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August 2016 – The Lord’s Prayer

Did you know that you can talk to God anytime, anywhere? You can. And one of the things many of your children were challenged to learn yesterday was what is called The Lord’s Prayer – a pattern for talking to God anytime, anywhere.

I’d like to take a brief look at that prayer with you today in this beautiful setting to help you know what your children learned and what we together learn or should learn every time we say this.

So to start, let’s say the Lord’s Prayer together then we’ll take a look at a few things and maybe, next time you say it, it might mean more to you than just words.

It’s printed in your sheet for today, so let’s say it together to begin.

Our Father, who art in heaven,   hallowed be Thy name.   Thy kingdom come,   Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.Give us this day our daily bread.And forgive us our trespasses,   as we forgive those who trespass against us.And lead us not into temptation,   but deliver us from evil.For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory,   forever. Amen.I know, sometimes for folks that say this week in and week out inside the church, it begins to just be something we say without really thinking.

Jesus Christ, the son of God, taught this prayer to his closest followers to help them learn how to pray. It’s a pattern prayer, meaning while it’s a pretty cool prayer, it’s really just a pattern of what a full blown powerful prayer might look or sound like.This prayer, the children learned, covers everything. It covers praise. It covers purpose. And provision, and pardon and protection. It’s like this….prayer isn’t a spare tire you pull out when you’re in trouble. Prayer is the steering wheel that directs you on the right path throughout life.

Let’s start at the top, OK?What’s the first word in this prayer? Our. That’s just not anybody….it’s us….all those who in the name of Jesus claim that we can pray to the creator of us all…….OUR means the Father we are praying to is personal…..this isn’t

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“the man upstairs” we’re talking to….this is personal……Jesus invites us, allows us, actually commands us to speak with him to God, to pray with him, to be united with him in these words. Us – together – hearts united….words spoken together…That’s the “our” that’s the us.When we say these words its very much like being with everyone else…..all are invited to pray….we’ve all got the same commandment to do it…..the same permission to pray right along side Jesus.The “our” is followed by “Father,” right? Now I don’t know about your father, but when I think of my father I remember that he was a very good listener – yea, a talker too – but he was a good listener….so when I call out Our Father – I know I’ve got God’s attention. Our Father is the one who created us, he’s the one who protects us, who gives us love, peace, joy, hope. Just like I pray you’ve known an earthly father to be in your life, Our Father is rooting for us at every baseball game, soccer match, you name it. So Our Father loves it when we pray…..when we speak to Father God.But this is talking to Our Father In Heaven - not an earthly father. Your earthly father might have blown it, many times…..didn’t care….but Our Father in heaven is good and loving to you and to me and Our Father in Heaven only wants the very best for us in our lives. Our Father In Heaven you are our creator, our preserver, the Father of my Lord, Jesus Christ. You call me into a family to share your love……High and Lifted Up you are God over all, over everything.So now we’ve got the address label on the envelope of the prayer letter we’re sending….we’ve got the “TO” in the email….God – in heaven – the unapproachable and incomprehensible part of creation…the limitless, …….. a galaxy farther than far far away ….to infinity and beyond infinity…..but closer than the next breath you take…..Yea……so close you can almost touch it.Where do we go from there? We go to Praise.“Hallowed be your name.” Now that’s a strange word, hallowed…..it’s saying to make holy….to make sacred…..God is eternal, all-knowing, all-wise, three-in-one; one-in-three, purity and holiness….love that knows no bounds. Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy….that’s the part about praise. Now to the part about Purpose. Then we go to the phrase “Your Kingdom Come” – we’re asking that God come to us in a very personal way…..come to each one of us……come to us when we repent of our sins….come to us when we believe that Jesus is the son of God…..come set up your peaceful rule and reign in our lives right here right now…..starting in my heart of hearts. Your

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Kingdom Come. May your kingdom come soon….and then may your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.Now that’s a tough one for some. “Your Will Be Done, on earth as it is in heaven.” This is about Purpose. Many say how can we have such a messed up world if God is God? How can God let murder go on, drug addiction tear apart families, abuse happen, neglect….you name it. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven….You see, in God’s heavenly kingdom there is no murder…..no drug addiction to tear families apart….no drunkenness….no abuse…..So while we live on this earth and all that stuff happens around us because we’re still living in this messed up world…..it’s not always going to be that way. God doesn’t want it to be that way down here, but our choices, the bad choices people have made for centuries, and repeatedly make today, those bad choices have gotten us to where we are today. God’s purpose is for us to live forever with him and that’s why Jesus came – to die for our sins, so that, in believing in Jesus, we have eternal life in his perfect kingdom. Jesus purpose was to die for us. The Father’s purpose was to provide a way for us to be with him forever where there is no pain, sorrow and all the rest of it.Does God care about us now though? Absolutely God cares! Does God step in?….many times God does….come back on Friday the 19th and watch the movie, “Miracles From Heaven” with us and just see how God really does care and does step in many times. “Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”Now let’s move to Provision. “Give us this day our daily bread” – God we just need enough to get through today….provide for us. We know how greedy we are….but please get us through today….provide for us all that we need to grow as your children, both in our bodies and in our spirits, because we can’t say we are able to feed ourselves properly, and we know we’ve got to trust in your great mercies to get through another day. We just need enough for today.God’s people, the Israelites back in Bible days, learned it the hard way….when God provided daily food when they were wandering in the wilderness….take enough for today for each of you….but you guessed it, there were those who tried to hoard more than what they needed for the day….what happened? The next day they woke up to a pile of maggots eating away and the good food God had provided….enough for one day…was ruined. Give us this day our daily bread. Provision.Now on to Pardon. We say, “And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.” We’re not talking about jumping the fence here….we’re talking about our debts, our sins, those times we mess up

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badly... AS we also have forgiven those who trespass, who are in our debt, AS we also forgive those who have offended us.” That’s about Pardon. That’s about liberation, loved ones. To be liberated from our sins… a pardoned criminal….unloosen our chains…Then…with our chains unloosened….help us see that the healing of our own spirits is just intimately connected with our willingness to offer healing to others. Jesus said, quoted in Matthew 6, “But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.” Now that can be a tough one, right? But it’s right there.Here’s the challenge right from God. How can we who ourselves are such great debtors, such great sinners, hurting others in thought, word and action….how can we expect to have the Divine, Holy God forgive us if we aren’t willing to do the same thing? “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.” Then there’s God’s Protection. Protection. “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” It’s like, God, don’t bring us into times of trial, because even though we know times of trial are coming and maybe we’re in the middle of a time of trial right now, stay with us….rescue us from evil….from making the absolute wrong decision at the wrong time that’s going to make things worse. Protect us from our worst selves.And guard us from events in life that will separate us from a sense of your presence and protect us from all those forces that would just love for us to turn our back on you. “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil”Finally, then there’s the part that’s added by most of those not in the Roman Catholic Church….the words of adoration that not every one of every faith speaks when they recite this prayer. It’s the part that says, “For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever.” Early congregations began to say these words together with their leader as a way of celebrating everything that was said before.We said deliver us from the evil one because to thee, dear God, belong the kingdom, the power and the glory. Or in other words, Show us that you are the king, oh so powerful, so glorious, by delivering us from the Evil One – Satan and all Satan’s desires to destroy us altogether.One writer put it: These final words encompass the whole prayer. Praise. Purpose. Provision. Pardon and Protection.The thought would be this: It is necessary for us to pray, because to you, God, is the kingdom, the power, the glory – it’s not ours – it’s not for we

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human beings to get all the power and the glory – we don’t all get the gold – we don’t deserve the gold – we don’t get to be kings and queens of it all. God is God. And I’m not God. You are our King, the all-powerful, who are able and willing to give us every good gift, every benefit, in order that your name is glorified now and forever.It’s saying, “You are God! We praise you! You are the Lord! We acclaim You! All creation worships you! Glory be to your name today, and tomorrow, and the tomorrow after that, and next week, next year, and forever, and ever, and ever. Lord, I lift your name on high!” Amen.And as for that word, “Amen” – it means “So Be It.” “Let it be so.”Let’s say this prayer one more time together and then lift the name of God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit together before we enjoy the food and fellowship time.