Our
Father in Heaven
Next time you pray
the Lord’s Prayer
Stop after the first
two words
“OUR FATHER”
Don’t just read over
these first two words, “Our Father”
These two words show
our connection
Our belonging, our
association,
Our identity with the
One we are praying to.
Our Father in Heaven
How to pray?
I find myself still asking this question.
One of the most obvious places to look is Matthew 6.
Jesus says…
"This, then, is
how you should pray:”
Matthew 6:9
When we see Jesus praying,
we can see this is how He prayed.
These five verses cover everything in heaven and earth.
Jesus starts with…
The very first word…
“Our” speaks of
“belonging to or associated with”
In the heavens there are many gods.
Praying to gods has been something people
and nations have done from the fall of man.
One of the most famous and important
prayers contained in the Bible is one we
see the Hebrew people repeat over and
over again throughout the Old Testament…
"Hear, O
Israel:
The Lord our
God, the Lord is one,
and as for
you, you shall love the
Lord your God
with all your heart,
with all your
soul,
and with all
your strength."
It is a powerful prayer and one with a lot of
meaning packed into just a few words.
The Shema, which is the Hebrew word for
"listen," is the centerpiece of the last
speech
Moses gave to the Israelites before they went
down into the Promised Land.
After entering the Promised Land,
the Shema became a prayer the
Israelites prayed twice daily.
The Bible
Project
For centuries, twice a day, Hebrew people
prayed “Our God” “the
Lord is one”.
The Israelite people prayed in the morning
and night a prayer to remind them to listen
(Shema) to the one Lord who’s title is God.
It was a prayer reminding
His people to love the Lord.
Deuteronomy
6:4-5
I believe Jesus was very much aware that
His disciple were praying Moses’ prayer.
Moses’ prayer was a foundation
His disciples already knew.
Jesus built on the foundation of Our God…
Our one Lord and invites us to call Him “Our Father”.
There are many fathers in the world, but
you can only address one as your father.
You did not have a choice in your earthly
father, but you have a choice in whether you
want Creator God to be your Father or not.
When Jesus instructs us to pray…
The first two words
ask us for a commitment.
A commitment to family,
a heavenly family by
declaring “Our Father
in Heaven”.
The level of our prayer goes beyond a
prayer to our Creator God, beyond the Lord,
the King of Kings, Master of the universe
Jesus teaches us to pray “Our
Father”.
Jesus came to show us how
close God wants to get to us.
Jesus came to reveal the Father
and told us we must be born again.
first two words “Our Father”.
our belonging, our association, our
identity with the One we are praying to.
Scripture Reading
Matthew
6:9-13 NIV
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.'
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