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The Lords Prayer

Effective prayer consists out of two elements, namely:
Expression of needs, Mark 11:24 – “ Therefore I say to you, All things, whatever you ask, praying, believe that you shall receive them, and it will be to you ”
Implementation of your will in accordance with God ' s will. John 15:7 – “… you shall ask what you will, and it shall be done to you ” . The Our Father Prayer is presented to mankind in Matthew 6:9 – 13 as the model prayer, addressing that God is recognized as our Father and that He is in heaven. The true believer talks to God, like a child would talk to his father. We have not even begun to understand the possibilities of prayer. There is for instance no limit to the extend of this prayer. In other words, we can take up everything we own in life, in prayer, and not only the things that have spiritual value. In John 14:12 it is written: “ Truly, truly, I say to you, He who believes on Me, the works that I do he shall do also, and greater works than these he shall do, because I go to My Father ” .
There is nothing more powerful than prayer and there is nothing that can be compared to it. The potential of prayer is so mighty that it is nearly indescribable. History told us that much can be accomplished through prayer. This is one of the important reasons why early Christians were so fired-up for God. Prayer was an inseparable part of their lives. Powerful prayer occurs when the person praying takes up the necessary authority and perseveres in praying. Prayer is the channel through which your spiritual life is nurtured. If you don ' t have fellowship in prayer with God, it is impossible that spiritual growth can occur or progression on the road to recovery. In Matthew 6:9 we get the order to pray as follow:
The Our Father – Our Father who is in heaven ” . Through this, God is recognized as the creator of the universe and mankind ' s dependence on God. This includes the faithful as a child of God and rejects any other power or authority over the faithful, because God is recognized as the Father through this.
“ Hallowed be Your name ” . You can only sanctify God ' s name if you know His Name (person). It is expected of you to live your life in such a manner that other people can see through your behavior that you are a child of God. When you confess Lord Jesus with your mouth and act according to God ' s will, you indeed testify about the holiness of God ' s name. If you then pray this prayer with a sincere heart, it will change your whole life and change you into the person that God intended you to be. This phrase also means: May others and I always speak about You respectfully and never take Your name in vain. May Your name be hallowed when other people look at my life. May I never misuse Your name as in Matthew 7:22,23. It also implies that you will not grant your approval through silence when someone uses God ' s name in vain, either through a television program or by someone in your presence.
“ Your kingdom come ” . This says that He came to earth to establish His kingdom in sprit as well as in flesh in our lives here on earth. Matthew 3:2 says: “ Repent, for the kingdom of Heaven is at hand ” . What Jesus saying here is that with His coming to earth, the kingdom has been granted to people, only as far as a prayer. If you then pray: “ Your kingdom come ” , it requires from you to recognize that your Heavenly Farther is reigning in your life. It also asks that God will equip you with the authority that Jesus Christ possessed. “ God ' s kingdom is there where He is obeyed and recognized as King. There where the constitution of the King has become the foundation of your life and that the Sermon on the Mountain as a whole be recognized as the constitution of God ' s kingdom ” . (Smit, 1992:161-162). It is a request that God ' s blessings, His will and His Son, Jesus Christ be revealed in our lives, and that our lives will be as if we are in heaven. It is a prayer that we must live according to John 5:30, that it will be as God would like it to be in heaven.
“ Your will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven ” . This prayer asks that you will participate that God ' s perfect Will be done on this earth. It also asks that God will change your life as if you are in heaven. All heaven ' s blessings and abundance of this prayer are released upon your life. Through this, you then submit your will to the Will of God. Matthew 22:37 – You pray, in other words, that you will love God above all, - because it is His Will. John 13:14 – That you will be a servant and helper in this world – because it is His Will.
Matthew 22:39 – That you will be a channel for God ' s love towards other people – because it is His Will. Matthew 28:19 – That you will spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ – because it is His Will.
“ Give us this day our daily bread ” . Christians can not always get what they want, but can get what they need. James 1:17 says: “ Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness nor shadow of turning. ” This prayer requires of God ' s children to acknowledge that God is their provider. This is the same God that in 1 Kings 17:2-16, sent a crow to feed Elia, provided undepleted oil and flour to the widow. In praying in this manner for your “ daily bread ” , you are also taught to live one day at a time and not to take things for granted, to be thankful to God in all things. We are encouraged to pray each day for that day ' s requirements. Tomorrow we will pray for tomorrow ' s needs. Matthew 6:34 – “ Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow; for tomorrow shall be anxious for its own things. Sufficient to the day is the evil of it ” . This is a request that God will provide for our daily needs. That God will provide the things that we prayed for and that he will also, as in Romans 8:26, provide in our daily spiritual needs.
“ Forgive us our debts as we also forgive our debtors ” . If we confess, He will forgive. 1 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 ” . But, as we are daily forgiven by Him, so must us forgive others daily. If not, we will not be forgiven, and our prayers will not be answered. This is one of the most powerful declarations that can be made in prayer, which will leave the heart of the one that prays open before God. In Romans 3:10-18, there is written: “ There is none righteous, no not one; there is none that understands, there is none that seeks after God." "They are all gone out of the way, they have together become unprofitable, there is none that does good, no, not one." "Their throat is an open grave, with their tongues they have used deceit, the poison of asps is under their lips; whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness;" "their feet are swift to shed blood; destruction and misery are in their way, and the way of peace they did not know." When Jesus talks about forgiveness, He asks God to forgive us our sins the same way we are willing to forgive people who have sinned against us. Thus there must be total forgiveness from our side. In Micah 7:18-19, it is stated: “ Who is a God like You, who pardons iniquity and passes by the transgression of the remnant of His heritage? He does not keep His anger forever, because He delights in mercy. He will turn again; He will have pity on us. He will trample our iniquities. Yea, You will cast all their sins into the depths of the sea ” . The fact that God is prepared to forgive, should bring a disposition of forgiveness in you. Matthew 5:7 say: “ Blessed are the pure in heart! For they shall see God ” . The triumphant prayer is: “ Forgive, and each day, you will be forgiven ” . Bitterness cannot be bottled-up inside a person forever. Unforgivingness and bitterness is a sickness, nearly like cancer. The more it is pampered, the more it will spread and impair body and soul. If you go to sleep with anger in your heart, things with what you are struggling with will get worse throughout the night and your thoughts will become satan ' s playground. Feelings of hatred dominate the rational thoughts and therefore a person will not sleep fitfully, or not at all.
In Hebrews 12:14-15 it is written: “ Follow peace with all, and holiness, without which no one shall see the Lord; looking diligently lest any fail of the grace of God, or lest any root of bitterness springing up disturb you, and by it many are defiled ” . Man ' s sinful nature forms the base of the whole Our Father. No rationalization from our side can exempt us from this acknowledgement. Jesus made use of 3 different words when he spoke about forgiveness. The first was the Greek word “ opheilma ” , which can be translated to transgressions, which means you have neglected to pay your dept: in other words, it is a dereliction of duty, not through circumstances or poverty. The second word is “ paratoma ” , which means to cross illegally over a boundary line. That implies that we are carried away by in impulse or short-lived passion crossing our path, loosing our control. The third word that are used in Luke is “ hamartia ” , which can be translated to sin. (Huffman, 1982:27). It is a request, but also an acknowledgement that makes us aware of forgivingness. It is a prayer appealing to God and laying your course before Him as He is a just God who, according to Col 3:13, gives the command that we must forgive one another just as God forgives us. The true believer is guided to confess his/her sins before God, to express remorse and to ask for forgiveness. The true believer then will thank God for acquittal and deliverance of conscious of guilt.
“ Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil ” . Temptation is actually a spiritual moral seduction that seizes the fleshly nature of man. We need guidance every day and should pray for godly guidance to keep us from temptation. David rejoices in Psalm 23:3: “ He leads me in paths of righteousness for His name ' s sake. When you pray to God to keep you from temptation, you are actually asking Him that, when you are lead into temptation, that you will recognize it and that you will be strong, with God ' s power, to not submit to it. A lot of true believers get trapped into wanting retaliation and revenge, while the Word clearly teaches us that only God has the right to retaliation and revenge. 1 Corinthians 10:13 says: “ No temptation has taken you but what is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted above what you are able, but with the temptation also will make a way to escape, so that you may be able to bear it. ” It is a prayer that God keep us from our own selfish desires, because it is this desires that, according to James 1:15, lead to sin. Although God does not tempt, He allows satan to tempt mankind, leaving the choice to man if he is going to obey God or give in to temptation. Because God created men Himself and knows them, He gives relief during temptation.
Temptations can be combatted with the weapons God gives to our disposal. Through this you ask for Gods help, that you can utilize the weapons successfully. Sword of the Word – Bible. You must obtain a good knowledge on God ' s Word to be able to resist temptations. During Jesus ' temptation in the desert in Matthew 4:1-11, Jesus referred satan to the Word of God, saying: There are written ” . When Jesus and His disciples prayed in John 17:15, He did not ask His Father to remove them out of this world, but rather to deliver them from evil. 1 Corinthians 10:12 reads: “ So let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall ” . No man must think that he can hold his own against temptations through is own strength. This is also a prayer that you will not submit your spirit to demonic activities, negativity, dejectedness, depression or any other thought that does not come from God. In Ephesians 4:27 there is written: “ Neither give place to the devil ” . The devil is known for his attacks on the mind. In this prayer you ask God then to deliver you of any misconceptions towards God, of any misperceptions, and any spirit of sin or wrong convictions. Some true believers are trapped in impossible situations, and their lives are destroyed by visible or subtle sins. God can deliver such a person from those sins. God ' s deliverance does not only come through cutting these strains. It comes through keeping us faithful. In this phase we now ask God to keep us from satan ' s attack on our spirit, soul and thoughts, as Jesus and his disciples prayed in John 17:15.
“ For Yours is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever ” . With this concluding words, Jesus returned to the things He started the prayer with – honour to God. He confirms that the Farther is the One worthy of all our praise. It must be acknowledged with every prayer, that all power and glory belongs to God in all eternity. It is also a confession why God grant these requests: “ For Yours is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever ” . Amen means “ it shall be done ” . The slot verse of the Our Father, describes God ' s kind-heartedness, which is beyond man ' s conception. It brings forth the confession that only God is able to do the things you asked for. With this prayer you admit the uniqueness of God and His nature, which are known to us to some extend, because we have been created into His likeness. In Exodus 3:14 it is written: “ And God Said to Moses, I AM THAT I AM. And He said, So you shall say to the sons of Israel, I AM has sent me to you ” .
The true believer ' s identity with Christ
To belief in the Name of Jesus, means that you have given your life to Him, that you are His follower, that you pray as he had prayed, in God ' s Will. Nobody can have faith in God for things outside of His Will. In 2 Corinthians 5:17 it is written: “ So that if any one is in Christ, that one is a new creature; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new ” . Somebody who lives in the Will of God, will naturally only pray for the things within the Will of God. God honours such a prayer and will provide faith to the person praying. In 1 Corinthians 12:9 it is written that God himself provides this faith to a person.