Watch our Livestream 10am Sundays at 10am on Sundays Give Online
(8) Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
(9) Pray then like this: “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 this day our daily bread,
(12) and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
(13) And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
Matthew 6:5–7 (ESV) — “And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. “And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words.
By definition prayer is a private communion with God, not a public manifestation of piety.
— Grant R. Osborne, Zondervan Exegetical Commentary, 232.
Prayer is an offering of our hearts to God to lay before him our desires, needs, sings, thanksgivings, and adoration, all in the name of Christ and according to his will
— Trinity Catechism, Trinity Fellowship Press, p.37 A. 92.
The Context of the Lord’s Prayer is set as a corrective contrast to how Jesus critiques the hypocrite and the pagan.
Gentiles:
Muslim’s are obligated to pray 5 times a day religiously (Salah), in order to obey Muhammad, and please Allah—Works.
Hindus: Pray to some of many Gods dependent on their need. Seeking to appease their God’s so that they may answer. Hoping that their devotion will earn them good Karma and enough to be assumed back into Brahman.
Buddhists: to empty themselves or their thoughts, to achieve enlightenment—nothingness.
Post-Modern Atheist: “I believe in Science”
Quasi-spiritualists: “putting good vibes out into the world—or your way” “I do believe in fairies” (Peter Pan 2003)
Wishful thinking
Throughout the Sermon on the Mount we’ve heard Jesus say, “You’ve heard it said—but I say to you.”
One Commentator pointed out something interesting about the Lord’s prayer.
This is probably the most interesting thing to me personally—and it has helped me to apply the this prayer better, according to how I think Jesus intended it.
…it is certain that he did not make it, as appears from what has been cited out of the Jewish records: the several petitions in it were in being and use before he directed to them; and not only the petitions, but even the very preface and conclusion, are manifestly of Jewish original: what our Lord did was, he took the most proper and pertinent petitions, that had been used by good men among that people; which, with some alterations much for the better, he put together in this order, and gave his approbation of; and that with this view, to point out to his disciples some of the best and most suitable petitions to be made; and to give them a pattern of brevity and conciseness in prayer; and teach them to pray after such a manner, or in some such like words and expressions. This I observe, not to lessen the usefulness of this excellent pattern of sound words; the whole, and every part of it, being exceedingly instructive, and worthy of imitation; but to rectify a vulgar mistake, and to abate the formal and superstitious observance of it.
— An Exposition of the New Testament, Volumes I–III Chapter 6
If this is correct, then Jesus is also applying the “but I say to you…” concept to this passage. He’s correcting it and offering it to us as the best way to approach God. This helps us because approaching God can be hard.
Jesus intention is to focus his disciples on the treasure of personal relationship with God—as Father, and put away any ideas that we may have that there is a need for us to do it any other way. Of all the ways there are to pray, this is the best way.
God, our dear heavenly Father! His name hallowed, his kingdom extended, his will done. Our needs supplied, our sins forgiven, our temptations overcome. What a prayer! And all in fifty-seven (Greek) words—no vain repetitions here!
The Message of Matthew 4. Jesus Highlights Our Devotion (6:1–18)
The prayer is framed to reflect an order such as the 10 commandments, or the Great Commandment
Depending on how you break this passage up there several independent ideas that Jesus is teaching us to address, but they all fall into 2 basic categories—the God focused ones, and the man focused ones. The 10 commandments are 4 commandments about what we owe To God and the rest are what we owe or how we live with man. The great commandments are Love the Lord your God with all that you have and love your neighbor as yourself.
Here we have 2-3 statements about God that posture us to approach him with the other 2-3 regarding ourselves.
For the purpose of the sermon today I’ll address these 4-6 different petitions in three basic ideas.
The burden I have for today is Father, and for moving your heart to pray more and better as a child bringing everything to your Father in heaven.
Knowing Our Father
Being Like Our Father
Relying on Our Father
“Our Father want us to know him, be like him, and rely on him—so come to him like a child.”
Matthew 6:9 (ESV) — Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.
When you pray, Address Who You’re speaking to.
Who are you even talking to?
“You’re wonderful. You really get me and you like me anyway”
It begins with the word of intimacy, Father. In the Aramaic Jesus spoke, that would be ‘Abba’, Jesus’ own characteristic address to God. Nobody had ever addressed God like that. The word was used by little children of their daddy. And Jesus, who alone had that intimacy or relationship with God as his dear daddy, gives his true disciples the right to come in on the same level of intimacy, and call God Abba. Amazing! The whole gospel is contained in that one little word, Abba—as Paul well understood. Individual disciples may approach God in that family confidence; but they do not come alone. They come as part of the multitude whom no-one could count.15 And so he is ‘Our Father’, not just ‘My Father’.
— Michael P. Green, The Message of Matthew 4. Jesus Highlights Our Devotion (6:1–18)
Throughout this history of God’s chosen people he has claimed and proclaimed that Israel, his chosen people would be the ones who he calls sons and daughters.
Somewhere between 12-15 specific times.
Exodus 4:22 (ESV) — Then you shall say to Pharaoh, ‘Thus says the LORD, Israel is my firstborn son,
Isaiah 43:6 (ESV) — I will say to the north, Give up, and to the south, Do not withhold; bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the end of the earth,
Hosea 1:10 (ESV) — Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be like the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured or numbered. And in the place where it was said to them, “You are not my people,” it shall be said to them, “Children of the living God.”
However, in the gospels Jesus invites us to come to his God Father and address him as such. The whole New Testament refers to god somewhere about 250 times (100 of those in John alone.)
This is radical! There is a definite shift that starts with Jesus and carries through the rest of the New Testament. He taught his followers to pray to God as “Father”.
I appreciate the point that Green is making here, but I believe that the remarkable thing here is being overlooked.
It’s not that we should call God, “Daddy”, but that we should address him in such a familiar way.
There is something unnatural to us about addressing the Almighty God as “Daddy”. This is right.
In fact the very next part of the address is “Hallowed be your name”. Hallowed carries the same meaning as Sanctified, Set Apart, Holy, Highly Honored—the most highly honored.
While the Aramaic word for “Father” is “Abba” which does communicate relational closeness and comfortable familiarity—to translate that to our English Word for Daddy is doing something different.
So what I’m not tell you to do is start saying “Our Daddy in heaven…”
However, J.I. Packer in his book Knowing God explains how our position as “Adopted Sons of God” is to be more deeply treasured than our “Justification”. You can’t have one without the other, but for us in the modern Reformed camp, Justification is what we talk about the most.
Justification is the means to an end—Adoption is the end.
2 Corinthians 6:16–18 (ESV) — What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said, “I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Therefore go out from their midst, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; then I will welcome you, and I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty.”
He refers to his people, whom he calls out, from the ends of the earth, people who were not his own (adoption) “Children of the Living God”; “my sons” & “my daughters”; and they shall be his “firstborn son”—meaning the inheritors of all that he has!
A Father’s desire in saving us is not to have subjects (though we are that) or servants (though we are that as well—happily)—he desires sons and daughters to whom he can include in his Kingdom and it’s expansion.
This is what is so radical—this is what Green was getting at. By calling the Living God Father we assume a familiarity and personal connection to him in the most intimate of relationships.
All this sound great—we believe this, but the questions is, do we actually live like this; do we PRAY like this.
The Problem is we’re messy. We may believe and hope in the finished work of Jesus on our behalf, but we feel our messiness. We feel the disconnect that we cause by our sin or our limitations and we see hear how Holy God is and how morally excellent he is and how much he hates sin and all that is true…. But Jesus, who came to bring us reconciliation to the Father, fellowship with the Father, and demonstrate the love of the Father reframes this for us.
— Paul Miller - Prayer Therapist
THE UNANSWERED PRAYER
Sometimes we don’t pray because we’re afraid God won’t answer
Sometimes it’s because we’re afraid he will.
THE DOUBT
Does it even matter, God’s going to do whatever he wants.
THE LACK OF PRACTICE
If you’re out of practice, it could be hard to start the conversation.
THE FEAR OF
A Praying Life, Paul Miller
A couple helpful things he says.
Come overwhelmed with life. Come with a wandering mind. Come messy
The only way to come to God is by taking off any spiritual mask. The real you has to meet the real God. He’s a person.
“…instead of being paralyzed by who you are, begin with who you are. That’s how the gospel works. God begins with you. It’s a little scary because you are messed up.”
Tim Keller who is know with the Father, in person said this and it captures in a special way the concept Jesus want’s us to have with our heavenly Father:
The only person who dares wake up a king at 3:00 a.m. for a glass of water is a child. We have that kind of access.
— Tim Keller (Quote from What Does the Bible Say About God As Our Father—Ray Ortland)
My two year old may call my name, but then call into my lap and take my face in his hands and direct my full attention to himself.
So to pray to Approach Almighty God with the honor and confidence that Jesus instructs us to we may pray like this: Most Excellent and Beloved Father.
This isn’t meant to be over the top, but to capture the concept that Jesus was inviting us to Address his beloved Father as ours.
John 20:17 (ESV) — Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’ ”
Approach God as Our Most Holy, Beloved Father
Consider the areas of your life that may be keeping you from trusting God as your father.
“Invite Him into our place.”
Matthew 6:10 (ESV) — Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
His Interests are my interests
Emmett and his copying of my activity.
Hunting, Baseball, Being Affectionate and Ornery, Belt Pouch
Ephesians 3:14–15 (ESV) — For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named,
Carried out of this awareness that Almighty God is and wants to be recognized as our Most Holy and Beloved Father, is this idea that we are his image-bearers.
There is this idea in the Old Testament, but also here in Ephesians that God is the Originator of all things, but also that mankind is specifically designed to represent him in creation.
As image bearers the Father’s plan has always been for mankind to multiply, and to carry the order of the garden, the goodness of his presence, and the likeness of his rule to every corner of the earth.
Jesus reiterates that creation mandate here urging us to make the Father’s desire, Christ’s desire, our desire.
This petition is Reminding us that as Adopted Sons of God, through Jesus Christ, we have a new task that supersedes all other ambition—Seek first the Kingdom of God and His Righteousness.
At the end of the gospel Jesus recommissions his “new creations” his “little Christs (image bearers)”, to go on his authority and make more disciples (multiply) to the uttermost/ ends of the earth. Baptizing them, bringing them into the order of his Kingdom and teaching them to observe all he had taught, (His will be done).
Praying according to his will:
1 John 5:14–15 (ESV) — And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.
The Trinity Catechism
Q 97. What prayer has been given to us to help us pray according to the Father’s will?
A 97. The Lord’s Prayer…
Q 93. What do we pray for in the third petition, “Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven”?
A 93. In this we pray that God by his grace would make us able and willing to know, obey, and submit to his will in all things, as the angels do in heaven.
This is impossible for us to do without the assistance of the Holy Spirit and his regeneration.
We are dead in our trespasses and sins and our hearts are evil continuously, when we pray for this, we are literally asking God to change our desires and transform us into new creations with new desires.
Romans 12:2 (ESV) — Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
Ephesians 4:22–24 (ESV) — to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.
When you pray this petition, you are asking for God to do something unnatural. To turn you into something unnatural.
Ask it expecting that he will do it—but don’t ask doubting or you will not receive it.
Samwise Gamgee: becoming bold and brave because of the special calling Gandalf put on his life.
Your Beloved Father has done this for you—raised you to an awareness beyond your natural state (alive from the dead) and placed a new call on your life higher than you can accomplish without him.
So we invite him to accomplish his glorious purposes and we ask him to change our ambition.
Matthew 6:11–12 (ESV) — Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
“Captive to the song you sing,
Created by the breath you breathe
“So down here, as in the heavenlies,
the King shall be our remedy,
He’s Good, He’s wild, he’s anything but tame,
He’s a good God, but good god, he is not safe.— Gable Price and Friends, “Not Safe”
We have asked for him, our Good and Beloved Father to bring his upside-down Kingdom, his good, all governing yet uncontrollable will to will from the heavenlies to earth.
This is the part of the prayer where the focus turns from God to us. The next three petitions are for ourselves—on his behalf.
This is good because God is good, but because he all-powerful and nothing is in our control he invites us to petition him for three significant things.
To some extent, This petition that starts the next category of prayer is the most basic—A recognition and declaration that God is who provides for our physical needs.
Daily is probably better understood here as for today and tomorrow or Day-by-Day, or as Luke’s account reads it “each day”.
We ask for the day, we ask expecting him to meet our needs day-by-day, and we ask daily to acknowledge our daily dependence and also to posture ourself for gratitude.
But this provision does not negate our need for work.
Paul addresses the Thessalonians and exhorts them to work and have nothing to do with him who won’t work:
2 Thessalonians 3:10–11 (ESV) — For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat. For we hear that some among you walk in idleness, not busy at work, but busybodies.
I like what Calvin says to this:
It becomes ours, because our Heavenly Father freely bestows it on us for the supply of our necessities. The fields must, no doubt, be cultivated, labour must be bestowed on gathering the fruits of the earth, and every man must submit to the toil of his calling, in order to procure food. But all this does not hinder us from being fed by the undeserved kindness of God, without which men might waste their strength to no purpose.
— John Calvin, Commentary on a Harmony of the Evangelists Matthew, Mark, and Luke Matthew 6:9–13; Luke 11:1–4
Also John Gill
it is called our’s; not that we have a right unto it, much less deserve it, but to distinguish it from that of beasts; and because it is what we need, and can’t do without; what is appointed for us by providence, is our’s by gift, and possessed by labour
— John Gill, An Exposition of the New Testament, Volumes I–III Chapter 6
Laboring and benefiting from the fruit of the ground has always been a gift of God from the beginning—the toil and sweat and weariness that comes only reflects the curse due to our sin—it doesn’t change that it’s a gift from him.
Certainly the thought of Exodus Manna comes to mind. Manna from heaven. Manna is a word that captures the idea of “What is it?”.
small, white, flakey, honey-flavored, wafers. Probably looked kinda like oats—flavored like honey. Which is why I hold to Honey Nut Cheerios being “divine”.
Manna was God’s provision. He promised it daily, but it was designed to spoil, because it was daily supplied. It was a faith-building mechanism, but they had to go get it every day!
Second important connection that I hope didn’t evade you was that Jesus calls himself the bread of life. This connection he makes is certainly connected to Manna in its own right. So here we have the Lord harkening back to his place as the utter fulfillment of our daily needs.
Even today we came to the table and ate the bread of life, this reminder and proclamation that his Kingdom is here and he gives himself for us.
“Forgive us our debts, as we have forgiven our debtors.”
Daniel’s sermon next week is covering verses 14-15 and certainly will do business with this petition as well.
I’m not passing the buck here, but I will say less about it here because of his work next week.
The business I will do is in regards to the unique relationship it has with the 4th petition.
Some of the commentators felt that it was important to qualify why forgiveness for sin came after our petition for bread. Certainly, they would argue, forgiveness for sin is more important than our need for bread.
I like what Kevin DeYoung said about it — mainly cause it gives me permission to make a connection between the two that I see.
We need daily bread that we may live and daily forgiveness that we may not die. If we ask every day for bread, it stands to reason that we also ask God every day for grace for our debts.”
— Kevin DeYoung, The Lord’s Prayer
In this petition there is certainly the recognition for our sin and the model to repent and be reconciled.
Yet there is even more—you see because we rely on the Lord for our daily bread, for life itself, we are always indebted to him. He provides for our life, one with bread, two with mercy.
Again, Christ is the bread—the body broken to save us, the bread we eat for life.
We are debtors for what he gives us and for what we can’t give him. Jesus is the answer to both.
A word on debts over trespasses or sins: All three English words are used in relation together, but in the Lord’s prayer certainly the idea of a debt is the best interpretations. We do need to be forgiven for trespasses, but that communicates a mercy from just punishment—not getting what we do deserve. In the prayer itself the burden is more on the fact that we owe God for everything, including our inability to obey his Law. We owe him for life, for the bread, our obedience and the consequence of our disobedience.
Now these debts are numerous, and we are incapable of paying, nor can any mere creature pay them for us; wherefore, we are directed to pray, that God would forgive them, or remit the obligation to punishment we lie under, on account of sin. This petition supposes a sense, acknowledgment, and confession of sin, and of inability to make satisfaction for it; and that God only can forgive it, who does, for Christ’s sake, and on account of his blood, sacrifice, and satisfaction: what is here requested is a manifestation and application of pardon to the conscience of a sensible sinner; which, as it is daily needed, is daily to be asked for
— John Gill, An Exposition of the New Testament, Volumes I–III Chapter 6
As for our being forgiven being conditional upon our forgiveness of others— Well did I mention that Daniel is preaching on Forgiveness next week?!
What I will say is that this forgiveness can’t mean God’s grace is conditional upon our works.
But it does imply that we understand the magnitude of what we’re asking for, and we are willing to be held accountable for our forgiveness for other because of how much we depend upon it from God.
Matthew 6:13 (ESV) — And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
In our James study this week we’re in chapter 1 and as probably most of the guys did, wrestled through the passage about being tempted.
First off, the translated “tempted” here is the word for “trial”. This is the same word that James uses—but he brings clarity to it by saying:
James 1:13–15 (ESV) — Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.
Well, what about Gen 22:1?
Genesis 22:1 (ESV) — After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.”
You see God does lead us through trials. He allows hardships, he brings discipline.
Abraham and Job are both exhibits of this kind of testing. These men did trust God, but he lead the into a trial to put them to the test. These tests produced endurance and deeper trust in the Lord. This is the kind of thing we hear about in James 1 and Romans 5.
James 1:2–4 (ESV) — Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
Romans 5:3–5 (ESV) — Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
1 Corinthians 10:12–14 (ESV) — Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall. No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it. Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry.
the second half of this last petition is what brings qualification to the word temptation in verse 13:
This word “evil” can also mean “evil one”. What this petition is asking is not that we will be spared from the character forming and faith growing trials, but be spared from what Calvin calls:
… inward temptation, which may be fitly called the scourge of the devil, for exciting our lust…. All wicked emotions, which excite us to sin, are included under the name of temptation. Though it is not impossible that we may feel such pricks in our minds, (for, during the whole course of our life, we have a constant warfare with the flesh,) yet we ask that the Lord would not cause us to be thrown down, or suffer us to be overwhelmed, by temptations
— John Calvin, Commentary on a Harmony of the Evangelists Matthew, Mark, and Luke Matthew 6:9–13; Luke 11:1–4
Also how Jesus tells Peter, in the garden (Matt 26:41) that he should “Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation, the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak”
This follows after in Luke’s account Jesus tells Peter that Satan has demanded to sift Peter like wheat, but that Jesus prayed for him and even told him, after you have turned again to strengthen his brothers. It was a trial that Jesus knew he would face and didn’t stop, he even knew that Peter would fail the test (after his desire for self-preservation gave birth to a lie—utter betrayal). But he knew that this test would ultimately lead to his restoration of Peter.
Whether you are in the middle of a test from God, or being lead astray by the Enemy, here is a song that may bring a perspective.
“Waiting for an answer, desperate for relief
How long will your hide your face from me?
Cause if feels like it’s been ages, since I felt you in my life
I’m looking for your presence but you’ve been so hard to find.
I didn’t know what I was asking for when I said ‘Your Kingdom Come’
I thought the gift of Heaven meant my suffering would be done.
I feel like John the Baptist asking ‘if you were the one’
Cause it doesn’t feel like it right now.
But God I really need you know
‘Cause I believe, that you can make the blind man see
I believe that you can make the leper clean
and I’ve seen the way you work in me
But I can’t really feel it right now…
I’m waiting for the day to come
when all of this makes sense,
But if you’re the one we’re waiting for
I’ll trust you until then— “John the Baptist”, Michael Gabriel Monroe (w/ Chris Renzema)
Pray to your Beloved Father—inviting his Kingdom is inviting unnatural things, hard things. Bear your cross. But this pray is our invitation to trust him and keep trusting him. Ask and keep asking him. Wait and keep waiting on him.
Share your burden.
Be vigilant and pray so that you may not enter into temptation. This prayer/petition positions us to be aware that we are at war—the devil is prowling and will pounce upon the unsuspecting.
In the office last week we were discussing upcoming sermons. Someone made the comment that I was preaching on the Lord’s prayer, but not THE Lord’s Prayer. What he meant was that this isn’t the version of the Lord’s prayer that most people actually pray—which as a different ending.
Does anyone here have a King James Version or New King James Version?
The rest of us will likely have a note at the end of verse 13 that if you look to your margin notes you may see something like “some manuscripts include”
In your Bible you may have a little note at the end of verse 13 that says “Some manuscripts add ‘For yours is the kingdom, and the power and the glory, forever; Amen.’” There is a healthy bit of textual tradition that does include this ending.
So, who’s is the Kingdom, Power and Glory…
Discipline of Textual Criticism an academic discipline Different traditions, the ESV and every other major translation except the KJV and NKJB weigh some older texts more highly than the other camp that leverages the sheer number of manuscripts (majority text)
Should this concern us? NO!
As a historical document the Bible is the most well preserved ancient text in the world.
Plato 427-347 B.C. A.D. 900 1200 yrs 7 ----
Caesar 100-44 B.C. A.D. 900 1000 10 ----
Tacitus circa A.D. 100 A.D. 1100 1000 yrs 20 ----
Aristotle 384-322 B.C. A.D. 1100 1400 49 ----
Homer (Iliad) 900 B.C. 400 B.C. 500 yrs 643 95%
New Testament 1st Cent. A.D., (A.D. 50-100) 2nd Cent. A.D. (c. A.D. 130 f.) less than 100 years 5600 99.5%
There are thousands more New Testament Greek manuscripts than any other ancient writing.
The internal consistency of the New Testament documents is about 99.5% textually pure.
In addition, there are over 19,000 copies in the Syriac, Latin, Coptic, and Aramaic languages. The total supporting New Testament manuscript base is over 24,000.
So why is this ending here and what is it telling us?
While we do find variations in the text the differences are so well document that we can be very certain what was and wasn’t in the Bible. Even things like this ending while we are very confident this wasn’t in the earliest manuscripts it was in most of them.
The idea is biblical and it fits in line with what I said at the beginning—the Lord’s prayer represents Jesus’ perfect ordering of common Jewish Liturgical prayers and sayings that reflect biblical truths. The longer ending sounds just like the usual response to the closing of prayers or reading of the Shema
“Blessed be the name of the glory of his kingdom, forever and ever.
Somewhere early on in church history and scribal tradition there was probably a scribal note in the margins that was a closing to this prayer.
The earliest church was soon accustomed to add words of adoring praise at the end of the prayer: ‘For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory for ever. Amen.’ Not original, but very much in the spirit of the prayer itself. If his is the kingly rule in our lives, we can confidently claim his power, and we promise that we will not keep for ourselves the glory for anything that is achieved, but return it to where it belongs, to God himself.
— Michael Green, The Message of Matthew 4. Jesus Highlights Our Devotion (6:1–18)
1 Chronicles 29:11–13 (ESV) — Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O LORD, and you are exalted as head above all. Both riches and honor come from you, and you rule over all. In your hand are power and might, and in your hand it is to make great and to give strength to all. And now we thank you, our God, and praise your glorious name.
Be confident in the word that is open on your lap. Hundreds of thousands of hours have go into understanding and translating the words in front of you.
What is written down and has been preserved better than any other ancient document in history is the word of the living God—it’s living and active. Read it as such.
If you have questions—ask Daniel or John!
Examine the Hindrance to your prayer:
Is it the “Kingdom of Noise”—Retreat
Discipline yourself to rest
Discipline yourself to focus
Discipline yourself to the gifts
Is it your Understanding of God as Father?
Explore Scripture to see the Lord as Father
Read the Gospels — Jesus was sent to demonstrate the Love of the Father
Is it your relationship with the Father—
Work on a relationship
Express yourself freely—Read the psalms for inspiration.
Be vulnerable and trust him when he say’s he’s good.
Talk with someone you trust about your relationship—you have Jesus and the Spirit, but the Body is a blessing and resource for relationship advice.
Take him at HIS WORD!! Jesus is the Word
Scripture reveals his nature.
Commit yourself as a child
Rely on the Advocate to the Father—Jesus (1 John 2:1 “My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.”
We come as sinners—we come as those who have tasted death and sometimes we still stink of it.
We can’t fix ourselves and so we pray.
Form a habit, build a personal Liturgy.
Here are some other recent messages.
We are a church built on the Bible, guided and empowered by the Spirit, striving to make disciples, and pursuing holiness in the context of robust biblical relationships.
© 2026 Cornerstone Fellowship Church of Apex
