Luke 11:1-4 (NIV)
1 One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, "Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples."
2 He said to them, "When you pray, say: "’Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come.
3 Give us each day our daily bread.
4 Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation.’"
I. Hallowed be Your Name
a. Your name is a representation of you,
b. Hallowed - “to set apart or to treat as holy”. May you be considered as Holy – in my life in the way I act and in my attitudes, and may others come to hallow your name
c. These words remind us that God wants to hear and listen as a loving Father, but that coming to him is an awesome privilege. We must enter the King’s throne room respectfully. When we pray for God’s name to be "hallowed," we pray that this world will honor his name, and we look forward to Christ’s return when that will be a reality.—Life Application Bible Commentary
II. Your Kingdom Come – The reign and rule of God
a. That the will of God would be done
b. That His influence would expand on Earth
c. In many ways the Father’s Kingdom is losing ground in the US. Abortion, pornography, violence in the streets and in schools, and homelessness continue and in some cases is getting worse. Over 60% of Americans do not attend religious services of any kind.
d. This request is two sided- we need to be willing to be part of the answer, or to be used by the Father to influence others for the Kingdom.
e. A Spiritual Kingdom - Jesus’ followers recognize that the kingdom began with his arrival on earth. The kingdom is present in believers’ hearts: "The kingdom of God is within you" (LK 17:21 NIV). To say, "Your kingdom come," is to pray that more and more people will enter the kingdom. It is a prayer that the Father would expand His influence in our World.
i. That people would accept Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of God would be born in their hearts
ii. The people who name the of Jesus Christ would allow the Heavenly Father to rule and guide their lives.
iii. The Fathers calls us to brokenness to self and surrender to Him so He will be able to rule in our lives and accomplish His purposes in and through our lives.
f. A Physical Kingdom – For the Lord to return to the world and setup His Millennial Kingdom, where He will reign as King of Kings and Lord or Lords. The second to the last verse of Revelation says: He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.”
Prayer must be something that flows out of a truly committed heart. It needs to be the core of your relationship with the Father.
An unknown author put it this way: I cannot say "Father" if I do not endeavor each day to act like His child, I cannot say "hallowed be Thy name" if I am not endeavoring to live a life of holiness. I cannot say "Thy kingdom come" if I am not doing all in my power to expand His Kingdom and hasten His return.
