(Matt 6:9) “ After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.” How many Christians really understand and utilize the privilege of prayer. Jesus himself spent hours daily in prayer and at times entire nights, and yet we sometimes fail to see the importance of it. Prayer is not a complicated thing, in fact God desires not our eloquence in it, but rather just our simple sincerity. In the sermon on the mount, Jesus instructed his disciples; 1) To Pray To “Our Father in heaven.” The focus of our prayers must always be directed at Jesus’s Father “in heaven.” This was mentioned first so that the disciples would learn to respect his Father’s position and see that all answers to prayer come directly from Him in heaven. You see, the purpose of prayer is not just to petition God, but it also is used by God to bend the will of man on earth to be in agreement with God’s will “in heaven.” For, “Our Father” is in charge” not us. Also, by the use of the words “Our Father,” the disciples learned that God is a Father to many, and not just a few, for God is listening to the prayers of all men. 2) “Hallowed Be Thy Name.” The word “hallowed” implies “most holy, and most respected,” Next to God himself, the most holy thing in heaven or on earth is His Name. Jesus wanted his disciples to understand that His Father deserves respect and adoration. When we come to God in prayer, we’re not talking to the “big guy upstairs,” or just another man. No, we’re talking to “The Most Holy God” of heaven. Man wants to bring God down to our level, but those who love the Lord know that He must be exalted and respected by us first, before we can expect to be heard.
“Matt. 6:13) “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.” The above verse is the ending words of Jesus’s example on of how to pray. In the Lord’s prayer we are first taught to honor and glorify the Father and His Holy Name or (His Person). Then we are commanded to seek His will or (His Purpose) in life. After which, Jesus taught us to (Petition) him for our needs or “ daily bread,” as well as “forgiveness” and “deliverance from evil” when tested, but there is also another aspect of this prayer that most people miss; and that is (His Praise). You see the temptation to do sin or “evil” is as much a part of our daily life as breathing. We are tempted daily to lust, lie, steal, gossip, cheat, become jealous, hate, etc., so we need not just the forgiveness of God, but also His power in faith. Brethren, we have someone in heaven who knows the feel of temptation in the flesh, and his name is Jesu
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