Scripture: “Pray then like this: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.'” Matthew 6:9-13 ESV
Observation: Commonly called the Lord’s Prayer by the church, it is Christ’s model of a sincere and concise prayer in line with his warning against ostentatious and repetitive prayers (see verses 5-8). More accurately, John records our Lord’s personal prayer in chapter 17 of his Gospel, a prayer of intercession to the Father in anticipation of his crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension. In this moving petition that follows his model prayer, Jesus asks the Father first to glorify him in the remaining hours and days of passion that he might glorify his Father. Then he asks his Father to guard and sanctify his present and future disciples in the truth—not taking them out of the world but keeping them from evil.
Regarding the above model prayer, it follows the below outline:
- Invocation: God’s name, kingdom, and will (vv.9-10).
- Sustenance: daily food (both physical and spiritual, v.11).
- Forgiveness of sins: from the Father to us to others (v.12).
- Spiritual protection: from temptations and the evil one (v.13).
Theologian Michael Wilkins adds four helpful observations:
- Jesus does not command us but invites us to share in his prayer life.
- Jesus presents guidelines for conducting a regular prayer life. While it is a model, he does not command us to recite it verbatim because frequent repetition may lead to the sin of insincere formalism he condemns in verse 7 (see yesterday’s Daily Focus).
- His prayer aligns with the Old and New Testament practice of establishing the “primacy of God” in congregational and personal life. Notably, the first three petitions call his disciples to focus on the preeminence of God, while the final three guide us in how to petition for our personal needs in a community context.
- The range of the prayer covers the breadth of the grand themes of God’s name, kingdom, and will to mundane matters of sustenance, forgiveness, and protection (NIV Application Commentary: Matthew (pages 274–275).
Regarding the doxology, neither Luke’s record of this prayer nor the above includes one because the best and oldest manuscripts do not. However, some later copies present a doxology corresponding to early church worship practices.
Takeaway: Jesus’ model prayer invites us to discover the transcendency of the Creator of the universe. While the religious leaders of his day would perceive such a personal invocation as impertinent, Jesus encourages us to speak from our hearts to Abba, “Daddy.” As theologian D.A. Carson contends, this title of God reveals that he is personal and caring, our Father. And the latter part of his familial title, “in heaven,” reminds us of his sovereignty and calls us to show reverence with our intimate tone. Thus, we should hallow his name as King of our Universe and petition him to extend his messianic kingdom from heaven to earth as inaugurated by Christ. And the language of seeking his will here on earth as perfected in heaven refers to Christ’s consummation when he returns.
The remaining petitions pertain to our well-being. So first, we pray for our daily “bread,” but the term bread covers all food in Scripture (see Proverbs 30:8; Mark 3:20; Acts 6:1; 2 Thessalonians 3:12; James 2:15). Thus, in this context, “daily bread” refers to ongoing physical sustenance. But as D.A. Carson argues, Jesus speaks to our needs, not our greed. So the implication is that we trust God as our ultimate source of provisions while we do our part in co-laboring.
Jesus links the last three petitions with the conjunction “and,” as if to say that physical sustenance is not enough: we need spiritual food and protection. This understanding of the text certainly aligns with Jesus telling the devil that man does not live by bread alone (4:4). So beyond food for the body, we need sustenance for our souls. And it begins with forgiveness: the heart of our Gospel. We need it, and we need to extend it to others. It is the lifeblood of our spiritual health.
And we need protection from the enemy who seeks to mar the image of God in us. Jesus, having stood upright against the devil’s three temptations, knows where temptations will lead us if we succumb to them: much suffering. The author of Hebrews tells us that Christ suffered when tempted (even though he did not succumb). Hence, he can help us when tempted (Hebrews 2:18).
Lastly, we pray for deliverance from evil, which likely refers to the evil one, the devil. But here, our prayer focuses on redemption, not removal. To fulfill Jesus’ Great Commission to make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:18-19), we must enter into the fray of spiritual battle zones in the presence of evil. Thus, we pray to our good Father to deliver us from the devil’s machinations, knowing that he who is in us is greater than he who is in the world (1 John 4:4).
In sum, it’s a model prayer that Jesus invites us to personalize with our daily needs. And our Good Father welcomes us to approach his throne of grace with confidence, believing we will receive his mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need (Hebrews 4:16).
Prayer: Abba Father, we thank you for your Son, who made it possible for us to approach your throne of grace in intimate prayer to express our ongoing needs. So would you please help us remember in our prayers to seek discernment of your good, pleasing, and perfect will that transforms our lives (Romans 12:2), strengthens us to grow your kingdom, and delivers us from temptations and the devil’s machinations? Amen.
Rev. Gordon Green, M.Div., M.A. Counseling
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