40 Days of PRAYER
Dr Jim Brown's TruNorth Devotional
40 Days of PRAYER
Day 18 |GOD, HIS NAME, AND THE KINGDOM | Matthew 6:9-10
40 Days of PRAYER
Day 18 |GOD, HIS NAME, AND THE KINGDOM | Matthew 6:9-10
GOD, HIS NAME, AND THE KINGDOM
Matthew 6:9-10
“Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.”
On two different occasions – once here on the “Sermon on the Mount” and another time when the disciples asked Him to teach them to pray (Luke 11), Jesus gave what we call “The Lord’s Prayer.” There are slight differences between the two, but understandable as they were said at different times.
This prayer is amazing for its short length, and yet it is simple and comprehensive. Taken in context with the Matthew 6:6-8, it was not meant to become a thoughtless prayer we recite all the time, but rather was to be more a model prayer for Believers.
It starts appropriately, with the focus on God – our Heavenly Father.
This prayer acknowledges that God is in heaven. The prayer goes on to acknowledge that His name is “hallowed.” That means His name is HOLY. One of God’s attributes.
If the prayer didn’t progress any farther, it would be amazing as it would focus the “Sermon on the Mount” listeners (and we, today’s readers) on God; Who He is, what is it about His name and where is He.
Then we read: “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.”
Jesus is teaching us to pray for God’s kingdom to come to earth and for God’s will be done here – as it is always done in heaven.
I can imagine the faces of Jesus’ original listeners… how BOLD this prayer must have sounded. And it is for us today as well, as we pray for God’s Kingdom to come to earth. This is clearly in opposition to the various political parties and nations who seem to want THEIR will to be done, with no regard to God or His will. And that, my dear friend, is why our world is so messed up.
Prayer: LORD, I acknowledge that ONLY Your will can fix the problems our world today. We need You, LORD. Amen.
Matthew 6:9-10
“Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.”
On two different occasions – once here on the “Sermon on the Mount” and another time when the disciples asked Him to teach them to pray (Luke 11), Jesus gave what we call “The Lord’s Prayer.” There are slight differences between the two, but understandable as they were said at different times.
This prayer is amazing for its short length, and yet it is simple and comprehensive. Taken in context with the Matthew 6:6-8, it was not meant to become a thoughtless prayer we recite all the time, but rather was to be more a model prayer for Believers.
It starts appropriately, with the focus on God – our Heavenly Father.
This prayer acknowledges that God is in heaven. The prayer goes on to acknowledge that His name is “hallowed.” That means His name is HOLY. One of God’s attributes.
If the prayer didn’t progress any farther, it would be amazing as it would focus the “Sermon on the Mount” listeners (and we, today’s readers) on God; Who He is, what is it about His name and where is He.
Then we read: “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.”
Jesus is teaching us to pray for God’s kingdom to come to earth and for God’s will be done here – as it is always done in heaven.
I can imagine the faces of Jesus’ original listeners… how BOLD this prayer must have sounded. And it is for us today as well, as we pray for God’s Kingdom to come to earth. This is clearly in opposition to the various political parties and nations who seem to want THEIR will to be done, with no regard to God or His will. And that, my dear friend, is why our world is so messed up.
Prayer: LORD, I acknowledge that ONLY Your will can fix the problems our world today. We need You, LORD. Amen.