Matthew 6:9-15
Today is the day we are going to study through the prayer Jesus taught His disciples! You may use this prayer word for word, as a guideline for prayer, or you may study it, then follow your heart as you and God connect. There is no wrong way to pray.
In Matthew 6:9-15 The Passion Translation, (TPT) quotes Jesus teaching his disciples: “Pray like this: ‘Our Beloved Father, dwelling in the heavenly realms, may the glory of your name be the center on which our lives turn. Manifest your kingdom realm, and cause your every purpose to be fulfilled on earth, just as it is in heaven. We acknowledge you as our Provider of all we need each day.Forgive us the wrongs we have done as we ourselves release forgiveness to those who have wronged us. Rescue us every time we face tribulation and set us free from evil. For you are the King who rules with power and glory forever. Amen.’
‘And when you pray, make sure you forgive the faults of others so that your Father in heaven will also forgive you. But if you withhold forgiveness from others, your Father withholds forgiveness from you.’” Emphasis added; mine.
I want to look at a few words and phrases more closely to give us greater insight as we study this prayer: The phrase, “May the glory of Your Name” has an interesting context in the Aramaic. The word for Name is shema and can also be translated: light, sound, or atmosphere. When we place a light in a lantern, that light is magnified. This is the meaning behind God’s name being magnified as we focus on Him. He will become brighter in our hearts.
What does it mean when we ask God to, “Manifest His Kingdom realm?” We are asking God to come and begin His Kingdom reign in the situation at hand. We may be in prayer over a certain thing or person and realize we need God’s authority to rule for a change to occur. By asking Him to bring His Kingdom, we are asking Him to be in charge of the situation.
When we acknowledge God, “As our Provider,” we are reminding ourselves that He meets all our needs physically, spiritually, and emotionally. We will lack for nothing when we trust Him in all things.
As we ask God to forgive us for the wrongs we have done, we are also asking Him to send away the results of what we’ve done. The Aramaic can be translated as, “Give us serenity as we also allow others serenity.”
As we request God to rescue us from trials and free us from evil, we are calling upon His goodness to stand in the way of the evil that attempts to overwhelm us. When we acknowledge that He is the King forever, it reminds us that all power is His. The Aramaic word for forever means: “Until the end of all the universes.” That’s a very long time!
As your homework, please go through verses nine through fourteen and write a personal prayer using the words as a guideline. Pray this prayer daily until we meet next week for our Zoom prayer call.
We will meet on Tuesday, January 25th from 6:30-7:30 EST for prayer. The link will be sent to you by email on Monday the 24th.
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