Contemplating the Lord's Prayer
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.
Depending on your church background the Lord’s Prayer may have played a central role in your spiritual development or played little to no role at all in your spiritual development. Matthew’s gospel places the Lord’s Prayer almost exactly in the middle of the most radical and counter-cultural sermon of all time, Jesus’ sermon on the mount. One of the many beautiful things about Jesus is the reality that he spoke like no one before him and no one since him. His instructions on prayer found in Matthew 6:5-15 are no exception to this. This prayer has been held in high regard by God’s people throughout church history. It’s powerful, and it’s well worth our time and energy to learn it, memorize it, and to pray and contemplate upon it regularly.
For about three months I’ve incorporated a contemplative praying of the Lord’s Prayer and it’s been such a rich experience. Jesus is transforming me and my prayer life as a result. Prayer has always been a challenge for me, and in my experience with many other people who know, love, and follow Jesus it’s been a challenge for them as well. I wonder if perhaps we’ve overcomplicated prayer and made it something that Christ never intended it to be. In the Lord’s Prayer, we have the very instructions of Jesus on how and what we should be praying. It’s rich in theological truth and conviction and provides much for us to contemplate and reflect upon. I’ve grown in my awareness of myself and the awareness of the presence of God in the world as a result of praying this each day as part of my spiritual formation rhythms and I trust that you’ll find it as beneficial as I have if you commit to making it a regular part of your rhythms. I’ve included a line upon line breakdown, a brief thought regarding the line, and a few questions for your consideration and contemplation.
“Our Father”
God invites us into relationship not as some distant ruler, but as a near and present loving Father
In what ways does your image of fatherhood need to be redeemed?
Where in your life does God feel near today? Where does he feel distant today?
Ask the Holy Spirit to mend this brokenness, and heal these wounds so that you can receive the perfect love of God the Father today
“in heaven”
Our God isn’t just near to us, at the same time He is transcendent, sovereign, and all-powerful.
What are the areas of your life where he seems powerless to help, to heal, and to transform?
What seems out of control in your life? How might God be inviting you to trust him at a deeper level with all aspects of your life?
“hallowed be your name”
God’s name is perfect, precious, holy, righteous, and worthy of all Glory.
In what ways are you trying to prove your name more known and holy than His?
How might you be trying to receive glory for the blessings and the gifts of God in your life instead of giving glory to His name?
“Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven”
This earth is full of sin, injustice, disorder, and despair, but heaven isn’t it. Heaven is full of rest, hope, joy, and the Presence of God … We ask, Lord, that the things of your Kingdom would come to bear on our world and on our hearts!
In what ways are you spending your time, talents, and treasures to bring about your Kingdom and your will, instead of His?
What may God be inviting you to surrender so that His Kingdom comes and His will be done on earth as it is in heaven?
“Give us this day our daily bread”
God supernaturally provides for His children. He promises to meet all of our needs and provides us with air to breathe, hands to work, brains to think and so on and so on, He invites us to depend on Him for all that we need, for all that all His children need!
In what ways have you grown to depend more on yourself for daily provision, instead of God?
In what ways have you withheld provision from someone in need because you worked for what you have, and they haven’t?
“And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors”
In Christ, we have been totally forgiven and totally relieved from all of our debts in relationship with God, because we have been forgiven God we can now forgive others.
What do you feel like you haven’t been forgiven by God for in your life?
Who are you withholding forgiveness from right now in your life?
“And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil”
Hebrews 4:15-16 tells us that we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. And that we can with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, where we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
What temptations are you facing right now? What evil is before you?
In what ways are you relying on your own strength and not Christ’s to overcome temptation, evil, and the evil one, satan?
What is the Spirit of God inviting you into through your prayer and contemplation of the Lord’s Prayer?
Submitted by: Matthew Korte