2014-11-09
The Six-Step Program - STEP FOUR - Prayer
Pat Gatlin

What is prayer?
It is communication with God

Matt 6:5-13

Let’s take a look at this simple prayer:

"Our Father who art in heaven"
We can begin our prayers with praising God, My Redeemer – My healer – My Provider, Protector - The One I bow down to!

"Hallowed be Thy name"
What does 'hallowed' mean? (Sacred – Holy – Blessed - SANCTIFIED)
We are saying, Father God, You are Holy! You are sacred! There’s nothing that compares to You!

“May your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”
The word “Kingdom” in the Greek is NT:932 basileia (bas-il-i'-ah); from NT:935; properly, royalty, i.e. rule, or a realm KJV - kingdom, + reign.

But this is a personal prayer
May Your Lordship come first in my life so it may spill out onto those around me!
The word "will," here, has reference to his law, and to what would be "acceptable" to him.

“Give us today our daily bread.”
Every word here has a lesson in it:
We ask for BREAD We are asking for the basics here
We ask for OUR bread We are not asking for someone else’s bread
We ask for our DAILY bread Which teaches us to not worry about tomorrow Matt 6:34 “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."
We ask/beg of God to GIVE it us Not sell it us
We pray, "Give it to US It also teaches us that we ought to pray with our families
We pray that God would give us this DAY Which teaches us to renew us EVERYDAY

"Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors."
It’s our duty is to forgive our debtors; God has forgiven me – so now I can forgive Luke 6:28 “Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which mistreat you.”

"Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one."
God never tempts us to sin
James 1:13 “Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am being tempted by God"; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone.”

I believe King David clarifies this in:
Ps 141:4 “Let not my heart be drawn to what is evil, to take part in wicked deeds with men who are evildoers; let me not eat of their delicacies.”

1 Cor 10:13 “No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it."

“Deliver us from the enemy”
We need to pray and ask the Lord to help us to recognize the enemy

“For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen”
Lord – it’s all about you – You have reign - You have control