The Lord’s Prayer (part 1)
Jeremy Bell
Matthew 6:9-13
August 20, 2023
Sermon Audio
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Matthew 6:9–13 [9] Pray then like this: “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 this day our daily bread, [12] and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. [13] And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. (ESV)
“Prayer is beyond any question the highest activity of the human soul. Man is at his greatest and highest when, upon his knees, he comes face to face with God…When a man is speaking to God he is at his very acme. It is the highest activity of the human soul, and therefore it is at the same time the ultimate test of a man’s true spiritual condition. There is nothing that tells the truth about us as Christian people so much as our prayer life.”
— Martyn Lloyd-Jones
“In telling us to address God as our Father in heaven, the concern of Jesus is not with protocol (teaching us the correct etiquette in approaching the Deity) but with truth (that we might come to Him in the right frame of mind). It is always wise, before we pray, to spend time deliberately recalling who He is. Only then shall we come to our loving Father in heaven with appropriate humility, devotion and confidence.”
— John Stott
Q. What is the chief end of man?
A. To glorify God and enjoy Him forever
– Westminster Catechism
“Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together!” Psalm 34:3
How will praying like this affect us?
1. Our love for God’s Word will grow
“Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” — 1 Thessalonians 5:18
Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.
— Ephesians 5:17-20
“For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor” — 1 Thessalonians 4:3-4
2. Our faith will grow
Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. — Hebrews 13:20-21
Questions for Discussion/Application
- Re-read Matthew 6:9-13. Having re-read the text and listened to the sermon, what stands out to you the most about the Lord’s Prayer?
- “Our Father in heaven…” How does the gospel make it possible for us to address God as Father? What difference can it make in our prayer lives, if we stop to consider that the One we address, is our heavenly Father?
- Read these two quotes from JI Packer:“Adoption is the highest privilege of the gospel. The traitor is forgiven, brought in for supper, and given the family name. To be right with God the Judge is a great thing, but to be loved and cared for by God the Father is greater.”“Were I asked to focus the New Testament message in three words, my proposal would be adoption through propitiation, and I do not expect ever to meet a richer or more pregnant summary of the gospel than that.”
How would you summarize what Packer is saying in these quotes?
- What does it mean to pray, “hallowed be your name” ? What reasons do we have scripturally, to “hallow” and praise God’s name?
- In what ways do you want to see God’s name hallowed, in your own life and in the world? How can you turn those desires into prayer?
- What does it mean to pray “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” ? How do you long to see the rule of Christ, the kingdom of God, more greatly manifested in your own life and in the world? How can you turn those desires into prayer?
- Consider taking taking to pray through verses 9 and 10 of the Lord’s prayer as a group.
“Our Father in heaven,hallowed be your name.[10] Your kingdom come,your will be done,on earth as it is in heaven.
– Matthew 6:9–10