| A Heavenly Treasure by David Rich, September 5, 2025
Matthew 6:9-15 – “Pray then like this, Our Father who art in heaven….”
Everything we need to know about life on earth and life in heaven was taught by Jesus. He was our ultimate teacher. He taught us how to deal with adversity, how to deal with governments, how to have a happy marriage, and the list goes on and on. He also taught us how to pray.
I don’t know about you, but I seem to pray more often, and certainly more fervently, when I need something from God. I know my praying won’t alter God’s plan, and I also know He knows what I need better than I do. If prayer could change God’s intentions, then God isn’t 100% sovereign. Prayer would be sovereign. But we know that isn’t true. We pray because we are human. We can’t help it. Jesus prayed in his human state. Glenna used to say that the power of prayer was to put us in step with what God is going to do. It reminds me of the famous C. S. Lewis quote on prayer:
“I pray because I can’t help myself. I pray because I’m helpless. I pray because the need flows out of me all the time – waking and sleeping. It doesn’t change God – it changes me.”
I love that because it sums up WHY we pray, but to learn HOW to pray, we can, once again, look to Jesus. In Matthew 6:5-13, He taught his disciples how to pray. He taught them not to be like the hypocrites who only pray to score points with God, or like the many Gentiles, who lay out their life’s worries in wordy pleas, as if God didn’t already know what they need. Jesus didn’t just tell them how NOT to pray, He told them the perfect prayer words. He gave them a script, and if you’re like me, you have robotically recited that script many times. But, when you break it down and think about each word, The Lord’s Prayer is far more than a simple prayer. It’s a full, Bible lesson, chalked full of wonderful truths. Let’s break it down. I’ll reference the New King James Version.
“Our Father in heaven”, says so much. First, God is our true Father. We are His creation. Our earthly fathers have custodial authority over us temporarily, but we belong to God. We are also not descendants of earthworms or primates. Fathers are creators, and God is our Father. Second, heaven has many translations in Greek. For brevity, just note that this translation is in plural form, meaning heavens. God is everywhere, on earth, in the skies, and in the heavens. He is “omni-present.”
“Hallowed be Your name.” God has a name. His name is Jesus. Jesus was praying to himself. The trinity, God in three persons, is truly a lesson for another Heavenly Treasures! “Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” This passage should evoke genuine peace. God’s work will not be impeded. We won’t stop it, slow, alter it, or add to it. Full stop. Also, the Greek translation for heaven in this instance is singular, distinguishing the difference between earth and heaven. Jesus in His human form had a will. He prayed in the Garden to the Father to “let this cup pass from me,” (Matthew 26:39), but He also knew that it wasn’t his will that would prevail, but His Father’s. He prayed because He couldn’t help it. He prayed because He was human.
“Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.” Note the passive word “give.” It is a dependent word. He didn’t say, go slay the dragons and eat what you kill. Jesus is teaching us that we are all dependents, needing mercy. Therefore, we should forgive others who might be dependent on us.
“Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.” I can hear Glenna right now. When teaching on God’s sovereignty, she would often ask, “Who is doing the leading?” In other words, WHO is Jesus praying to that would possibly “lead” us into temptation? The answer is His Father. It was the Spirit who DROVE Jesus into the wilderness to be tempted. God is truly sovereign over all, including evil.
Notice the four main tenants of this prayer are all passive verbs: Give, Forgive, Lead, and Deliver. Jesus is the Good Shepard who will give, forgive, lead, and deliver His sheep. The power of prayer is turning it over to Him.
“For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.” The kingdom, power, and glory is synonymous with the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. It’s the trinity in action. The Son inherited the kingdom with the power of the Holy Spirit and ALL glory belongs and resides with the Father. One day, we will not only see this firsthand but will live it FOREVER.
AMEN.
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