Pastor's Blog

THE LORD'S PRAYER

A. GENERAL OBSERVATIONS
1. Comment on the traditional title of “The Lord’s Prayer”: A more appropriate title would be “The Disciples’ Prayer,” as this is the prayer he taught THEM to pray; e.g.,
(1) “After this manner therefore pray YE,” Matt. 6:9
(2) “When YE pray, say,” Luke 11:2
(3) In Matt. 6:9-13 Jesus returns to the subject of verse 6 to teach them how to pray to THEIR Father

2. Comment on the so-called Lord’s Prayer in 6:9-13 from:
(1) Luke 11:2 (“When ye pray, say”) – Jesus sanctions the very form of this prayer to be employed, not for mere mechanical recitation, but as a medium of expression for what should be the true prayer of every child of God
(2) Matt. 6:9 (“After this manner therefore pray ye”) – This model prayer is not intended to be simply one form superceding all other prayers, but a type and pattern embodying principles applicable to all prayers, for all true prayer is crystallized in this prayer

3. In 6:9 God is said to be in heaven; in 6:6 he is said to be in secret. Explain:
(1) Being in heaven reveals God in his transcendence, i.e., in surpassing the limits of human comprehension so far that Solomon exclaimed in undisguised wonder and deep humility, “behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain thee,” I Kings 8:27
(2) Being in secret reveals God in his immanence, i.e., in his presence in the world and nearness to every human being which prompted Paul to exhort men “That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us, Acts 17:27
(3) Together these are intended to assure the petitioner that this heavenly Father-God is ever present in our immediate environment and can readily be approached in the most secret places because he is immanent as well as transcendent