THE MODEL PRAYER, FASTING, AND THE KINGDOM

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Matthew 6:9-15
Lesson #15
THE MODEL PRAYER, FASTING, AND THE KINGDOM

• Memory verse: Psalms 5:2
• Read Mat 6:9-15.
  • Jesus said this prayer was to teach his disciples how to pray. It is usually called the Lord’s Prayer but a better title is the model of a disciple’s prayer.
  • If this is a model, then we need to take it apart to learn the nature of prayer and see what we can learn about prayer.
  • The order of the petitions:
    • The first three have to do with God and His glory.
    • The last three have to do with three essential needs of man and the time frame in which he lives.
      • The request for bread is necessary for the maintenance of material life.
      • The needs of the present that are submitted to God direct our attention to God, the Father, the Creator and sustainer of life.
    • The request for forgiveness is necessary for the maintenance of spiritual life.
    • The needs of the past that are given to God directs our attention to Jesus, the Son, the Savior and Redeemer from sin.
    • The request for help in temptation is necessary for the growth of spiritual life.
    • The prayer commits the future to God.
    • The prayer directs our attention to the Holy Spirit, the one who strengthens, illuminates, and guides.
  • The nature of the prayer:
    • Worship (9)
    • Rulership (10)
    • Provision (11)
    • Forgiveness (12)
    • Release (12)
    • Progress (13)
    • Surrender (13)
  • The details of the model prayer:
    • “Our father” (9)
      • The prayer is for those who have a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ because the unbeliever cannot call God his father.
        • God is never called “father” outside of the circle of disciples.
        • Therefore, only believers can call God their Father.
      • The opening statement reassures the believer that God is a loving God who is in charge of this world.
      • The opening statement identifies the believer with other believers.
        • The prayer does not say “my” father.
        • “I, me, mine” never occur in this prayer because believers are to identify with and relate to other believers in unselfishness.
    • “who art in heaven” (9)
      • We are to remind ourselves of the Holiness of God.
      • We are to remind ourselves of the power of God.
      • The Father, who is love, and the God, who is in heaven, means an all powerful God uses his power for the benefit of his children.
    • “hallowed be thy name” (9)
      • The Greek word for hallowed is (hagiazesthai) which means = to treat a thing or person in a different or a separate way.
      • Therefore, we are saying, “Let God’s name be treated differently from all other names; let God’s name be given a position which is absolutely unique.”
      • One’s name was considered very important. It signified the nature, character, and the personality of the person. (Psa 9:10)
        • Those who know the nature, character, and person of God will put their trust in Him.
        • Therefore, may we give to God the unique place which His nature and character deserve and demand four necessary things:

=1= To reverence God, you must believe that God exists.

=2= To reverence God, we must know the kind of God He is; a God of holiness, justice, and love.

=3= To reverence God, we must have a constant awareness of God.

=4= To reverence God, we must be obedient and submissive to God.

• • • “thy kingdom come” (10)
      • Remember that the theme of our study is the kingdom of heaven or the kingdom of God.
      • This theme reoccurs through the book of Matthew.

____________________

Kingdom of Heaven/Kingdom of God

• The use of the terms the kingdom of heaven and the kingdom of God:
  • The kingdom of God and the kingdom of heaven are interchangeable terms that some theologians attempt to separate.
    • The book of Matthew, written to the Jews, speaks of the kingdom of heaven. Because the Jews avoided the use of the name of God, Matthew wrote heaven instead of God to the Jews.
    • The books of Mark and Luke, written to non-Jews, speak of the kingdom of God.
  • Personally I see no difference between the two consistently sustained in scripture.
• What is the kingdom?
  • The kingdom of God is the interjection of God’s rule into the lives of mankind. (Mat 6:10)
  • God is a personal God that seeks a relationship with man.
    • A kingdom has a king, namely Jesus Christ. (Mat 27:37 Rev 17:14)
      • The kingdom of God is embodied in Jesus Christ so that wherever the king is there His kingdom is.
      • John the Baptist said the kingdom was at hand because Jesus was coming upon the scene of human history. (Mat 3:1,2 Mat 4:17
    • The present aspect:
      • The kingdom of God is within believers. (Col 1:12,13 Heb 12:28)
    • Future aspect:
      • The kingdom of God will fill the earth when Jesus Christ returns to set up his kingdom on the earth for 1,000 years.
      • This is when believers will rule with Him. (2Tim 4:1 Jam 2:5)
    • Eternal aspect: (1Pet 1:11)
      • The kingdom of God will endure forever in eternity where Christ will rule and believers will live with him. (Rev 12:10 Rev 21)

______________________

• • • “thy will be done” (10)
      • To prayer this prayer is resigning your will to the will of God, no matter what.
        • This should not be said resentfully
        • This should be in true trust because you know God is all wisdom and that he loves you.
    • “in earth as it is in heaven” (10)
      • The prayer is that God bring the nature and character of his kingdom into the sphere of your world and your situation spiritually.
    • “thy kingdom come”.
      • Pray for the spiritual reality of God’s kingdom to manifest itself in your earthly situation.
      • Inherent is the idea that you request God to change aspects of your situation into something that conforms to God’s perfect will.
    • “give us this day our daily bread” (11)
      • The meaning and interpretation of this phrase has seen many variations over the years.
      • The reason for the difficulty is because the word “daily” (epiousios) was never found in any other Greek literature. However, not very long ago they found a fragment of a papyrus which turned out to be a woman’s shopping list. It contained this word. The request, therefore, means “Give us the things we need to eat for the coming day.”
      • Because Jesus told us to include this in our prayers, it means:
        • That God cares about our bodies.
        • That we should live one day at a time.
        • That God is the source of all we need.
    • “forgive us our debts” (12)
      • We must have a continual awareness of the sinful condition of man, and the personal sins we commit.
      • The five New Testament words for sin:
        • =1= “hamartia” = a missing of the mark or target. This is a failure to be what we might have been.
        • =2= “parabasis” = stepping across the line drawn between right and wrong.
        • =3= “paraptoma” = slipping or sliding across the line by accident.
        • =4= “anomia” = lawlessness, knowing what is right but determined to do wrong by breaking the law.
        • =5= “opheilema” = debt, a failure to pay that which is due. This is the word used in this prayer to mean a failure to perfectly fulfill our duty to God and to man.
    • “as we forgive our debtors” (12)
      • On what condition is the forgiveness of your sins based? (14,15)
      • Literally it asks God to forgive us our sins (debts) in the same proportion as we forgive those people who sinned against us.
      • Forgiveness from God and our forgiveness of others are linked spiritually.
        • If we are to have Christian forgiveness in our lives, three things are necessary:

=1= We must learn to understand others.

=2= We must learn to forget the offenses of others

=3= We must learn to love with unconditional agape love

• • • • • Why are they spiritually linked?

Not to forgive others denies the sinful condition of all men in need of forgiveness.

Unforgiveness puts people in spiritual bondage and hinders the work of God.

• • • “lead us not into temptation” (13)
      • Remember we previously looked at the meaning of the words test, tempt, and trial all coming from the same Greek word. (See your notes from Mat 4:1-11).
      • It is better translated “testing”.
        • Metal is tested before it is used to test for its strengths and ability to withstand pressure far beyond what it will have to bear.
        • In the same way, God tests man so that he can be used for service in the kingdom.
    • “deliver us from evil” (13)
      • The translation should read “deliver us from the evil one” meaning Satan or the devil.
        • The word Satan means = adversary or opponent, one who pleads a case against someone.
        • The word devil means = slanderer; one who makes up a false case against someone.
    • “for thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory forever, amen.”
      • This blessing is an echo of the beginning of the prayer.
      • You ask God to bring His kingdom, His will, to your earthly situation for the glory of God.

Homework

Matthew 6:16-24

• Application of Mat 6:9-15
  • As you pray this week, consider your prayers in light of the model prayer in Mat 6:9-15.
  • In what areas have your prayers been lacking some of these significant characteristics and attitudes?
• Preparation of Mat 6:16-24
  • Read Mat 6:16-24
    • What do you think are some spiritual benefits of fasting?
    • On what kinds of worldly wealth do these verses tell us to avoid setting our hearts?
    • Why is it impossible to set your heart on worldly wealth and on God at the same time?
• Memory verse: Jam 1:8