Matthew
Kingdom Prayer
Prayer is a powerful thing, it accomplishes a lot
To see the accomplishments,
Pray as Jesus instructed
Don’t just say the words or quote the points,
Meditate on them, dream about them,
Fill your life with them
"This, then, is how you should pray:
'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come, your will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.' Matthew 6:9-13
Matthew
Kingdom Prayer
Chapters 3-7…
The Kingdom of Heaven is announced.
Jesus, after being led by the Spirit into the wilderness
where He was tempted by the Devil
began to preach the Kingdom.
From that time on Jesus began to preach,
“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.”
Matthew 4:17
Kingdom prayer…
In a complexed world Jesus gave us a simple prayer.
I realize for my grandchildren life is normal…
Prices, crime, internet, electric cars, deadly viruses, etc.
The norm from a life of 1 to 15 years
is a lot different than the norm of a life of 1 to 70 years.
Mega churches weren’t heard of much before the 1980s.
Churches of 2000 or more are very common
as well as more and more small churches starting up,
even though there are churches that are closing their door,
the church of Jesus Christ is thriving.
But at the same time evil and wickedness,
the love of pleasure, and self-centeredness in increasing.
The norm for those of us who are in the golden years
see the struggle of darkness and light
more intense than ever before.
But the prayer Jesus taught us is still the same.
It is a kingdom prayer with basic points outlined.
First, we should see the words leading up to the prayer.
Don’t be like them in Matthew 6:8.
Who is “them”?
You can read those verses yourself
but the real answer is just be like Jesus.
Focus on being like Christ
not on what you should not be like.
Second prelude to the prayer is…
“Your Father knows”
It is so frustrating trying to talk to someone
who does not understand.
Who does not know what is going on
or what to do about it.
Your Father knows what is going on
and knows what to do about it.
The first point of the prayer is…
Our Father (is good and loves His children) in Heaven,
Heaven is unpolluted by people.
People rule in the earth,
they rule nations and rule families,
everything in earth is ruled by people
not like heaven.
Men and women rule, black and white rule
and every other color rule in the earth.
When you and I, in prayer, focus on our Father in Heaven…
We see a different kind of ruler and a different world.
How is it working out with people ruling?
How is it working out in Heaven?
(Don’t be like them.)
Therefore, (don’t miss this point)…
Respect the Father,
He is “Hollowed” or Holy,
much different then the norm of earth…
Respect Him.
Verse 10 is all about a change of command.
The Kingdom…
You and I get a glimpse of
it expanding to earth.
What makes the Kingdom of Heaven different then
the kingdoms of the earth?
It is the leadership.
To say “Thy Will Be Done” means…
A surrender of our free will to submission to His will.
Don’t ask or expect others to change unless you change.
Your total surrender is necessary for
the Kingdom of Heaven to enter earth.
When your life changes, it will model what God can do.
Life change is proof of God the Father’s ability.
Note that there are only three more points.
Verse 11…
Give us today our daily bread.
Simply put…
Every provision from the air you breath
to the wisdom and strength to move a mountain
He provides.
Don’t miss your provisions,
your need to ask is on a daily schedule.
Get your provisions each morning,
use them that day and watch how God changes tomorrow,
so don’t stress over anything beyond today.
You can make it through today,
a day goes by so fast.
Jesus explains this in verse 25 through 34…
“Don’t worry about your life”
Why?...
Because your loving Father hears
your daily request for provision.
It is good to note as there are many good and perfect gifts
coming down from our Father of lights.
At creation Our Father put in the earth
all the natural provisions you will ever need.
All we have to do is ask for wisdom and
knowledge to find and use them.
Verse 12 cannot be stressed enough.
You will find Jesus explaining this at the end of the prayer
in verse 14 and He will pick up on it again in Chapter 7.
Forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
There are only two points to life
only two things matter.
Everything else in life is a bi-product of Two Things.
Those two things are…
Love the Lord your God
Love your neighbor as yourself.
What is common to both points is LOVE.
Just be a person of LOVE
and you will fulfill both requirements.
We are to give love to God and others
and then we will get the added blessing of everything else.
This part of the prayer focuses on…
Our inward attitudes,
the removal of the fruits of the flesh,
like anger and selfish ambition,
then replace it with the fruit of the Spirit…
Patience, kindness and goodness.
You can read the full list in Galatians 5:16-26.
The last point of the prayer is…
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.'
Matthew 6:13
Just like our Father ruling in the Kingdom of Heaven
there is a Devil ruling in the earth.
When a person yields their will to
anger, greed, lust or a host of other carnal desires
they are submitting to the Kingdom of darkness.
There is a Devil.
The terrible things that happen on earth
are not a result of our loving Heavenly Father…
But of a ruling Devil.
It is not that God has lost the battle…
But that a person or persons have yielded to the devil.
There are princes and powers
offering the opportunity to do whatever you want
and fulfill your personal desires.
This is a very attractive offer
and the Devil will also put his spirit in you
to help you get what you want.
Jesus demonstrated this many times
as He came to destroy the works of the devil
and He cast out demons
from people oppressed and possessed.
Don’t underestimate the last point…
The Devil’s temptation in your life
and the battle you are in.
Maybe Flip Wilson was right when he would say…
“The Devil made me do it”
But he can only make us do it
if we yield our will to evil desires.
it accomplishes a lot.
To see the accomplishments…
Pray as Jesus instructed,
don’t just say the words
or quote the points.
Meditate on them,
dream about them,
fill your life with them.
Scripture Reading
Matthew 6:8-13 NIV
8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
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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