Prayer
The Pattern for our prayers
Ezra 9:5-8
5 But at the evening offering I arose from my humiliation,
even with my garment and my robe torn, and I fell on my knees and stretched
out my hands to the Lord my God; 6 and I said, "O my God, I am ashamed
and embarrassed to lift up my face to You, my God, for our iniquities
have risen above our heads and our guilt has grown even to the heavens.
7 "Since the days of our fathers to this day we have been in great guilt,
and on account of our iniquities we, our kings and our priests have been
given into the hand of the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity
and to plunder and to open shame, as it is this day. 8 "But now for a
brief moment grace has been shown from the Lord our God, to leave us an
escaped remnant and to give us a peg in His holy place, that our God may
enlighten our eyes and grant us a little reviving in our bondage.
NASB
Jesus was asked by His disciples,
"teach us to pray, as John also taught his
disciples." (Luke 11:1, KJV).
We might well ask the same question. Jesus response was simple.
Matthew 6:9
After this manner therefore
pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
KJV
If we review all of Scripture, we will find that all prayer is truly patterned after the Lord&s prayer. All prayer is guided by the Holy Spirit to emphasis those elements of the Lord&s Prayer which are important at that moment in our lives. Examples of such Spirit led prayers are Christ&s prayer in the Garden of Gethseme just prior to His arrest, and His High Priestly prayer delivered at the Last Supper and recorded in John 17. Other Scriptural examples are found in Romans 16:25-27 and Hebrews 13:20-21.
When Jesus taught His disciples to pray after this fashion, He was demonstrating a pattern He used in His own life. As such, it makes absolute sense to use the form of this prayer as the general pattern for our own prayer life. We will not always cover all of the elements found in this prayer, but it provides us with the principles and guidance for our prayers. Let us consider each element of the pattern.
- Our Father
- which art in heaven
- Hallowed be thy name
- Thy kingdom come
- Thy will be done in earth
- as it is in heaven
- Give us this day our daily bread
- Forgive us our debts
- Lead us not into temptation
- For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
