GOD
… Reconciling the world unto God …
The Scripture used throughout this study is quoted from the King James Version. Any explanatory insertions by the author within a Scripture verse are enclosed in brackets [ ]. |
© 1996 by Vincent C. Finnegan
P.O. Box 3098, Latham NY 12110, USA
HEART PRAYER
God wants heart, not unattached religious activity. “My son, give me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways” (Proverbs 23:26). The Word of God clearly states the outward actions God expects (live lovingly, be kind, work, give, serve others, etc.). However, robotic obedience to these command- ments, without the inward heart directed toward God, is vain. Others can see the outward actions, but the directing of the heart is done in the secrecy of the mind. We may fool others, and even ourselves, but never God. He sees the heart, and His vision is not impaired by outward activities. To observe His ways without giving Him your heart is hypocrisy and thus is not acceptable to God.
Christians are constantly tempted with hypocrisy. Hypocrisy is feigning or pretending to be what one is not. A hypocrite is a person who puts on a false appearance of virtue or religion. Jesus exposed some of the subtle ways we may be tricked in this area.
Matthew 6:1-4
Take heed that ye do not your alms [mercy deeds or compassionate actions] before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven.
Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth:
That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly [omitted in the Greek].
Loving service to others is required of those who love God. His Word tells us who love Him to love our brother also. Therefore, men are often the recipients of the mercy deeds we do because of our loving service to God. We must guard our minds not to slip into doing what we do for the acceptance or recognition of men. If we serve for man’s reward, that is all we will get. Man’s reward is shallow and oh, so fleeting. If our hearts are directed toward God when we serve, He promises to reward us. Which reward sounds more appealing — God’s or man’s?
To serve the right way takes deliberate, disciplined action. We must continually ask ourselves, “Why am I doing this? Is this what God wants? Is this directed toward God? Does God get the glory or do I? Why am I doing what I am doing?” We are to take inventory and, when necessary, redirect our hearts so God is receiving the real person, not a hypocrite.
The very first thing that Jesus taught about prayer was not to be a hypocrite. He emphasized prayer as an act of worship or devotion to God which must be presented with a genuine, pure heart. Prayer is never to be used for the attention or adoration from men.
Matthew 6:5 and 6
And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly [omitted].
I was brought up in a church that taught formalized prayers which were to be memorized and spoken over and over. As a young adult, I was introduced to a concern for the accuracy and integrity of God’s Word. With this exposure, for the first time I took inventory of my religious practices including prayer. This brought me to the shameful realization that I had maintained certain beliefs, which I unthinkingly accepted as true, without ever checking them against the truth of God’s Word.
My prayer life had been conducted in a mechanical, mindless fashion. Although I had memorized the prayers and repeated them thousands of times over years of my life, I had never considered deeply the words I was speaking. Nor did I consider that this manner of praying was exactly what Jesus called “vain repetition.”
Matthew 6:7 and 8
But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.
Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.
The concern is not the repetition itself because we are encouraged elsewhere in God’s Word to persist until we receive the answer. The problem is VAIN repetition which is much talking without concern or thought for that which is being said. The unbelievers thought if they prayed the same prayer over and over their gods would respond.
Every time we pray, we have the responsibility NOT TO ALLOW our hearts to be dormant. Today, I have moved away from memorizing formal prayers but still must control my mind each time I pray, or my words will once again be vain repetition.
When someone prays, the tendency for others present is to bow their heads and close their eyes. At that very moment we must decide whether we will control our minds and participate with the heart or just go through the regular motions, which again is hypocrisy.
As we continue in Matthew 6, we read the example Jesus Christ gave of how to pray. This prayer is commonly called the Lord’s Prayer and is probably the most spoken prayer in Christianity. Unfortunately, far too many have allowed this prayer to become like the vain repetition the heathen spoke in Christ’s time.
This great example of prayer is so simple, yet so packed with truth, that no limited viewing will do it justice. The first time you genuinely contemplate this prayer your heart will jump for joy to see its greatness. However, it is so rich with meaning each subsequent meditation upon it may reveal more truth to you.
These comments are intended to provide a mere springboard to get you started on a lifetime journey. The words never change, but we do. Our needs, attitudes, humility, meekness, consideration, maturity, etc. change; therefore, our perception alters when we pray this prayer.
Our Father which art in heaven... Matthew 6:9
This first statement of the prayer brings into focus exactly to Whom we are praying and our relationship to Him. The very first consideration to hold always in mind is that God is our Father. The Sermon on the Mount (recorded in Matthew 5-7) is the first recorded teaching of Jesus Christ. For the first time in history, God is doctrinally presented as Father. Seventeen times Jesus refers to Him as Father. When Jesus speaks this prayer, his hearers were not yet the children of God but shortly could be. This teaching, as many our Lord spoke, was in preparation for the time in the near future when people would be born again. Jesus had to fulfill his ministry, including his death, resurrection, and ascension, before the great and notable day of Pentecost could come. Pentecost was the first time anyone could be born again and enter into the relationship of a born-again child of God. With the new birth, people can refer to God as “Father” for indeed He is to those who have within them His incorruptible seed, the holy spirit.
Are you born again? If so, you can pray “our Father” because He is literally your Father. Your prayers are not to some remote, uncaring, and untouchable deity; rather, your prayers are addressed to the ever present, always loving, and approachable Father. Abraham, Moses, David, and all the others before Pentecost could not call God their Father. They were servants; we who are born again are sons.
Galatians 4:6 and 7
And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.
Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.
God is your Father Who is in heaven. The phrase “which art in heaven” brings to mind the utter magnificence and might of the One Who is our Father. Our Father is the Creator of the heavens and earth and everything therein.
Deuteronomy 10:14
Behold, the heaven and the heaven of heavens is the LORD'S thy God, the earth also, with all that therein is.
Our Father God is so big the human mind cannot begin to grasp His greatness. We cannot even fathom His creation, let alone Him.
Isaiah 40:12
Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and meted out heaven with the span, and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance?
The mind picture we are given is of a man holding his two hands together to hold water as if to wash his face. God measures in the hollow of His hand all the waters: the oceans, rivers, lakes, ponds, water in the heavens and beyond, in the deep.
A span is the distance from the tip of the thumb to the tip of the pinky on an outstretched hand. God measures the heaven as His span. How big is God? Read Isaiah 40:12 again. The One to Whom we pray, “our Father,” is this God spoken of in Isaiah and throughout the Bible.
However large we perceive our problems, in God’s reality, in His span, they are less than minuscule. Our prayers are to the all powerful God Who can do so much more than we could ever ask or think.
Ephesians 3:20
Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,
God’s perspective is heavenly; whereas ours is earthly. His is unlimited; ours is very limited. He sees yesterday, today, and tomorrow. We often cannot clearly see what is in front of our faces. From His heavenly perspective, He clearly sees all. From our earthly perspective, we do not see clearly. When we pray, we acknowledge He is in heaven, and we are on earth. God is so much more capable of providing for us; therefore, we approach Him with awe and humility.
...Hallowed be thy name. Matthew 6:9
“Hallowed” is the Greek word hagiazo meaning holy, set apart, sanctified. Our Father inhabits eternity, and His name is Holy.
Isaiah 57:15
For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place....
His name is holy because He is holy. There are absolutely no defilement, uncleanness, or darkness in Him for He is holy, holy, holy.
Revelation 4:8
...Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.
In that the Lord God Almighty, our Father, is holy, holy, holy, we can be fully persuaded that the answer to our prayers will be holy, clean, light, just, and absolutely right.
Considering the prayer’s introductory phrase, we see our responsibility to hold in mind a correct, godly attitude when we pray. With this simple phrase, “our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name,” Jesus lifts our minds to embrace an attitude of complete awe and confident expectancy. What a revealing contrast to the usually humdrum, robotic, listless attitude often held when these words are spoken.
This same respectful and believing attitude is demonstrated in many of the prayers recorded in the Bible. The first recorded prayer of the Christian Church after Pentecost begins with this same attitude.
Acts 4:24
And when they heard that, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said, Lord, thou art God, which hast made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is:
With this correct attitude in mind, we are ready to examine the next phrase in the Lord’s prayer.
Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Matthew 6:10
God promises repeatedly in the Scriptures that a day is coming when His Kingdom will come upon this earth. Not only does He promise, but He provides repeated proof and assurance of this coming day. When His Kingdom is come, then His will only shall be done in earth as it is in heaven.
Jesus Christ often spoke about the Kingdom of God and man’s relationship to it both in the future and right now. The sovereignty of God on the entire earth is not yet fully revealed, but each born-again one can choose to allow God to reign in his heart and life right now. When we choose His will above our will, when we live according to His Word, we allow His Kingdom in our lives today.
God’s Kingdom on earth is determined by God Himself. Man has nothing to do with it. Thousands of years ago, God already had spoken of this coming day. It is certain, unalterable, and completely in the control of Almighty God. Therefore, this cannot be an exhortation for us to pray for this day to come. We acknowledge its inevitability while praying for the strength to do God’s will now so God can reign within us today. In essence we ask: “God help me to do Your will, not mine. Help me to know and live Your Word for it is Your will.”
Give us this day our daily bread. Matthew 6:11
Each day we are to pray this prayer. Luke says “day by day.” This instruction is significant because we are to live each day without being distracted by the past or future. The only day we have is today.
Matthew 6:34
Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.
We are not told to pray for tomorrow’s bread today. “Give us this day our daily bread.” This certainly would include all the necessities in the physical world such as food, clothing, and shelter. Also from the context, we should consider daily bread for spiritual life, whatever is needed to do His will today.
And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. Matthew 6:12
The word “debts” is equivalent to offenses, trespasses, or transgressions, while “debtor” refers to the one committing said act. At least daily we are told to ask God for His forgiveness in our lives.
To understand this verse, we must remember that this prayer, although spoken to his disciples, is for those who can call God their Father because they are born again of His incorruptible seed. This prayer is not instruction for the unsaved. The unsaved must accept Jesus Christ as Lord and believe God raised him from the dead. Peter’s words on Pentecost are for the unsaved to heed.
Acts 2:38
Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
When the unsaved ones repent and accept Christ as Lord, they receive remission of sins. This means all the sins of their lives before Christ are completely washed away.
The saved, however, are told to pray at least daily for God to forgive them because they still sin even after having been saved.
I John 1:9
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
When the children of God sin, their eternal salvation is not jeopardized, but rather their harmony with God. The issue for the saved is never sonship but fellowship. For us to maintain fellowship with God, we must obey His commandments. One very significant command is to forgive our debtors.
Ephesians 4:32
And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.
If we desire to walk in the light, in fellowship with God, we must be forgiving toward others. When we do not forgive, we are sinning and remove ourselves from the realm of God’s forgiveness. Jesus elaborated on this after he concluded the prayer.
Matthew 6:14 and 15
For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:
But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
Again, this forgiveness is not referring to remission of sin received by grace with the new birth. This forgiveness relates to broken fellowship the saved one has because of failure to heed God’s command to forgive.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil … Matthew 6:13
We are in a spiritual battle. We wrestle not against flesh and blood but against principalities, powers, the rulers of the darkness of this world, spiritual wickedness. We each have a personal adversary in the devil. The assault by the adversary is far more than we can bear ourselves. Daily, we need God’s assistance; so daily we pray not to be led into temptation but to be delivered from evil.
Matthew 26:41
Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.
Satan is the master of disguise and the master of illusion. He can make evil look beautiful and beneficial. His temptations are far too crafty for us to handle on our own. Our Father, Almighty God, is abundantly able to see through Satan’s devices and to deliver His own that call upon Him.
II Peter 2:9
The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations …
If we try to avoid temptation on our own, we will succumb to it. If we try to deliver ourselves from evil, we will drown in it. Pray for the help of God and hold in mind the later part of this verse.
...For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. Matthew 6:13
As the prayer began, so it ends. Acknowledge the almighty power and sovereignty of God. The prayer is like a bookend. On one end we acknowledge we are praying to our Father Who inhabits the heavens and is holy, holy, holy. At the other end we acknowledge He is the King Eternal. He was, is, and is to come. God is overall and completely in control. To Him and
Him only is glory and ultimate honor. He is absolutely worthy of our eternal praise and worship.
Jesus taught the Sermon on the Mount early in his ministry. As was previously stated, it was his first recorded teaching. Months before the end of his ministry, his disciples asked him to teach them how to pray. He responded with a similar, but not identical, instruction. The important point of the Lord’s instruction is to gain the concept and scope. This prayer was never intended to be memorized so as to be magic words repeated like “abracadabra.” Jesus knew every person should pray for certain things daily. These things are addressed in the prayer. The words are not the issue as much as the truth and concepts the words communicate to the mind. You can use different words and say the same thing.
Luke 11:1-4
And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.
And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.
Give us day by day our daily bread.
And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.
After acknowledging our relationship to Almighty God, the first thing for which we are told to ask in prayer is the knowledge and strength to do God’s will. Perhaps prayers are not answered because when we request what we want, we contradict what God wants. We are assured that if we ask according to His will, He will hear us and answer our requests.
I John 5:14 and 15
And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:
And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.
The challenge we face is knowing His will. Very important to remember is that the Word of God is the will of God. To know His will, we must know His Word which means we must diligently study His Word. All things that pertain to life and godliness are revealed in it.
Often in the Scriptures are prayers asking God to teach and to give understanding.
Psalms 119:33-36
Teach me, O LORD, the way of thy statutes; and I shall keep it unto the end.
Give me understanding, and I shall keep thy law; yea, I shall observe it with my whole heart.
Make me to go in the path of thy commandments; for therein do I delight.
Incline my heart unto thy testimonies, and not to covetousness.
Also, in the Church Epistles are prayers for us to have a knowledge of His will. We are to pray and study the Word of God to know His will. As we are involved in daily living insight is needed. The holy spirit within us can bring to remembrance God’s Word appropriate for the situation.
Jesus continued his prayer instruction by sharing a parable. The key word to understanding the parable is “importunity” which basically means shameful persistence. He gave this illustration so we clearly understand we are to persist with our prayers. Do not give up. God will provide.
A repetition comes with persistence, but the parable illustrates the passion of heart that is involved. There is a big difference between vain, mindless repetition and what this friend manifested.
Luke 11:5-9
And he said unto them, Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight, and say unto him, Friend, lend me three loaves;
For a friend of mine in his journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him?
And he from within shall answer and say, Trouble me not: the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give thee.
I say unto you, Though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth.
And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.
The words “ask,” “seek,” and “knock” were translated in the Living Bible “keep on asking,” “keep on seeking,” and “keep on knocking.” When do you stop asking? When you have that which is needed! When do you stop seeking? When you find! When do you stop knocking? When it is open! Asking, seeking, and knocking are describing the persistence the friend in the parable illustrated.
In another record, Jesus graphically illustrated the need for persistence in prayer. While reading, keep in mind the first verse because the point is not to faint or give up.
Luke 18:1-8
And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;
Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man:
And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary.
And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man;
Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.
And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith.
And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them?
I tell you that he will avenge them speedily …
Jesus continued in this chapter to teach on the subject of prayer magnifying the point of humility in prayer.
Luke 18:10-14
Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.
The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.
I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.
And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.
I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.
Our loving, merciful God is not obligated to answer our prayers because we deserve an answer or demand it. He responds because of His loving grace. When we pray as our Lord Jesus Christ taught, we can expect our prayers to be answered because we are then obeying God’s Word. He absolutely assures us that He will stand behind His Word. Each and every time we pray, our hearts should be filled with love, gratitude, and praise for our Father.
The Lord’s prayer is by no means the only prayer recorded for us to emulate but certainly provides our great foundation. The prayers in Ephesians are also ours to pray. They too bring our attention to God’s concern for our hearts and not just actions. In the Aramaic text, the word “understanding” in verse 18 is “heart.”
Ephesians 1:16-19
Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers;
That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:
The eyes of your understanding [heart] being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,
And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to usward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,
Christ dwelling in our hearts is central to the prayer in chapter three.
Ephesians 3:14-19
For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,
That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;
That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,
May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;
And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.
Our Father God looks on the heart. He knows each of us personally and intimately. We can speak to Him in our own words and be well-assured He will respond when they are from the heart.
Source: http://www.bibelcenter.de · E-Mail: editor@bibelcenter.de
Last changed: 01.01.1970