Our Father

DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW

Our Father

Matt 6:9-13

9 "This, then, is how you should pray: "'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, 10 your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us today our daily bread. 12 Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.'

NIV

Somehow it seems inappropriate to break up the Lord’s Prayer by verse, so we will include all of it, however we may spend a few devotions to cover each individual concept. Here we have what many of us recite, usually, as a congregation at some time during church service. It also has been used to recite in conjunction with a prayer about Mary by one denomination either using a row of beads or for the reason of penance as assigned by a priest. Yet is this what Jesus intended when he said, “This, then is how you should pray”? First we need to see that this is the alternative to praying like either the Pharisees or as Jesus said, the hypocrites who pray in public as a big show of their spirituality, using flamboyant words. Instead this model or pattern for prayer should be done in secret. So then, perhaps the congregation recital may not be the intent of Jesus. However, let us move to seeing just what he meant for us to have within our hearts and minds during our secret time of prayer. First and foremost we recognize who we are praying to. Mistakenly, some believers pray to Jesus, although he is also God as is the Holy Spirit, which is what is referred to by many as the mystery of the Trinity. But here, as well as in other teachings, Jesus tells us to pray to the Father. He tells us if we ask the Father, in his name, the Father will give us what we ask for.

John 16:23-24

I tell you the truth, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name . 24 Until now you have not asked for anything in my name . Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.

NIV

Jesus teaches us to pray to the Father, yes in his name, but we do not pray to Jesus, but to the Father. So then here we are in the beginning, recognizing who it is we are praying to, but at that same time reminding ourselves that his name is hallowed. He knows his name is hallowed, we are not telling him his name is hallowed, we are reminding ourselves who he is and that his name is hallowed. The Greek word used here is actually a verb or action word form of another Greek word for holy, sacred, pure, and blameless. This action word would imply we venerate the name of God. That is we revere, or regard highly, give his name reverence, we exalt or adore, honor, respect and esteem his name. He knows who he is, and his own name. This prayer, this beginning is to bring all that into our minds and hearts regarding who he is. This is not a casual conversation with our closest friend, although Jesus has called us friend. This is a time when we enter into the very presence of the Almighty, holy, blameless, pure and exalted Creator of all things, and especially including us humans. He is our creator, our life source, he is the very breathe within us. Without the Father, we simply do not exist. We also remind ourselves that the Father is in Heaven. Whether he sits upon a throne, or as some might think, that is only symbolic, is not the point. God is in a place we have labeled as heaven. The Greek word here does imply the expanse above the earth. It has been interpreted to mean the region above the sidereal, or movement of stars, heavens, and the seat of an order of things eternal and consummately perfect, where God dwells and the other heavenly beings. Heaven, a place where Jesus ascended to sit at the right hand of the Father.

Col 3:1-4

3:1 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

NIV

What was spoken to here gives us that concept when we pray, our Father who is in Heaven. We remind ourselves, we set our mind on things above, not on earthly things. We set the place in our heart, we raise ourselves above our earthly state and enter into the presence of the Almighty Father in Heaven. Now we are ready to pray.