The Lord's Prayer

Sections:

I. Invocation

• Our Father in heaven!

II. Petitions

1. For God's Glory:
   • May Your name be hallowed.
   • May Your kingdom come.
   • May Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
2. For Our Physical Needs:
   • Give us today our daily bread.
3. For Our Spiritual Needs:
   • Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
   • Lead us not into temptation.
   • Deliver us from evil.

III. Doxology (Praise)

• For Yours is the kingdom, the power, and the glory forever.

Summary of Sections

1. Invocation
2. Prayer concerning God
3. Prayer for our physical needs
4. Prayer for our spiritual needs
5. Praise (Doxology)

I) Our Father in Heaven

The word "our" in "Our Father" signifies the unity of believers as the church, which the Lord is leading toward heaven. When believers collectively address God as "Our Father", it reflects their spiritual unity. Just as children say "our father" rather than "my father" when speaking together, this term emphasizes the shared relationship among believers.

By calling Him "Father," we recognize our relationship with Him. God is the Father of all by creation, but He becomes the Father of believers in a special way when they accept Him.

Since our Father is in heaven, a believer should, in prayer, feel as if they are approaching Him in His heavenly dwelling. In Matthew 23:9, Jesus instructs us not to call anyone on earth "father" in a spiritual sense. This does not mean earthly fathers should be disregarded, but rather that the heavenly Father should not be equated with earthly figures.

When we call upon our Father in heaven, we should do so with the same warmth and love that children show toward their father. However, as sinners, we do not have the right to approach Him with such intimacy on our own. It is only through Christ that God becomes our Father, granting us the privilege to call upon Him with confidence.

II) The Prayer (Petitions)

This section contains three petitions concerning God:

a) Petition: "Hallowed Be Your Name!"

From the beginning, God remained hidden, revealing Himself only as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. However, during Moses' time, at the burning bush, He revealed His name as "I AM" and later as "Jehovah." In the Gospels, the name "Jesus" was made known, and in the Apostolic age, the name "Christ" was further proclaimed. Therefore, His name must be glorified.

Many obstacles prevent God's name from being hallowed. People worship creation instead of the Creator, and false teachers and idols take the focus away from His name. Only when these obstacles are removed will His name be truly sanctified. Thus, we must pray for all hindrances to be taken away so that His name may be glorified.

b) "Your Kingdom Come!"

This means the growth of His Church and the increase in the number of believers. As more people come to know Christ and accept salvation, they become part of His kingdom. The church itself is the kingdom of God on earth.

When we pray "Your Kingdom Come," we should also remember to pray for the success of missionary work and the spread of the Gospel. We must ask God to remove the barriers that hinder the expansion of His kingdom.

c) "Your Will Be Done on Earth as It Is in Heaven!"

Not even one in ten thousand people perfectly fulfills God's will. However, during Christ's millennial reign, His will shall be fulfilled to a greater extent.

Many things prevent God's will from being carried out:

• The flesh (our sinful nature)
• The mind (human thoughts and desires)
• Family and friends (who may oppose God's will)
• Illness and suffering
• Satan's temptations
• Worldly distractions

When we pray "Your will be done," we must also ask God to remove these obstacles so that His will may be fulfilled in our lives and in the world.

2) Petition for Our Physical Needs

"Give us today our daily bread."

Everything necessary for our physical well-being—friends, parents, food, clothing, air, health, education, profession, and even government—falls under "daily bread."

The word "daily" teaches us to pray only for what is needed for the day. If God provides for tomorrow, we can receive it gratefully, but our prayers should focus on the present day's needs. We must develop the habit of trusting God daily and praying daily.

The phrase "Give us" implies a request. God provides, but if we do not receive, it means we have not truly accepted His provision. The meaning suggests:

Father, give me what You have stored up for me.

A Story of Prayer and Provision

When George Müller, a man of great faith, prayed for bread, by the time he finished praying, wagons loaded with bread had already arrived. This means that even before his prayer began, the supply had been set in motion.

The Uniqueness of This Prayer

Can any other prayer match the depth and universality of the Lord's Prayer?

In 1893, representatives of various religions gathered in Chicago to promote peace and mutual respect. They agreed that no religion should criticize another, and everyone could freely share their beliefs.

At the conclusion of the meeting, they decided to close with a prayer. Since every other prayer might cause disagreement, they unanimously chose to recite the Lord's Prayer. For the first time in history, representatives from different religions united in praying the Lord's Prayer together.

This event demonstrated the universal significance of Jesus' prayer, which transcends all human divisions.

3) Petitions for Our Spiritual Life

a) "Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors."

This is one of the most serious and challenging teachings in the Lord's Prayer. If a Christian refuses to forgive others, it means they have not truly received God's forgiveness.

This petition carries a great responsibility:

1. When we ask God for forgiveness, we desire complete forgiveness, not partial forgiveness.
2. We should not speak to others about the wrongs done to us.
3. We should not harbor resentment in our hearts toward those who hurt us.
4. When we see the person who wronged us, we should not recall their offense.
5. Every time we pray, we should forgive our enemies.
6. Even when we did not ask for forgiveness, God forgave us.
7. If we cannot forgive others, we have no right to call God "Our Father" or pray "Your kingdom come."

Since God has forgiven us completely, we are indebted to Him and must extend the same grace to others.

b) "Lead us not into temptation."

Sometimes God allows us to face trials. In the Garden of Eden, God commanded Adam and Eve not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. However, Eve crossed the boundary and ultimately ate it. She could have avoided sin if she had remained within the limits set by God.

There are two types of temptations:

1. Temptation to Sin – Sent by Satan to lead people into sin.
2. Testing of Faith – Allowed by God to strengthen believers.

We should pray to avoid falling into sinful temptations. God may forgive repeatedly, but there comes a point where His grace ceases for those who persist in sin without repentance.

c) "Deliver us from evil."

All obstacles to God's work collectively constitute evil. These include barriers to the sanctification of God's name, hindrances preventing the growth of His kingdom, obstructions to the fulfillment of His will on earth, inability to forgive others, and falling into temptation.

This petition asks God to rescue us from all evils in this world and ultimately bring us into His heavenly kingdom.

Praise (Doxology)

"For Yours is the kingdom, the power, and the glory forever. Amen."

Christ granted authority to His church to carry out good works according to His will. Because the church has received freedom through Jesus Christ, it has the liberty to determine what is appropriate in His sight.

Therefore, the church added this doxology to the Lord's Prayer as an expression of praise and worship.