Introduction
– We have seen that we are to pray in the presence of the
Father (vv5-8), through our union with Him in Christ (v9), consumed with a zeal
for the glory of our God and King (vv9-10).
The following petitions are in many ways, the means to this end. We are to pray for our daily provision, our
daily reconciliation, and our daily protection, and all to His glory.
Daily Bread –
Food is central to our physical lives, and this is no accident. Bread is central to having dominion over the
earth, and was one of the first things to be affected by the fall. Obviously, bread is representative of all of
our physical needs to sustain our lives.
These are things we should pray for God to provide. It is disobedience not to ask for what we
need, and it is disobedience to forget that God has provided (Deut 8).
Bread represents more than just
our physical needs. Jesus is the manna
from heaven, and so I should pray for daily mercies.
We are also acknowledging in the
general request that God knows the specifics and we do not. For instance, God knows the food, the
mercies, the job, and the spouse that you need. And there are numerous promises – “I will abundantly bless her
provision; I will satisfy her poor with bread” (Psalm 132:15), “…those who seek
the Lord shall not lack any good thing” (Psalm 34:10). We also learn that it is good to pray for
just enough in Proverbs 30:7-9.
In addition, He
also knows the rebuke, the chastening, the sorrow, the suffering, the
tribulation that you need. Remember,
all of this is means to the greater end – the glory of God manifested in my
life and in the world.
In all of this,
it is good to see that Jesus is instructing us that the transcendent God of all
creation, zealous for His own glory in everything, is concerned with your
sandwich this afternoon.
Forgive Us Our Debts – After the prayer, Jesus goes back and
gives additional commentary on this petition (vv14-15). “As we forgive our debtors” certainly means
that there is a connection to our forgiveness and the forgiveness we
extend. Do you see the assumption
here? Christ assumes He is speaking to
a disciple, that is one who forgives others.
This was the blessing of the beatitude (Matt 5:7). The only way I can extend such forgiveness
is by the grace of God, but the grace of God will cause me to live in such a
way. I must question my own forgiveness
if I am not one who extends forgiveness (Col 3:13).
False
Forgiveness – How
does forgiveness truly affect the Christian (Psalm 130:3-4)? If you fear God you will not think you can
sin up a storm because of ‘the grace of God’.
This is a false gospel. This is
why we pray ‘forgive us our debts’, that we may understand the
seriousness of our sin. Men look at
their sins like people look at the stars, only noticing the biggest and
brightest. But our lives are full of
sin (Psalm 40:12, 38:3-4)
Christlike
Forgiveness – Christ’s
forgiveness is immediate (not ‘if I can find it in my heart to forgive
you’). It is full and complete. His forgiveness restores the
relationship. And Christ forgives you
often. There are no bounds to His mercy
(Zech 7:9, James 2:13).
Our Debts – There is a need to
understand that we must confess our sins as covenant people – not just our own,
but the sins of the whole church (Dan 9:3-19).
Do Not Lead Us Into Temptation – We not only want to
be delivered from the guilt and debt of sin, but the power and influence as
well. If you are growing in
sanctification, you will love righteousness more and more and hate sin more and
more.
Acknowledgments
– God
is in control of all things, and so there are trials and sufferings that He
will have you go through. We are weak
and constantly dependent upon His grace to avoid sin. If I do not pray this prayer, I lie to myself of my own
self-sufficiency.
Deliver Us from
Evil – The
evil is of the devil, our own flesh, and the world. And so we are praying for strength to resist (James 4:7), grace
to mortify our own flesh (Col 3:5), and repentance when we do fall. But your prayers are a mockery of God’s
goodness if you do not employ the other means He gives – the Word, the Lord’s
Day gatherings, the admonition of brothers.
For Thine is the Kingdom… We
end where we began, acknowledging the nature and purpose of prayer – the
unending and expanding glory of God.
This Doxology answers the question “why should I pray this prayer”.
The Textus
Receptus – How
come some of us don’t have this part in our Bibles? Who should make that decision – Thomas Nelson publishers and
Rupert Murdoch, unbelieving Academies, or the confessing church (Rom 3:2)?
Confidence That
God Will Answer –
His kingdom is the whole earth (Dan 4:34-35).
His power and authority is over all heaven and earth (Matt 28:18), and
nothing will stop His decreed will to declare His glory everywhere (Eph
1:11-12). To not believe these things
is the sin of unbelief. To affirm these
things and then not to give yourself to obedience and faithful labor is to be a
hypocrite. What are the means that God
has given you (us) to see His kingdom come and His will to be done right
now. And so we say – Amen.