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.*
Did you ever wonder why Jesus’ prayer starts the way it does? Why doesn’t it start like this: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, You don’t lead us into temptation, but you deliver us from evil? I mean when it comes to priorities I would like deliverance from evil more than daily bread.
As I read it over and over what occurs to me is that all the other parts have to come first. Each verse lays the foundation of an intimate, dependent relationship, one part interconnected and building on the other.
Our Father in heaven, – you’re our divine dad and we completely depend on you.
Your kingdom come, your will be done – We surrender ourselves to you Father; we want you back in the centre of our lives; not our will but your will.
You give us our daily bread – Father you are the source of all we have and all we are; you provide our daily need and our need for eternal salvation.
You forgive us our debts – Father your love and grace to be transform us into people who are loving and graceful to you and to others – even our enemies.
You don’t lead us into temptation, but you deliver us from evil – Father our lives are in your hands and that’s the best place to be; because only you can lead us away from temptation and deliver from Satan and from ourselves.
I want to suggest to you that if you are praying for freedom and deliverance and you are not building an intimate, dependent, relationship then your prayers are probably futile; deliverance will be fleeting and you will be ruled by your own evil desires.
Do you want to resist the temptations that come into our life? Do you want deliverance from the guilt and shame and broken relationships created by your evil desires?
If your answer is yes, would consider making today, right now, the day you ask Jesus to be your Savior and forever friend? Will you consider asking our Father God to become your dad in heaven?