The Lord's Prayer, Good, Good Father

 

Matthew 6New American Standard Bible (NASB)

Giving to the Poor and Prayer

6 “Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven.

² “So when you ^[a]give to the poor, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be honoured by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. ³ But when you ^[b]give to the poor, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, ⁴ so that your ^[c]giving will be in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.

⁵ “When you pray, you are not to be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners ^[d]so that they may be seen by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. ⁶ But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.

⁷ “And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words. ⁸ So do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.

⁹ “Pray, then, in this way:

‘Our Father who is 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 ^[e]our daily bread.
¹² ‘And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
¹³ ‘And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from ^[f]evil. ^[g][For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.’]

¹⁴ For if you forgive ^[h]others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. ¹⁵ But if you do not forgive ^[i]others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.

Fasting; The True Treasure; Wealth (Mammon)

¹⁶ “Whenever you fast, do not put on a gloomy face as the hypocrites do, for they ^[j]neglect their appearance so that they will be noticed by men when they are fasting. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. ¹⁷ But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face ¹⁸ so that your fasting will not be noticed by men, but by your Father who is in secret; and your  Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.

¹⁹ “Do not store up for  yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. ²⁰ But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; ²¹ for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

²² “The eye is the lamp of the body; so then if your eye is ^[k]clear, your whole body will be full of light. ²³ But if your eye is ^[l]bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!

²⁴ “No one can serve two masters; for either  he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and ^[m]wealth.

The Cure for Anxiety

²⁵ “For this reason I say to you, ^[n]do not be worried about your ^[o]life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? ²⁶ Look at the birds of the ^[p]air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? ²⁷ And who of you by being worried can add a single ^[q]hour to his ^[r]life? 

²⁸ And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin, ²⁹ yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. ³⁰ But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith! 

³¹ Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’ ³² For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. ³³ But ^[s]seek first ^[t]His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be ^[u]added to you.

³⁴ “So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow  will ^[v]care for itself. ^[w]Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Dictionary of Bible Themes Back

8618 prayerfulness

An attitude by which a constant relationship between God and believers is developed.

Prayerfulness is a way of life

Lk 2:37 See also Ps 5:3; Ps 55:17; Ps 109:4; Da 6:10-11,13

Prayerfulness arises from a desire to be with God

Ps 130:5-6 See also Ps 42:1-4; Ps 84:1-2

Prayerfulness arises from an awareness of need that can only be met by God

1Ti 5:5 See also Ps 86:1; Ps 105:4

Prayerfulness demonstrates a continuing trust in God

Jn 15:5-8 See also Ps 63:1-8

Prayerfulness involves a heart that is right with God

Isa 1:15-17 See also Mt 6:7; Mk 12:40 pp Lk 20:47

Prayerfulness involves the need to be alert

Mt 26:41 pp Mk 14:38 pp Lk 22:40 See also Mic 7:7; Lk 21:36; Col 4:2

Prayerfulness needs to be maintained especially in difficult circumstances

Lk 18:1 See also Hab 3:16-19; Ac 16:25; 1Th 5:17; 1Pe 4:7

Examples of people whose prayerfulness proved effective

Hannah, who prayed for a child 1Sa 1:20 See also Isa 1:10-18

Elijah, an ordinary man who prayed Jas 5:17-18 See also 1Ki 17:1; 1Ki 18:41-46

Nehemiah, a man who discovered God’s plan through prayer Ne 1:4 See also Ne 1:5-11; Ne 2:4-5

David, sustained through trials 1Sa 30:6 See also 2Sa 22:1-4 pp Ps 18:1-3; Ps 3:1-8

Daniel, whose patience in prayer was rewarded Da 10:12 See also Da 9:1-19

Jesus Christ, who perfectly trusted his Father Heb 5:7 See also Lk 5:16; Jn 11:41-42

The early church, which was founded upon prayer Ac 1:14 See also Ac 2:42; Ac 4:23-31; Ac 6:4; Ac 12:5

Paul, who prayed for all the churches which he founded or visited Col 1:9 See also Ro 1:9-10; Eph 1:16; Php 1:4; 1Th 3:10; 2Th 1:11; 2Ti 1:3; Phm 4

Dictionary of Bible Themes Back

8605 prayer, and God’s will

Prayer is concerned not only with the well-being of the one who prays. A vital aspect of its purpose is to allow the will of God to be done, and to bring glory and honour to his name.

True motives for prayer

The desire that God’s name be honoured Mt 6:9-13 pp Lk 11:2-4 See also Nu 14:13-16; Jos 7:7-9; 2Sa 7:25-26; 1Ki 18:36-37; Ps 115:1; Jn 17:1

The desire that God’s will be fulfilled Mt 6:9-13 pp Lk 11:2-4 See also Mt 26:39 pp Mk 14:36 pp Lk 22:42; Mt 26:42; Heb 10:7 Submission to God’s will characterised Jesus Christ’s prayer life.

God answers prayer that accords with his will

1Jn 5:14-15

Petitioners may enquire of God to discover his will Ps 143:10 See also Ge 25:22-23; Jdg 1:1-2; 2Sa 2:1; 1Ch 14:14-15

The Holy Spirit helps believers to pray in God’s will Ro 8:26-27

God’s response to prayers allows believers to discern his will

2Co 12:7-9 See also Ex 33:18-20; 2Sa 12:15-18; Job 19:7-8; Ps 35:13-14

God does not respond to the prayers of the wicked

Jn 9:31 See also Ps 66:18; Pr 15:8; Isa 1:15; Isa 59:1-2; La 3:44; 1Pe 3:12

Encyclopedia of The Bible Back 

PRAYER (תְּפִלָּה, H9525, prayer; פָּלַל֮, H7137, to intervene, interpose, arbitrate, mediate, intercede, pray; προσευχή, G4666, prayer, place for prayer, chapel; προσεύχομαι, G4667, to pray).

The doctrine of prayer is no appendix added on after one has completed his doctrines of God and man. A view of prayer is implicit in one’s view of God’s relation to the world and man’s relation to God. Therefore a Biblical doctrine of prayer is most meaningfully integrated with an entire theology that is Scriptural.

C. S. Lewis has suggested some helpful illustrations. Ask a neighbour to feed the cat while you are away, an employer for a raise, or a woman to marry you. What is the connection between the asking and the receiving? C. S. Lewis wrote:

Your neighbour may be a humane person who would not have let your cat starve even if you had forgotten to make arrangements. Your employer is never so likely to grant your request for a raise as when he is aware that you could get better money from a rival firm, and he is quite possibly intending to secure you by a raise in any case. As for the lady who consents to marry you—are you sure she had not decided to do so already? Your proposal, you know, might have been the result, not the cause, of her decision. A certain important conversation might never have taken place unless she had intended that it should (“The Efficacy of Prayer” in His [May, 1959], 7).

What confirmation have Christians that their requests have been significant? Assurance arises, not from the manipulation of circumstances, but from knowing the persons involved. Those who best know an individual know whether their request to him was answered by coincidence or because they asked. Those who best know the God of the Bible can assess the efficacy of prayer as request to Him.

Every Blessing

Blair Humphreys

Southport,  Merseyside, England

Words for the Wise, The Lord's Prayer, The Importance of Prayer, Matthew 6 New American Standard Bible

Matthew 6 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

Giving to the Poor and Prayer

6 “Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven.

2 “So when you [a]give to the poor, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be honored by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. 3 But when you [b]give to the poor, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your [c]giving will be in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.

5 “When you pray, you are not to be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners [d]so that they may be seen by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. 6 But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.

7 “And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words. 8 So do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.

9 “Pray, then, in this way:

‘Our Father who is 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 [e]our daily bread.

12 ‘And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.

13 ‘And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from [f]evil. [g][For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.’]

14 For if you forgive [h]others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive [i]others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.

Fasting; The True Treasure; Wealth (Mammon)

16 “Whenever you fast, do not put on a gloomy face as the hypocrites do, for they [j]neglect their appearance so that they will be noticed by men when they are fasting. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. 17 But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face 18 so that your fasting will not be noticed by men, but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.

19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; 21 for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

22 “The eye is the lamp of the body; so then if your eye is [k]clear, your whole body will be full of light. 23 But if your eye is [l]bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!

24 “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and [m]wealth.

The Cure for Anxiety

25 “For this reason I say to you, [n]do not be worried about your [o]life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the [p]air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? 27 And who of you by being worried can add a single [q]hour to his [r]life? 28 And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin, 29 yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith! 31 Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’ 32 For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But [s]seek first [t]His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be [u]added to you.

34 “So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will [v]care for itself. [w]Each day has enough trouble of its own.

The Bible Panorama

Matthew 6

V 1–18: SECRECY Secrecy in giving (verses 1 to 4), praying (verses 5 to 8), and fasting (verses 16 to 18) is taught by Jesus. It is in this context that the pattern of the Lord’s Prayer (verses 9 to 15) is given. This contrasts with the hypocrisy of men, which is encountered in this chapter.

V 19–23: SIMPLICITY Our attitude to wealth should be such that we are not seeking to live to gain money. Our heart is where our treasure is, and that should be in spiritual things. We also need simplicity to look honestly at the darkness inside us and have it dealt with by the Light of the world.

 V 24: SINGULARITY The Christian must be single-minded in serving God and not ‘mammon’. Mammon stands for being dominated by money and materialistic considerations.

 V 25–34: SERENITY Nature tells us that God cares even for birds and flowers. Those with a special relationship with God should not worry, therefore, about provision of needs, now or in the future, but seek to please God first by seeking as a priority His kingdom and His righteousness. (This is not to encourage laziness but to underline the need for faith and trust.)

NIV Application Commentary

The proper priority (6:33). Jesus’ reasoning culminates in the famous directive, “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness.” This climactic admonition draws the listeners back to the key verse of the sermon, where Jesus declared, “Unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven” (5:20). The use of the imperative “seek” does not mean to look for something not present, for Jesus has already announced the arrival of the kingdom. In this context it means that his disciples are to make the kingdom of heaven the center of their continual, daily priorities. They have already entered the kingdom of heaven and are to live with that reality, drawing on God’s ordering of their daily lives. In doing so they will “seek … his righteousness.”

The conjunction of righteousness and the kingdom maintains a special theme in the SM (5:6, 10, 20; 6:1). It does not mean to pursue salvation, because the disciples’ entrance to the kingdom secured them that kind of “imputed” righteousness (5:20). It means that they are to pursue their experiential growth of “imparted” righteousness, which is to pursue the increasing perfection of the Father (5:48) through their practice of “acts of righteousness” (6:1). The theological articulation of these themes becomes a major focus of the early church, especially Paul. But their foundation is laid in Jesus’ teaching here. When his disciples pursue God’s kingdom and his righteousness in their daily priorities and activities, they will have all of their needs met by their ever-caring, ever-watching heavenly Father—“and all these things will be given to you as well.”

Eliminating worry (6:34). Having given the climactic imperative to guide every area of the disciples’ lives, Jesus returns to the specific issue—worry about God’s daily care for their needs. If God’s ordering of the disciples’ lives includes his provision for all of their daily needs, “therefore” one certainly should not worry about tomorrow. Learned reliance on God’s care for present needs will cause his disciples to develop trust in him for their future needs. The two expressions in this verse, “for tomorrow will worry about itself” and “each day has enough trouble of its own,” reiterate the same basic truth. All the worry in the world today can do nothing about the cares and problems of tomorrow. As disciples learn to let God care for them today, 

Words for the Wise, Psalm 122 The Voice (VOICE)

Psalm 122

A song [of David]^[a] for those journeying to worship.

 

This is a Davidic psalm celebrating the grandeur and significance of Jerusalem and its temple. It is ironic that Jerusalem means “city of peace” since more battles have been fought over it than over any other city.

¹ I was so happy when my fellow pilgrims said,
    “Let’s go to the house of the Eternal!”
² We have made the journey, and now we are standing
    within your gates, O Jerusalem.

³ Jerusalem! What a magnificent city!
    Buildings so close together, so compact.
⁴ God’s people belong here. Every tribe of the Eternal
    makes its way to Jerusalem—
Just as God decreed for Israel
    to come together and give thanks to the Eternal.
⁵ In Jerusalem, justice is the order of the day because there sit the judges
    and kings, the descendants of David.

⁶ Ask heaven to grant peace to Jerusalem:
    “May those who love you prosper.
⁷ O Jerusalem, may His peace fill this entire city!
    May this citadel be quiet and at ease!”
⁸ It’s because of people—my family, friends, and acquaintances—
    that I say, “May peace permeate you.”
⁹ And because the house of Eternal One, our God, is here, know this:
    I will always seek your good!

Matthew Henry's Commentary

Chapter 122

This psalm seems to have been penned by David for the use of the people of Israel, when they came up to Jerusalem to worship at the three solemn feasts. It was in David’s time that Jerusalem was first chosen to be the city where God would record his name. It being a new thing, this, among other means, was used to bring the people to be in love with Jerusalem, as the holy city, though it was but the other day in the hands of the Jebusites. Observe, I. The joy with which they were to go up to Jerusalem, Ps. 122:1, 2. II. The great esteem they were to have of Jerusalem, Ps. 122:3-5. III. The great concern they were to have for Jerusalem, and the prayers they were to put up for its welfare, Ps. 122:6-9. In singing this psalm we must have an eye to the gospel church, which is called the “Jerusalem that is from above.”

The Bible Panorama

Psalm 122

V 1–2: GLAD TO GO David is glad to go to the temple in Jerusalem to praise God.

 V 3–5: TESTIMONY OF TRIBES The tribes of Israel go there to thank the Lord, who Himself is the ‘Testimony of Israel’. 

V 6–9: PRAY FOR PEACE David urges that prayer for the peace of Jerusalem be made.

One Tough Step to Blasting Open Doors for Your Life, Charisma Magazine

The Guillens were a bright, young, cheerful couple--cheerful despite the fact that their daughter was born with a large lump on the side of her neck. The child was beautiful, but the massive growth drew attention away from her pretty features.

Along with our church, they prayed diligently for her healing. Yet their prayers, including ours, did not seem to avail.

Then one day I received a call from this couple. "Pastor, our little girl is healed! The growth is gone!" The next day they shared their wonderful testimony with our church. With my own eyes I could verify this healing. There she was. Perfectly healed! No trace of the growth was there.

The thing that impressed me the most was not the healing, but how the healing took place.

This is the Guillens' testimony:

"The Lord laid upon our hearts to fast for our daughter. We didn't know much about fasting but we did it anyway. Our daughter began to complain that her neck was hurting. Soon she was screaming in pain. The soft growth turned hard. We were concerned, but we knew God had called us to fast for our daughter, and we knew she would be healed. One morning we noticed that the growth was a little smaller. The next day it shrank more. Finally, the growth disappeared altogether."

Read more here:

The Way to Pentecost, Samuel Chadwick, Ch 6

The Way to Pentecost

Samuel Chadwick

Chapter 6: The Pentecostal Life

The Inheritance of the Spirit-Filled

Romans 8 is the fullest exposition of the life which comes through "the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus." It is the charter of the believer's inheritance in the Spirit.

1) Pentecost Brings Deliverance

The law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus makes men free. Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. He is the Spirit of Power, and the first demonstration of power is emancipation. He breaks the power of canceled sin. There is no bondage from which He cannot deliver. He breaks the fetters of the soul, and opens the prison doors of the redeemed. Salvation comes with the suddenness of a mighty rushing wind and as with the flash of fire; or it may come as the breath of the morning and the light of the dawn. However it comes, it comes to set men free from all that brings into bondage and condemnation. It is the Gospel of Liberty to all imprisoned life. There is no slave the Gospel cannot save. The greatest deliverance of all is from the moral impotence of the dual personality of chapter 7. The measure of completeness is in the word: "There is therefore now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus." They are delivered from all and everything that brings condemnation.

2) Pentecost Brings Abounding Vitality

Our Lord came that we might have abundant and abounding life, and it is found in the Gift of the Spirit of Life. The Gift of God is Living Water, springing up into everlasting life. Living water is the water of vitality from the Eternal Source of Life. The law i. good, but weak through the flesh, ineffective through human infirmity. The Holy Spirit strengthens the inward man. The Spirit of Life dwells in men, permeates their being, sanctifies their nature, quickens their powers, vitalizes their mortal bodies, and radiates their life. They live -- really live! They live the life that is life indeed. Pentecost turned anemic believers into exuberant saints. People said they were drunk, and so they were, but not with wine. They were vivacious with abounding vitality. Pentecost wakens people up. It vitalizes latent powers, and makes the utmost of every faculty and gift. Those who would have Life abounding Life, victorious Life, satisfying Life, glorious Life must get to Pentecost. Life is the best medicine for every kind of sickness. It cures all ills, ends all weariness, and conquers death all the time.

3) Pentecost Brings Understanding

Where did Peter get the sermon he preached on the Day of Pentecost? He did not read it from a carefully prepared manuscript. This fisherman Apostle is always surprising us with the things he knows. Who taught him? How did he know the hidden meanings of Prophecy? How did he come to understand the philosophy of history so that he could say with certainty, "This is that"? How came he to understand the meaning of the Cross and to discover the explanation of the Resurrection of Jesus from the dead? Who instructed him in these things? The Master tells how he had come to know that He was the Christ the Son of God; and that one explanation explains the rest. He knew by the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation. The Spirit of Truth guides into all Truth. "In that day ye shall know." We know by the Spirit that we are sons of God and joint-heirs with Christ. The Spirit Himself is our Witness. We know that the world is redeemed, and therefore travails in Hope, waiting for its redemption through "the revealing of the Sons of God"; a new Creation by Regeneration. We know, and do not despair. "We know that to them that love God all things work together for good, even to them that are called according to His purpose." We know, and are not as others in the day of adversity. We know God. We know, and we know that we know. We know that at the last we shall be saved, and shall stand approved in Christ at the Throne of God. None shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect. Nothing shall separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus. "In that Day ye shall know." The Spirit is familiar with the deep things of God, and He takes of the things of Christ and reveals them unto those who receive Him. He is the Spirit of Wisdom as well as of Revelation. He leads in practical wisdom, as well as guides into all Truth. He makes men wise with the wisdom that is from above.

4) Pentecost Brings a New Fellowship in Prayer

"And in like manner the Spirit also helpeth our infirmity: for we know not how to pray as we ought; but the Spirit Himself maketh intercession for us with groanings that cannot be uttered; and He that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because He maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God" That is the secret of prevailing prayer.

5) Pentecost Brings Power

That was the specific promise of Christ. "Ye shall receive Power after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you, and ye shall be witnesses unto Me." Witnessing prevails over the enemy. "We are more than conquerors," says St. Paul, and St. John ascribes the victory to testimony. "And they overcame him [Satan] because of the blood of the Lamb, and because of the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto death" (Rev. 12:2). The Spirit of Power is given for witnessing. The testimony of Pentecost was mighty. It is always mighty in the demonstration of the Spirit.

6) Pentecost Brings the Fire of God

Fire is the chosen symbol of Heaven for moral passion. It is emotion aflame. God is love; God is fire. The two are one. The Holy Spirit baptizes in fire. Spirit-filled souls are ablaze for God. They love with a love that glows. They believe with a faith that kindles. They serve with a devotion that consumes. They hate sin with a fierceness that burns. They rejoice with a joy that radiates. Love is perfected in the Fire of God. Nothing can separate us from the love of God.

7) Pentecost Brings Passion for the Souls of Men

The eighth chapter overflows into the ninth. The experience consummates in anguish and tears for the lost. There is no sterner test of Grace than the attitude to the lost. Pentecost leads back to Gethsemane, for it baptizes into Christ's Baptism of Redeeming Passion. Spirit-filled hearts are always tender, and they see men through the tears of a holy compassion.

Read More: http://www.raptureready.com/resource/chadwick/chadwick35.html