Prayer 102
Matthew 6:5-15
3-6-05
Intro
Everything you and I need for a happy, fulfilling life is found in the Lord’s Prayer. We need relationship with God which is inherent in the beginning of the prayer, “Our Father”. We need God’s will to be done in our lives. And we are taught to pray, “Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” We talked about some of those requests last week. The opening of the Lord’s prayer gets our orientation toward God which allows our faith to operate. This morning we will talk about the other three requests Jesus taught us to pray in the Lord’s prayer:
(1) “Give us today our daily bread.”
(2) “Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.”
(3) “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.”
The doxology found in the King James Version was not part of the original text. It is a beautiful statement. It is consistent with the prayer as a whole. But it is not inspired Scripture.[1] That’s why you won’t find it in some of the more recent versions.
What are we asking when we pray
I. “Give us today our daily bread”?
We are asking God to provide for our material needs.[2] We are asking our heavenly Father to take care of us just as a child looks to his natural father for provision.
When Israel left Egypt and was in the wilderness God supplied them manna on a daily basis.[3] That story helps us grasp the force of this request. The Israelites had to gather the manna. But God was the one who provided it. All they had to do was trust Him and obediently gather the supply each day. That bread from heaven met all their nutritional needs. God took care of everything they needed.
We can come to God with confidence in His faithfulness as we submit our requests to Him. Paul wrote in Phil 4:19 “And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” We come to God asking Him to take care of us. We come to Him casting our care on Him, knowing that He cares for us.[4] There is a certain attitude of assurance that should fill our hearts when we say those words, “Give us this day our daily bread.” We should ask in faith knowing our Father’s attitude toward us—knowing that it is His good pleasure to give us the kingdom.
David wrote in Ps 37:25, “I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread.” Do you have a physical, natural need this morning? Is your body in need of healing? Is your bank account in need of restoration? “Ask and you shall receive.” God has many ways of giving us what we need. Sometimes He supplies the money. Sometimes He preserves the resources the way He did when He kept the Israelites’ shoes from wearing out.[5] He can put a coin in a fish’s mouth for you.[6] He can even rain manna from heaven if He chooses to do it that way. He is able and willing to take care of your need. Ps 84:11, “For the LORD God is a sun and shield; The LORD will give grace and glory; No good thing will He withhold From those who walk uprightly” (NKJV).
I’m so glad that God doesn’t consider Himself too spiritual to care about our natural needs. Have you ever met a Christian who thought he was too spiritual to stoop down and help with the natural needs of the church? Have you ever met a Christian who would not take out the trash or drive an elderly person to the doctor or watch somebody’s kids because he or she felt others (less spiritual) should do those kinds of things? That person is a Humpty Dumpty waiting to fall. I’ve seen some Humpty Dumpties fall over the years. It’s a terrible thing to watch because those people seem to be so spiritual right before the fall happens. But when anybody gets too spiritual to stoop down and wash other people’s stinking feet, that person is walking on thin ice. Sometimes the best thing we can do for ourselves is to get down off our spiritual high horse and help somebody at a very natural level. It protects us from spiritual pride. It keeps everything in proper perspective.
God created people spirit, soul, and body.[7] And He is concerned with their needs at each of those levels. Anybody in step with Him we will also be concerned with people’s needs in each of those areas. Listen to James’ statement in James 1:27, “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” The latter part of that statement relates to our desire to not be lead into temptation. But the first part corresponds with this matter of physical need. “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this...” Then he talks about helping others at a very natural level, “...to look after orphans and widows in their distress...” We’re talking about being in alignment with the heart of God—which is significant to the effectiveness of our prayer life. 1 John 3:17-18 “If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.”
God loves with action and in truth. He stoops down to meet our most basic needs. His eye is on the sparrow and He is watching over us at all times. Take a moment to consider the majesty and greatness of God and then stand in awe that He Who created the heavens and the earth takes a personal interest in every detailed need in our lives. Then pray, “Give us this day our daily bread.”
This prayer is an expression of dependence upon God. It is a humble recognition that we can not take care of ourselves without Him. This sentence contains a rare Greek word. It’s almost as if it is saying “daily” twice. It might read “Our bread, the daily, give to us today.”[8] As a minimum it is calling us to daily dependence.[9] This is an important principle in the Lord’s Prayer. Last week I emphasized the importance of relationship in our prayer life. Here the day to day aspect of our dependence upon God is realized. Our natural tendency is to pursue independence and personal strength. But independence and personal strength are fatal to effective prayer. It is when we come to God feeling our inadequacy—knowing how utterly dependent we are upon Him—but at the same time His all sufficiency—that is when we pray effectively.[10] “Give us this day our daily bread.”
II. “Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.”
There are two sides to this coin. First, we come acknowledging our own need for forgiveness. Remember the story Jesus told about the two men who went to the temple to pray? One was a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood up and prayed: “God, I thank you that I am not like other men-robbers, evildoers, adulterers-or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.” In contrast to that attitude of self-righteousness the tax collector would not even look up to heaven; he prayed ’God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ (Luke 18:10-13)
It is dangerously possible for you and me to initially come to the Lord in humility like that tax collector. But then later on take the attitude of the Pharisee: “God, I thank you that I am a faithful member of Grace Chapel. I tithe regularly. I don’t cuss or drink or go with women who do.” That is never a basis for coming to God in prayer. We come recognizing our on-going dependence upon His mercy and grace. Yes, we pursue a life pleasing to Him. But even with our best intentions we still come short of the glory of God. We still need Him to extend His scepter of mercy and receive us. 1 John 1:8-10
“If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.” I think it would be a healthy thing for us to come to these altars at times acknowledging that we blew last week—throwing ourselves upon God’s mercy and grace. I fear that we inadvertently present ourselves as above that. What we are is a sincere group of people following Jesus; but like the disciples in the New Testament we don’t always do it so perfectly. We are learners and we need God’s forgiveness in our lives. One side of this coin is our confession of sin and asking God to cleanse us of all unrighteousness.
The other side of the coin is our willingness to forgive others, “as we also have forgiven our debtors.” When Jesus concluded the Lord’s Prayer this is the only part He expounded upon. Matt 6:14-15 “For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.” That gives us some idea of how important this matter of forgiving others is. Is there anyone you have not forgiven? Is there any grudge—any resentment—any past offense that still has place in your heart? I don’t know how you interpret verse 15 (“But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.”) but it can’t be a good thing to hold out on forgiving others.
Jesus told the story about the man who owed the king an enormous debt. It was way beyond anything he could possibly pay. When confronted with the disastrous situation he fell down before the king and begged for patience. Moved with compassion, the king forgave him the debt. (Many of you know this story). But after receiving such mercy the man went out and found a person who owed him a relatively small amount. Instead of passing on the kindness he had received, he took the man by the throat[11] and demanded that he pay him. When the man begged for mercy, he had him thrown into debtor’s prison. Listen to the way Jesus concluded that story in Matt 18:31-35, “When the other servants saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed and went and told their master everything that had happened. "Then the master called the servant in. ’You wicked servant,’ he said, ’I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. "This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart."
A couple of comments about Jesus’ words in verses 34 and 35: The result of unforgiveness in this man’s life was torture. When we refuse to forgive someone else what happens? We bring torment into our own hearts and minds. Doctors talk about how biochemical changes occur in our system when we hold grudges.[12] Some people live with a lot of depression and anxiety because they are playing God. They don’t realize they are playing God. But anytime we assume the power of revenge and retribution we are assuming a power that only belongs to God. Rom 12:17-21 “Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. 18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. 19 Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord. 20 On the contrary: "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head." 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”
Some wrongs are easier to forgive than others. But Jesus doesn’t distinguish between the easy ones and the hard ones. He categorically tells us to forgive. How do we do that? We do it with the help of the Lord. Without His help we are powerless to forgive. It takes moral strength to forgive. So we begin by asking God to help us do it. But since He has told us to do it we know it is His will and therefore we know He will help us.
Forgiveness is a choice of the will, not a feeling. I can remember a time in my life when I was plotting how I would kill some people. I had not started executing the plan but I was in the planning stages. I would toss and turn at night unable to sleep. I could not get the offense off my mind. It was beginning to be an obsession. One night God graciously met with me and demanded me to forgive. It was in that meeting that the Lord taught me that forgiveness is a decision, not a feeling. The choice I made that night I had to reinforce over and over and over. My emotions screamed vengeance. My choice was forgiveness. It did not come immediately; but eventually the feelings came in line with the decision. This day I can honestly say, “I wish no harm whatsoever toward those people.” In fact, last month I was told that one of the individuals died in a terrible fire. I felt nothing but sorrow for the person. When you have really forgiven someone you go beyond being neutral toward that person. You long for that person’s best interest in the same way Jesus did as He wept over Jerusalem.
Go beyond forgiving specific offenses and adopt a life-long decision of forgiveness toward others. Even before they offend, they are forgiven because we refuse to be bound by a vengeful spirit. Whom the Son makes free is free indeed.[13] And we intend to stay free. We are in need of mercy as long as we inhabit these mortal bodies. So we chose to “Do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with our God.”[14] We choose to receive forgiveness and give forgiveness. “Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.”[15]
III. “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one[16].”
This request is also an expression of dependence upon the Lord. We come to God acknowledging that we are not able to withstand the wiles of the devil in our own strength. We are to be strong against our adversary. But we are to “...be strong in the Lord and the power of His might” (Eph. 6:10 NKJV).
The disciples had to learn that the hard way. As the hour of Jesus’ arrest was drawing near Jesus told the disciples to “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.” That is one purpose of prayer—to go to God for strength so that we can live the way He wants us to live. The disciples did not take Jesus’ warning serious enough. They slept in the Garden when they should have been praying.[17] They assumed that they would withstand the pressure and stand true to the Lord. That self-confidence was what preceded their failure at the critical hour.
I wonder if we are as faithful to pray this request as we are to pray, “Forgive us our debts” or as we are to pray “Give us this day our daily bread”? I am more aware of praying for forgiveness and for needs to be met than I am of asking the Lord to deliver me from Satan’s schemes. Each section of the Lord’s Prayer is extremely important and I think this may be an area we tend to neglect. And then we wonder why we blew it later on. Is it God’s will to provide our daily needs? It is. But we are still instructed to pray about those needs. Is it God’s will to forgive us our debts? Yes, but we are to ask for that forgiveness. Is it God’s will to deliver us from the evil one? Absolutely, but it is also to be an important part of our prayer life.
Listen to the warning in 1 Cor. 10:12, “Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall” (NKJV). That is a warning against presumption. It is a warning against apathy and it is a call to watchfulness. 1 Peter 5:8 “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”
We are to go to God about our struggles with temptation. We are to ask Him for victory. We are not to accept defeat. We are made more than conquerors in Christ Jesus. But we are to be aware of the battles. We are to stay alert and prayerful. Some people think that because they have prayed the sinner’s prayer and have been born again that it is smooth sailing from there on in. But the Bible warns us against presumption and calls us to be watchful and prayerful. Two sides of the same request: “Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from the evil one.”
This request is also a declaration of intent. It expresses our determination to not cooperate with the kingdom of darkness. It is a commitment to holiness and full obedience to God. If Balaam had made this a sincere part of His prayer, perhaps his end would have been different. Balaam asked God for direction and guidance; but deep in his heart he was willing to compromise with sin in order to satisfy his own carnal desires.[18] Instead of fleeing temptation he flirted with it. Instead of seeking complete deliverance from the evil one, he negotiated with the devil. When we pray “Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from the evil one” we are articulating a desire to have nothing to do with sin. Make this a significant part of your daily prayer life: “Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from the evil one.”
Three essentials for a successful Christian life: (1) Daily provision for our natural needs (2) Forgiveness of sins (3) Protection from the Evil One—Available to all those who will ask. If you need provision—ask. If you need forgiveness—ask. If you need strength to forgive—ask. If you need grace to overcome the evil one—ask.
Altar Call
TEXT: Matt 6:5-15
5 "And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. 6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 7 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 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.’ 14 For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. (from New International Version)
Richard Tow
Grace Chapel Foursquare Church
Springfield, MO
www.gracechapelchurch.org
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[1] See Nestle-Aland, Novum Testamentum Graece, 27th ed., apparatus.
[2] This is not to deny application to spiritual needs as well (Luke 4:4; John 6:48). But the least forced interpretation is bread as representing basic physical needs.
[3] In Exodus 16:32 the manna is called bread.
[4] I Peter 5:7
[5] Deut. 29:5
[6] Matthew 17:27
[7] 1 Thess. 5:23 although some may prefer dichotomy rather than trichotomy. My point is that people have physical needs as will as spiriutal.
[8] According to Metzger (BDAG p. 376) this word (epiousios) was probably coined by the evangelists. The first three meanings given by BDAG are (1) necessary for existence (2) for the current day, for today (2) for the following day.
[9] D. Martin Lloyd-Jones, Studies in the Sermon on the Mount, Vol. II (Grand Rapids: Eerdman’s Publishing, 1985) p. 70.
[10] II Cor. 12:9; Gen. 18:14
[11] A vivid picture of control: People who don’t forgive others are often placing demands upon the other party, insisting that the person “make it up to them.”
[12] Frank Minirth and Paul Meier, Happiness is a Choice: The Symptoms, Causes, and Cures of Depression (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1995) p. 161
[13] John 8:36
[14] Micah 6:8
[15] In our first service we conclude here with clips from “Napoleon Dynamite” (Ch 14: 0:57:06 to 0:58:21) plus (1:01:00-1:02:43) plus Deleted Scene (Kickball Scene) (0:00:25-0:01:11 with 0:00:25 to 0:01:11 silent). Napoleon Dynamite and his friend, Pedro, live in constant strife with the “in crowd”. Instead of practicing forgiveness Napoleon has his own way of perpetuating the conflict. They illustrate what church people should not be doing.
[16] The presence of the article with the adjective probably causes the adjective to stand in the place of a noun. Therefore, the translation “evil one” is preferred above the translation “evil” Daniel Wallace, Greek Grammar Beyond the Basics (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1996) p. 233
[17] Mark 14:37-41; Matt. 26:40-45
[18] II Peter 2:15
