The Lord's Prayer - His Purpose Series

Bent into Shape – His Purpose

5/5/18

Matthew 6:11

Sunday AM

Our Father in heaven – Our eternal, holy, sovereign daddy in whose presence I enter and on whose lap a crawl up on.…

Hallowed be Your name – may Your name be revered and set apart in me and thru me – and set apart as holy among the nations so that every knee might bow and every tongue confess your righteous, saving name...

Your Kingdom come – may the focus/priority of my life be to seek first your kingdom/righteous each/every min. I breath as I live out each day as a citizen of heaven in expectation of your imminent return as I live determined to express your love to the nations until your eternal kingdom comes…

We’re in a series on the Disciple’s Prayer (Lord’s Prayer) seeking to understand what Jesus was teaching His followers and us about prayer.

To appreciate Jesus’ instruction, we need to understand the context. When the disciples approached Jesus, prayer had been so corrupted by rabbinic tradition that prayers like the Shema/Shemoneh esrei had become prescribed and ritualized – and the people had no idea how to approach God So Jesus gave this prayer as an pattern to help us to know how to talk w/ God and keep us from using vain repetition.

Jesus was teaching us that prayer is to be a personal, face-to-face encounter w/ our heavenly daddy.

pray (proseuchomai) pro = facing toward – refers to one who seeks God’s face. euchomai = to utter aloud. Prayer is a personal, face-to-face encounter w/ God.

So when Jesus taught His disciple to pray – He was clear this prayer was be a pattern/model to connect w/ God but never to be a substitute. We’re to understand it and follow it to get face-to-face and bent into shape.

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. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. Mt.6:10f

Today, as we continue our study of the meaning of each phrase of this example of prayer, we’re going to look at the phrase – Your will be done on earth and it is in heaven.

The will of God is an amazing reality to ponder and it is one of the top questions people are wanting an answer. The simple truth is God has a will – and it’s His will that we know/follow His will. So if we’re going to pray, seek, and participate in it, then we need to understand what it is.

There are (3) critical aspects to understand God’s Will. So as we pray for His will to be done, we’re asking for God to accomplish His plan in me, in the church, and in the world.

Surrendering to the PROVIDENTIAL Will of God

The Providential Will of God includes those things God has created in time/space and set into motion that are beyond man’s scope, understanding and ability to influence. These are decisions God has made according to His sovereign choice that certain things have happened and are going to happen and nothing is going to stop it.

When it comes to God’s providential will, no one has influence over these events and no committee was formed to offer to God our human insights/opinions. This includes things like creation and the plan of salvation – eternity past and future. As such, everything in the eternal order is subject to God’s sovereign, providential will. A person can rankle against it, deny it, and even try to defy it – but no one can escape it or live outside of His sovereign rule.

As we pray your will be done… we’re acknowledging God’s rule and our willingness to submit to His rule.

Second – praying your will be done means to…

Submitting to the PRESCRIPTIVE Will of God

The Prescriptive Will of God is the general will of God as outlined in Scripture. It’s where God reveals to us what’s right/what’s wrong, what’s good/what’s evil, what’s of God and what’s not of God. It’s where God reveals His progressive plan so we might know Him and find salvation.

God’s prescriptive will is truth to lead us to Him. It’s truth that applies to everyone equally. The will of God in Scripture is the same for me as it is for you. So when the Bible says, “Thou shall not kill, or steal or lie – it applies to every one in every culture in every age.

Don’t miss – we might not like it, believe it, or desire to follow it, but no one has authority over God’s prescriptive will. We only have a choice of whether or not we’re going to respond to it/abide by it. You can deny it/defy it, but you can’t change it or make it go away.