name be hallowed and consecrated.” “Let your Kingdom come.” “Let your will come into existence and be established!” “On earth as it is in Heaven.” “We demand that the bread for tomorrow be given and supplied to us today.” “We demand that our debts, our bondage, our obligations and our trespasses be forgiven and be dismissed.” “Even as we have forgiven, dismissed, delivered, and sent away the debts, the bondage, the obligations and the trespasses of others.” “And we affirm that you have not led us into trials, or temptations, or afflictions.” “But, we demand to be rescued and delivered and to be dragged away from the evil one.” “For yours is the Kingdom and the power and the glory into eternity for ever. Amen.”

You have received a great deal to think about and ponder as you meditate on the various concepts I have opened up for you. I trust that your prayer life has been enhanced through this study series – not only for you – but for those around you, as you use these principles to intercede on their behalf.

Amen!!!

February 25th, 2009 Posted by Mutuma, Dennis | The Series!! | Leave a Comment

Tuesday, 24th, February 2009 Devotion

Prayer Series:

EFFECTIVE PRAYER – Needs

In this first lesson, as Jesus begins his teaching concerning prayer, His first concern is for our various needs. In Matthew 6:7-8, Jesus lays down two basic principles concerning prayer. On one hand, He warns us against heaping up meaningless prayers like the pagans do, such as the use of prayer wheels and so- called worry beads as used by various false religions such as in Buddhism. Just heaping up many words will not guarantee that God will hear your prayers. Later, as we shall see in Luke, Jesus does give some rather strong guidelines concerning persistence.

Jesus then assures us that our Heavenly Father is already very much aware of our needs even before we ask. Yet, his foreknowledge does not preclude our asking, for as we shall see in John as well as in Matthew and Mark, asking is a primary factor in prayer. Having given us these couple of introductory remarks concerning prayer, Jesus plunges us into seven guidelines of how to pray with success, commonly referred to as the Lord’s Prayer, which we will consider in a separate lesson of this study on prayer.

First let me consider the topic given us by Jesus that our needs might be met through prayer. As you consider this, you begin to see one of the keynotes of prayer – prayer is a gift of God through which your various needs might be met. In this study, we will see that the Lord’s focus is upon meeting our needs even to the extent of supplying our needs before we ask. “Prayer Meets Our Needs” – “Before they call I will answer, while they are yet speaking I will hear.” (Isaiah 65:24.)

When you consider this verse it might seem far too remote for what you are doing today. Nevertheless, I have learned that it has a great deal to do with the things that are happening here and now. This verse really began to make sense in our life not too long ago when a number of things happened in a very fascinating way. During a time when I was totally unemployed, I saw the hand of the Lord at work on my behalf.

I remember an instance when I really needed to shift into my own apartment and I didn’t have money. I used to work on casual basis and I hadn’t been paid for almost two months. I needed a good amount of money to move into the new apartment. After a Sunday service, a friend walked up to me and asked me whether I still wanted an apartment, I said ‘Yes I do’, she directed me to some apartments and I liked them but I didn’t have the money. I just said a prayer and called the owner of the apartments and said I will be making a payment for the apartment the following day. I had faith that the following day I would pay up for the apartment.

The following day, I received a call and I was paid my dues and I moved into the apartment. I had not prayed in the usual way. Nor, had I even hinted at my needs during the service to anybody. I did not even ask for prayer for my finances. And so the Word of God proved true, “Before they call I will answer, while they are yet speaking I will hear.” During my lifetime, there have been other moments when I have experienced answers to prayers which I never prayed, which in some cases were not even a part of a conversation. They were simply a passing thought. But such things ought not surprise us. After all, doesn’t Jesus tell us, “Your Father knows what you need before you ask him” (Matthew 6:8b). Your Father knows your need; He does! But, even more than this, you have a further promise in the words of Paul, “And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” By bringing these three verses together, you have a very exciting prospect of seeing all of your needs are taken care of by your Heavenly Father, who loves you. He knows your need, and He supplies your need. “Before they call I will answer, while they are yet speaking I will hear.”

In Matthew chapter six, Jesus gives to us a very precious illustration concerned with food and clothing and the various needs of life, urging us to reflect on the birds of the air and the lilies of the field. The admonition of Jesus at this point goes far beyond our ability to comprehend, that your Heavenly Father will do even more for you because you are of greater value than the birds of the air and the lilies of the field. Because our Abba Father has already supplied all of our needs: food, clothing and shelter, we no longer need to trouble ourselves about them even as Jesus tells us that, “the Gentiles seek all these things; and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.” (Matthew 6:32). Once again Jesus is reminding us that God knows our needs for the second time in the same chapter. Furthermore, because we have food, and clothing and shelter, we are now free to “Seek first his Kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things [of the Kingdom] shall be yours as well.”

This phrase that you are of greater value is truly phenomenal. God, your Father, knows your need, and because of your value he fully intends to supply that need. The most astonishing aspect of our God is that He does know our need. It is so sad to hear some folks say that the Lord is far too busy running the universe that He has no or little time for their needs, so that they are reluctant to share them with Him. No, God knows your needs; He knows even the most mundane or the one that you think is not of much importance. Many people are very familiar with Phil. 4:19, “And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” For years I never saw the relationship between God knowing our need in Matthew and God supplying our need in Philippians. Then, about a few months ago it hit me – a kind of a revelation – that the two verses were complimentary. God knows our needs and He supplies our needs. By the very fact that He knows my needs means that He has supplied the needs. The two go hand in hand. You cannot have one without the other.

And, for that matter, you cannot have a need that He does not know. He just simply knows. He knows because He abides in you and you abide in Him. It is that simple. Still, there is a hinge pin between the need and the supply. And that is in the asking. Remember, Matthew tells you that He knows the need even before you ask. The implication here is that you need to ask. In a subsequent lesson we will take a closer look at the entire topic of asking. If you ask me to explain all of this, I cannot even begin to fathom the intricacies of all that is coming forth from this study based on three very simple verses of Scripture, which seem to have at their center and core the intent of making us aware that, “Before they call I will answer, while they are yet speaking I will hear.” Just the very fact that He hears is absolutely astonishing. The very Creator of the universe has a love for you which is so rich and full that He actually takes the time to hear you. Even more astonishing is the fact that He answers, and his answer comes so quickly, you do not even have the time to call out or to speak. This is absolutely incredible. It goes far beyond our ability to even conceive of how much the Lord wants to do for each of us. Isaiah makes this observation, “From of old no one has heard or perceived by the ear; no eye has seen a God besides thee, who works for those who wait for Him.” (Isaiah. 64:4b.) No one can conceive of a God who burns with a passionate desire to work for those whom He has created and are willing to wait for Him.

This realization, that God desires to work for you, is a strong encouragement for you to pray with confidence. In fact, each of these verses is intent on showing you just how strongly the Lord wants to make provision for your need. I encourage you to draw upon these passages by confessing with your lips, “God knows my need, even before I ask.” Say it several times until it begins to flow into your spirit. Then, begin to do the same thing as you say, “My God shall supply my need out of his riches in glory.” Then, you may even desire to meditate upon the phrase, “Before they call I will answer, while they are yet speaking I will hear.” Let your entire being be flooded with the understanding that your Abba Father desires to “work” for you, provided you wait on Him. Waiting on the Lord has to do with meditation upon his Word that you might prosper in all that He has given you in his Word, because his Word will not return to him void.

God’s desire to supply your need has been the emphasis of this study. It is the keynote of what Jesus is giving to you as He teaches on how you ought to pray. I urge you to make every effort to fill your prayer time with meditation on the Word. Let the Word be the very center and core of your prayers. An example: If you are in need of healing, then your prayers need to be filled with verses concerned with healing. This means that you are going to have to step out in faith and find those verses. The more you find, the greater your success. You may even be led to the very one that deals with your particular need. As for believing: Believing comes when you simply say, “I believe.” Do not let your feelings rule. You may not feel like a believer. That’s OK. I do not always feel like a believer. Nevertheless, I have learned that what I say has much more to do with what I get than with what I feel. Paul tells us, “I speak because I believe.” Believing is speaking. Speak what you believe. Let these verses flow back and forth as you continue to meditate upon them. (2 Corinthians 4:13.)

I never cease to wonder at the vast richness of God’s Word. In one of our other studies concerning prayer, we have considered the teachings of Jesus as recorded for us in Luke chapter 11 – in particular, the parable concerned with the importunity of one’s neighbor. As I was about to finish this study on God’s provision for our needs, the Holy Spirit showed me that the parable on importunity also deals with God’s provision for our needs. The very last verse of that parable tells us, “Yet, because of his importunity he will rise and give him whatsoever he needs.” (Luke 11:8b.)

This is just one further affirmation of just how much our Abba Father desires to make provision for our various needs – even in a time of importunity.

Amen!!

February 24th, 2009 Posted by Mutuma, Dennis | The Series!! | 2 Comments

Monday, 23rd, February 2009 Devotion

Prayer Series:

EFFECTIVE PRAYER

Introduction

The purpose of this series is to challenge you to go deeper and further in your prayer experience. I do not simply desire to comfort you to remain where you have been. The Lord has done this, and is still continuing to do so. Perhaps the most important insight that I have concerning prayer is the verse that tells us, “Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with sighs too deep for words. And he who searches the hearts of men knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.” Rom. 8:27.

All of us can sigh a big sigh of relief, knowing that all too often we do feel helpless as we make every effort to learn how to pray in a pleasing fashion unto God. The truth is that we really do not know how to pray. We are gaining some insight – that’s true! But, the greater truth is that the Holy Spirit has been given to you to intercede on your behalf in covering up your inability. Thank Jesus for that! I know that you and I need all the help we can get. Not only do we have the blessed assurance that the Holy Spirit is interceding on our behalf, but we have the added measure of assurance that an angel of God is mixing incense with our prayers as a fragrant offering unto God in the eighth chapter of Revelation. You might say from all of this that there is no such thing as a wrong prayer. Nothing evil can reach the ears of God. However, the Scripture does warn us that there are various reasons why our prayers may not be heard. (More on that later.)

There are, of course, various forms of prayer. In this series, I noted two main groups of prayer. Perhaps the one form of prayer generally used by most folks is that of making supplication unto the Lord, which is a kind of pleading or begging type of prayer. Even though this form of prayer is used extensively by many Christians, it is not the predominant form of prayer in the New Testament. The second form of prayer is that of asking and/or demanding. This prayer very often occurs in the imperative command form of the verb, and very often it is one which emphasizes a continual or repeated effort involved with praying without ceasing. This second form of prayer – we have learned – strongly predominates all other forms of prayer.

The disciples of Jesus asked Him to teach them to pray. As Jesus does this, he lays out a course of study for us to follow.

1.        We will begin our study by looking at the content of the Lord’s Prayer in two parts.

a.        Jesus highlights our needs as being at the core of prayer.

b.        Jesus highlights the seven elements of prayer.

2.        Jesus then provides us with two parables on being persistent in prayer urging us never to lose heart.

a.        Luke 11: Being persistent to the point of importunity.

b.        Luke 18: Being persistent to gain our rights.

3.        Two types of prayer.

a.        We then reflect on asking, seeking, and knocking.

b.        We then reflect on making supplication.

4.        How we can prosper by learning how to speak to the mountain.

As we move through this series, we hope to include some practical suggestions concerned with the laying on of hands and how to pray successfully for another person. Time permitting we can consider Jesus’ own personal prayer request for your next prayer meeting. Should we stand, kneel or prostrate ourselves during prayer is a question we may also consider. I know that your desire is the same as mine. You want your prayer life to be very pleasing to the Lord. Sharing with one of friend who happens to be a pastor, he told me “During my training to be a Pastor, our instructors took a dim view of those who used God’s Word as a part of their prayers. One professor even told us that we did not need to quote God’s Word to God because He already knew His Word. For a while in our prayer life, that sounded reasonable. I have since come to understand that was an uninformed piece of advice, for it is the Lord Himself who tells us that we are to meditate on his Word because his Word will not return void, but it will prosper in the very thing that it has been created to do. God’s Word will perform what the Lord has given it to you to do. Therefore, I have come to understand that the more you use his Word as a part of your word, the more success you will have in prayer.”

As we study these various aspects of how to pray, one of the main insights is seeing the vast number of passages which stress the importance of our Abba Father supplying our needs. We believe that this insight has come to us in the way of a Holy Spirit inspired revelation for us. Since I got saved, I have never been so aware of this strong focus upon the Lord as our supplier. The second aspect of new insights is to be seen in the heavy emphasis placed in the word upon our being more demanding in prayer. The third aspect of new insights has been for us to become more aware of the emphasis that Jesus places on our being persistent. During the 70′s and the 80′s (not that am that old, I got this through sharing with my mum who is a prayer warrior) there was a heavy emphasis on praying once and leaving it in the hands of God. To pray a second time was considered to be some lack of faith or even a form of doubt. However, I have learned out of my experience that praying a number of times seems to have profound effects, some of which I will be sharing with you in this study.

God’s Word is loaded with precious moments for every occasion. What you need to do is to find those words that most pertain to you and to your situation. By praying his Word for your needs, you will know that you are praying according to his will and there will be no doubt of the outcome. I praise Jesus that you will be challenged to step out in power and authority as mighty men and women of God, who stand ready to move mountains through prayer and prayer alone.

Amen!!!

February 24th, 2009 Posted by Mutuma, Dennis | The Series!! | 2 Comments

Elements of an Effective, Fervent prayer

Matthew 6:5-13

‘‘Rain, rain, go away; come again another day!”

Did you ever say that when you were a child? I thought so; most of us did. It was mostly a meaningless, throw away saying, but often enough the rain would stop not long after we said it. We knew even then as children that it was (probably) a random coincidence, but just in case it really worked, we said it the next time the rain started.  That’s much like the prayer lives of many people — maybe not you and I, of course, but others. We pray as if we were calling up magic so that our team will win the big game, we won’t get caught speeding and, yes, it won’t rain at the family picnic.

Needless to say, calling for magic is not what prayer is all about. Our focus should be to have an effective prayer life that does what it is supposed to do so we can do what we are supposed to do: Love God and serve others. The epistle of James tells us, ‘‘The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man availed much,” so it is probably in our best interest to do it right.

There are three key elements that should constitute our prayer lives: We should pray properly, purposefully and persistently. When all three elements are a part of our prayer lives, they work. When they’re not, they don’t.

The elements of ‘‘effective, fervent prayer” are…

1)       Pray properly. The real purpose for prayer is not to ask for things — although we are told to do that, too — but to align ourselves with God’s will. We need to remember that prayer is for people, not God. God doesn’t need our prayers, but we need to pray to God if for no other reason than to remember that we are not He. Human nature, being what it is, often leads us to think that we are responsible for all the good things that happen to us. Taking time in prayer to thank God for what He has done and to pull ourselves into alignment with His will put life into proper perspective for us. And so our prayer should reflect this just as Jesus’ prayer did: ‘‘Not my will but Thy will be done.” 

2)       Pray purposefully. God has told us that we are to ask for what we want; we are to be specific. Being specific and verbal about our desires helps us to put out on the table both our needs and our wants. Some of our presumed needs are likely to be seen as wants when we verbalize them, and this helps us to, once again, put things into proper perspective. Asking for what we want and need doesn’t mean that we are going to get it, but it does allow us to be honest with ourselves before God.

3)       Pray persistently. The apostle Paul tells us to pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18) and Jesus used the example of the ‘‘importuning widow” (Luke 18:1-6) who continually came before the judge to ask for what she wanted until the judge gave in to her request. This doesn’t mean that we are going to be able to wear God down or browbeat Him into giving us what we want. What it does mean is that by praying persistently we will continually seek to align ourselves with God’s will.

May God bless you and help you to pray and seek his face daily…

Will be carrying out a series on Prayer… Don’t miss out!!!

Amen!!

^{Wednesday, 18th, February 2009}

February 19th, 2009 Posted by Mutuma, Dennis | The Series!! | 5 Comments