Have you ever considered what is commonly called the Lord’s Prayer? In the Good News recorded by Matthew, Jesus says this is how we should pray:

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.*

In the ancient world, bread meant life and a lack of bread meant death.

When Jesus told the people to pray for bread they would understand that to mean praying for your very existence – your life. However, this isn’t a call just about having life. Go back to the start of the prayer – who is all about?

Our Father in heaven.

The prayer is as much about who is providing the bread as the bread itself.

Would you consider beginning to daily pray for your Dad in heaven to provide all your needs?

*Matthew 6:9-13 on BibleGateway

Have you ever considered what is commonly called the Lord’s Prayer? In the Good News recorded by Matthew, Jesus says this is how we should pray:

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.*

In the garden of Eden, it was all good but then Adam and Eve didn’t trust the will of God.  Relationships were broken, death came strolling in. Everything went bad.

As God’s rescue plan unfolded, Jesus went into another garden and voluntarily took upon himself all our brokenness and death.  He was taking away the sins of the world and it was crushing out his life; he felt that he would be forever separated from his Dad in heaven.  Can you hear the heartbreaking anguish in his cry, “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me”?

But Jesus knew the plan and loved us so much so instead of turning away he trusted the will of our Dad in heaven: “Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.”  With that commitment death was defeated, relationships were healed, heaven on earth was being restored.

Do you realize now what Jesus was really telling us when he said the words, “Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven”?

*Matthew 6:9-13 on BibleGateway

Have you ever considered what is commonly called the Lord’s Prayer? In the Good News recorded by Matthew, Jesus says this is how we should pray:

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.*

Remember the garden of Eden? Everything was good. Humanity was very good. It was heaven on earth. Then it went bad. The serpent lies, Adam and Eve believe him, they take and eat from Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Relationships broken. Death comes strolling in.

When Adam and Eve ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil they pushed God out of the centre of the garden; out of the centre of human life, and they were replacing God with themselves. Why did they push God out of the centre; why did they reject God’s will; why did they prevent the kingdom from existing on earth as it is in heaven? Because of judgment. Whose judgment?

Adam and Eve heard the serpent’s accusations about God and they judged him accordingly; they judged God’s will as unhelpful, contrary to their best interests, untrustworthy. Jesus mission was to reveal the truth about God, his character, his intentions, his love.

Would you consider setting aside your judgments about God and trusting Jesus’ revelation of your Dad in heaven?

*Matthew 6:9-13 on BibleGateway

Have you ever considered what is commonly called the Lord’s Prayer? In the Good News recorded by Matthew, Jesus says this is how we should pray:

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name.

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

Give us this day our daily bread.

And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.*

The manifestation of the kingdom and praying for and living with total trust in our Father’s will are interconnected; they go together. Now we could debate what the Kingdom is and what God’s will is but if Jesus’ life and teaching are our guide then at it’s heart we know that the kingdom is selfless, other centered, love and God’s will is that the kingdom would be our way of life with him and with all people.

Would you consider letting your life moving to the heartbeat of the Kingdom?

*Matthew 6:9-13 on BibleGateway

Have you ever considered what is commonly called the Lord’s Prayer? In the Good News recorded by Matthew, Jesus says this is how we should pray:

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name.

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

Give us this day our daily bread.

And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.*

For Jesus, these aren’t just words; this isn’t a case of “do as I say and not as I do.” He lived this prayer and just three years later, it would the only thing he had left. In an olive garden, with the weight of all the world’s sins pressing down on him, betrayed, about to be abandoned and denied, he said, “My Father! If this cup cannot be taken away unless I drink it, your will be done.”

Would you consider letting God’s will reign in your life this week?

*Matthew 6:9-13 on BibleGateway

Have you ever considered what is commonly called the Lord’s Prayer? In the Good News recorded by Matthew, Jesus says this is how we should pray:

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name.

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

Give us this day our daily bread.

And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.*

What does hallowed be your name mean? One commentator suggests the meaning here is, “Let your name be celebrated, and venerated, and esteemed as holy everywhere, and receive of all men proper honors.”

What’s the big deal about God’s name? What makes people celebrate God’s name?

The people in Bible times had about 16 different names for God based on how they experienced him a different times and in different places. They had these experiences because they trusted God when he called out to them. Here are some of his names. (In Hebrew the word for God is El.)

Name                       Meaning                     Bible Reference

El Shaddai               God of the mountain   Genesis 17:11

El Elyon                    God Most High            Genesis 14:18

El Olan                      God Eternal                 Genesis 21:33

El Berit                      God of the Covenant  Judges 9:46

Would you consider trusting God so that you can experience him in a way that reveals his holy name to you?

*Matthew 6:9-13 on BibleGateway

Have you ever considered what is commonly called the Lord’s Prayer? In the Good News recorded by Matthew, Jesus says this is how we should pray:

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name.

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

Give us this day our daily bread.

And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.*

Our Father in heaven. Do you realize this is a faith statement? God is not made of wood, stone or metal sitting on your mantel or bedside table. God is living, active and ruling the universe from his kingdom in heaven. Every time we pray this prayer we are recognizing who our God is and that we are his creation, looking up to him for all we need.

Would you consider placing your life into the hands of your Dad in heaven?

*Matthew 6:9-13 on BibleGateway