A CHRISTIAN PRAYS
Relationships always involve communication. We have seen that God speaks to us through the words of the Bible. The way we speak to God is through prayer. Prayer is the blessed privilege given by God to speak to him.
1 Peter 3:12 “For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their requests. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”
John 16:23b “Whatever you ask the Father in my name, he will give you.”
Who has been given the privilege of prayer?
Psalm 62:8a “Trust in him at all times, you people. Pour out your hearts before him.”
Psalm 19:14 “May the speech from my mouth and the thoughts in my heart be pleasing to you, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.”
How might we define prayer?
Psalm 50:15 “Call on me in the day of distress. I will deliver you, and you will honor me.”
Matthew 7:7-11 “Keep asking, and it will be given to you. Keep seeking, and you will find. Keep knocking, and it will be opened for you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks, it will be opened. 9 Who among you, if his son asks him for bread, would give him a stone? 10 Or who, if his son asks for a fish, would give him a snake? 11 Then if you know how to give good gifts to your children, even though you are evil, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!”
Philippians 4:6 “Do not worry about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.”
We can __________________ pray to God because he has invited us to pray and promised to hear us.
For Additional Study
Luther’s Morning Prayer
I thank you, my Heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, your dear Son, that you have kept me this night from all harm and danger; and I pray that you would keep me this day also from sin and every evil, that all my doings and life may please you. For into your hands I commend myself, my body and soul, and all things. Let your holy angel be with me, that the evil foe may have no power over me. Amen.
Luther’s Evening Prayer
I thank you, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, your dear Son, that you have graciously kept me this day; and I pray that you would forgive me all my sins where I have done wrong, and graciously keep me this night. For into your hands I commend myself, my body and soul, and all things. Let your holy angel be with me, that the evil foe may have no power over me. Amen.
When praying for worldly things, we ought to say, “If you are willing,” “according to your will,” or “not my will, but yours be done.”
Luke 22:42 “‘Father, if you are willing, take this cup away from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours be done.”
Matthew 8:2 “Just then, a leper came to him and bowed down to him, saying, ‘Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.’”
When we pray for spiritual things (e.g. forgiveness, a stronger faith, for him to do what is best for us) there is no need to qualify our prayers with “if you are willing.” In his Word, he has told us he is willing.
1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
Isaiah 41:10 “Do not fear, for I am with you. Do not be overwhelmed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you. Yes, I will help you. I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
Romans 8:28 “We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, for those who are called according to his purpose.”
Prayers are only directed to God, because he is the one who has the power to answer prayers, and the one who has invited us to pray. We do, however, pray for others.
1 Timothy 2:1-3 “First of all, then, I urge that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all those who are in authority, in order that we might live a quiet and peaceful life in all godliness and dignity. This is good and pleasing in the sight of God our Savior.”
James 5:16 “So confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, in order that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is able to do much because it is effective.”
Matthew 5:44 “But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.”
Christians should remember to pray for _______________________, _______ ____________________________, and even their ______________________.
We do not pray to those who have died (that would be idolatry). We also don’t pray for those who have died, because they have already been judged according to whether they had faith in Christ (Hebrews 9:27).
For Additional Study
A Bedtime Prayer
Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep. If I should die before I 'wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take. Amen.
*The origins of this prayer go back hundreds of years. Variations and other verses to the prayer can also be found.
The Common Table Prayer
Come, Lord Jesus, be our guest, and let these gifts to us be blessed. Amen
*This prayer is used by many Lutheran Christians and has been attributed to Martin Luther, although this is uncertain.
Psalm 136:1
(O) Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good. For his mercy endures forever.
*This verse is often spoken directly after The Common Table Prayer before a meal. Some use it as a prayer after the meal instead.
God answers every prayer. He does it in his own way, in his own time, and in a way that is best for us. It is good to remember that God can answer our prayers in several ways. Note the type of answer given in each of the passages below:
2 Kings 20:1b-6a: “‘This is what the LORD says. Give instructions to your house because you are going to die. You will not recover.’Then Hezekiah turned his faceto the wallandprayed tothe LORD,saying, ‘Please, O LORD,rememberhow I have walked before you in truth and with a whole heart and have done what is good in your eyes.’ Hezekiah wept bitterly.Isaiah had not yet gone out from the middle courtyard when the word ofthe LORD came to him: ‘Go back and tell Hezekiah, the leader of my people, that this is what the LORD, the God of your father David, says. I have heard your prayer, and I have seen your tears. I will certainly heal you. On the third day from now you will go up to the House of the LORD. I will add fifteen years to your life’”
God’s answer: ____________
2 Corinthians 12:8-9 “Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that he would take it away from me. And he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, because my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will be glad to boast all the more in my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may shelter me.”
God’s answer: ____________
Genesis 16: 5-6 “The LORD then brought him (Abraham) outside and said, ‘Now look toward the sky and count the stars, if you are able to count them.’ He said to Abram, ‘This is what your descendants will be like.’ Abram believed in the LORD, and the LORD credited it to him as righteousness.’”
God’s answer: ____________
Ephesians 3:20-21 “Now to him, who is able, according to the power that is at work within us, to do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine, to him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever! Amen.”
God’s answer: _______________________________________
THE LORD’S PRAYER (Matthew 6:9-13 and Luke 11:2-4)
Martin Luther’s explanation for each part of the Lord’s Prayer will appear beneath it. These come from Luther’s Catechism.
The Address: Our Father in heaven
What does this Mean? With these words God tenderly invites us to believe that he is our true Father and that we are his true children, so that we may pray to him as boldly and confidently as dear children ask their dear father.
Malachi 2:10a “Don’t we all have one Father? Hasn’t one God created us?”
2 Corinthians 6:18 “I will be your Father, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.”
Galatians 4:4-6 “But when the set time had fullycome, God sent his Son to be born of a woman, so that he would be born under the law, in order to redeem those under the law, so that we would be adopted as sons. And because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts to shout, ‘Abba, Father!’”
Why can we call God our Father? 1. 2. 3.
The First Petition: Hallowed be your name.
What does this mean? God’s name is certainly holy by itself, but we pray in this petition that we too may keep it holy. How is God’s name kept holy? God’s name is kept holy when his Word is taught in its truth and purity and we as children of God lead holy lives according to it. Help us to do this, dear Father in heaven! But whoever teaches and lives contrary to God’s Word dishonors God’s name among us. Keep us from doing this dear Father in heaven!
Remember that God’s “name” is God’s reputation and everything we know about him from Scripture. It is not merely the names and titlesfor Godfound in the Bible. “Hallowed” means “holy (sacred, set apart).” God has literally marked us with his name at our baptism and his name has been spoken over his people in worship for over 3500 years!
Matthew 28:19 “Therefore go and gather disciples from all nations by baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”
Numbers 6:22-27 “The LORD told Moses to speak to Aaron and to his sons and to tellthem toblesstheIsraeliteswith thesewords:The LORD bless you andkeep you. The LORD make his face shine on you and be gracious to you. The LORD look on you with favor and give you peace. In this way they will put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them.”
For Additional Study
Review The Second Commandment, “You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God.” p.42-43
Christians want to treat God as holy while they go about their daily lives. The following verses show ways we do that.
Jeremiah 23:38 “But let the one who has my word speak my word faithfully.
1 Chronicles 16:8-10a “Give thanks to the LORD. Call on his name. Make known his deeds among the peoples. Sing to him. Make music to him. Tell about all his wonderful acts. Praise his holy name.”
1 Corinthians 10:31 “So whether you eat or drink, or do anything else, do everything to the glory of God.”
Matthew 5:16 “In the same way let your light shine in people’s presence, so that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”
The Second Petition: Your kingdom come. What does this mean? God’s kingdom certainly comes by itself even without our prayer, but we pray in this petition that it may also come to us. How does God’s kingdom come? God’s kingdom comes when our heavenly Father gives his Holy Spirit, so that by his grace we believe his holy Word and lead a godly life now on earth and forever in heaven.
Colossians 1:13-14 “For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”
Luke 17:20-21 “Once, on being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, ‘The coming of the kingdom of God is not something that can be observed, nor will people say, “Here it is,” or “There it is,” because the kingdom of God is in your midst.’” (or within you)
Romans 5:5 “And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.”
What do those verses tell us about the kingdom of God?
How would this petition apply to the person who already is part of God’s kingdom?
For Additional Study
Why might we consider this petition to be a mission prayer?
Christians often think of a three-fold kingdom of God:
The Kingdom of Power—his rule over the world.
The Kingdom of Grace—his rule over his Church
The Kingdom of Glory—his rule in heaven
The Third Petition: Your will be done on earth as in heaven. What does this mean? God’s good and gracious will certainly is done without our prayer, but we pray in this petition that it may be done among us also. How is God’s will done? God’s will is done when he breaks and defeats every evil plan and purpose of the devil, the world, and our sinful flesh, which try to prevent us from keeping God’s name holy and letting his kingdom come. And God’s will is done when he strengthens and keeps us firm in his Word and in the faith as long as we live. This is his good and gracious will.
Mark 16:15 “He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.’”
John 6:40 “For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.”
Psalm 1:1-2 “Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the LORD,and who meditates on his law day and night.”
1 Thessalonians 4:1,3 “As for other matters, brothers and sisters, we instructed you how to live in order to please God, as in fact you are living. Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more. It is God’s will that you should be sanctified.”
What do the passages above tell us about God’s will? The Fourth Petition: Give us today our daily bread. What does this mean? God surely gives daily bread without our asking, even to all the wicked, but we pray in this petition that he would lead us to realize this and to receive our daily bread with thanksgiving. What, then, is meant by daily bread? Daily bread includes everything that we need for our bodily welfare, such as food and drink, clothing and shoes, house and home, land and cattle, money and goods, a godly spouse, godly children, godly workers, godly and faithful leaders, good government, good weather, peace and order, health, a good name, good friends, faithful neighbors, and the like.
Psalm 145:15-16 “The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food at the proper time. You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing.”
Deuteronomy 8:17-18a “You may say to yourself, ‘My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.’ But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth.”
2 Corinthians 9:8 “God is able to make all grace overflow to you, so that in all things,atalltimes,having all thatyou need, you will overflow inevery good work.” For
Review The Seventh Commandment:
“You shall not steal.” p.53-54
James 1:17
Matthew 6:33-34 “So do not worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ For the unbelievers chase after all these things. Certainly your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
Proverbs 30:8-9 “Do not give me poverty or riches. Give me food in the amount that is right for me. 9 Too much, and I may feel satisfied and deny you and say, ‘Who is the LORD?’ Too little, and I may become poor and steal and profane the name of my God.”
What would be the value of praying this petition each day?
While God provides for his entire creation, even those who reject him, those who pray this petition acknowledge that God is the giver of all good things and give thanks to him for his gifts.
The Fifth Petition: Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us. What does this mean? We pray in this petition that our Father in heaven would not look upon our sins or because of them deny our prayers, for we are worthy of none of the things for which we ask, neither have we deserved them, but we ask that he would give themall to us by grace; for we daily sinmuchand surely deserve nothing but punishment. So we too will forgive from the heart and gladly do good to those who sin against us.
This petition first focuses on the forgiveness we receive from God. We have learned about our need to be forgiven by God and that forgiveness comes through faith in what Jesus has done for us and all people. Here we also pray that we will forgive others in the way God has forgiven us.
Note in the following verses how God has forgiven us.
Psalm 103:12 “As distant as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our rebellious acts from us.”
Jeremiah 31:34b “I will forgive their guilt, and I will remembertheir sins no more.”
Note in the following verses that God’s forgiveness is the pattern for our own.
Colossians 3:13 “Bear with one another and forgive each other if anyone has a complaint against anyone else. Forgive, just as Christ forgave you.”
Ephesians4:32 “Instead,be kindand compassionate to oneanother, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ has forgiven us.”
For Additional Study
Luke 12:15-21
1 Timothy 6:17
Exodus 16
God provide manna and quail for his people each day.
Review God’s Expectations for All People & Forgiveness of Sin Comes through Faith in Jesus Christ. p.14-24
Genesis 50:15-21
Matthew 18:21-35
The Sixth Petition: Lead us not into temptation
What does this mean? God surely tempts no one to sin, but we pray in this petition that God would guard and keep us, so that the devil, the world, and our flesh may not deceive us or lead us into false belief, despair, and other great and shameful sins; and though we are tempted by them, we pray that we may overcome and win the victory.
James 1:13 “Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am being tempted by God,’ because God cannot be tempted by evil, and he himself tempts no one.”
Genesis 22:1-2 “Some time later God tested Abraham. He called to him, ‘Abraham!’ Abraham answered, ‘I am here.’ God said, ‘Now take your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah. Offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains there, the one to which I direct you.’”
1 Thessalonians 3:5 “This is why, when I could not stand it any longer, I sent to find out about your faith, because I was afraid that somehow the Tempter had tempted you and our labor might have been for nothing.”
Matthew 4:3 “The Tempter came and said to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become bread.’”
A temptation and a test of faith could look the same to us. What is the difference?
A test of faith comes from _________ and is intended for our spiritual _________.
A temptation comes from _________ and is intended for our spiritual _________.
1 Corinthians 10:12-13 “So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be temptedbeyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.”
The Seventh Petition: But deliver us from evil. What does this mean? In conclusion, we pray in this petition that our Father in heavenwoulddeliver us from every evilthat threatens body and soul, property and reputation, and finally when our last hour comes, grant us a blessed end and graciously take us from this world of sorrow to himself in heaven.
2 Corinthians 4:16-18 “Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”
Werealizethatthis________isevil,butthatwewillbe deliveredto___________. We are asking for deliverance from evil now and looking forward to that final deliverance.
For Additional Study
Romans 8:28
1
Timothy 2:3-4