Devotional

Many things happened over the week, which I will talk about later, but right now I have a retreat to go to. Sooo...the following devotional was written by me, as a requirement for the missions trip to New York City.

Prayer

Have you ever really thought about prayer? I mean, really thought about it. How do you pray, or do you even do so? Some think of prayer as repetitiously asking for something from God, for us. After all, didn’t Jesus say that all things we ask for in prayer we will receive in Matthew 21:22? Others believe that the “Lord’s prayer” is the way to go, say it on your knees, by the bed, just before you go to sleep and your covered. Just like insurance. But there’s one tiny, insi-winsy little fact that…just didn’t make it into public knowledge. And that’s what we will look at right now, verse by verse, Matthew 6:9-13 (using the New American Standard Bible, and various commentaries by various people).

Before we look at the verses, let me set up the context: Jesus just finished being tempted by the devil for forty days and forty nights in the desert. He was “going throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness among the people” (Matt 4:23). A large crowd followed him from all over surrounding cities, so He was forced to go on top of a little meadow in the mountains. This is where He gave his famous Beatitudes and his not so famous “therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect” command. His speech eventually turned towards prayer, rebuking the way prayer was thought of at the time, a cleansing process and “mindless repetitions.” After the rebukal, he went ahead and showed us what we now call the “Lord’s prayer”.

Mat 6:9 "Pray, then, in this way: 'Our Father who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name.

Notice how He basically said “pray this way”, and then follows through with an example. “Our Father” shows a personal relationship, an acknowledgement of our love and His love flowing between Him and us. So then, prayer is more than a request it seems, it’s also a reminder that God is more than a genie in a box, He is a Father. Our guider, counselor, who happens to be in heaven, in paradise, but the relationship is still there. “Hallowed be Your name”, a sincere wish. Consider our Father being our Creator, the Creator who sent His Son into the created to save the created from slavery. Why shouldn’t His name be Holy?
Mat 6:10 'Your kingdom come. Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven.
The word “kingdom” here means “reign” (Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible), so it’s another petition: that our Holy Father may reign here on earth over all. That His laws may be obeyed, that His gospel may be spread throughout the lands to the ends of the earth, that all would be filled with His glory. “Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” which is to obey His law and be holy. May His law be obeyed and loved here on earth, just like it is in heaven.
Mat 6:11 'Give us this day our daily bread.
Notice how there is no mention of a mansion, a chariot, and that there may be no taxes. Only bread, the basic necessity to live. No mention of comfort and no tears (for Christ has come not to bring peace but division (Luke 12:51)), just some bread to have the energy to fulfill that basic wish to obey His law. “Give us” may certainly symbolize our dependence on Him for life, and the “us” instead of the “me” may be referring to the attitude and love we are to have towards each other, feeling each other’s pain and loving each other as Jesus Himself loved (and loves) us.
Mat 6:12 'And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
The definition of debt (from dictionary.com):

1. Something owed, such as money, goods, or services.
1. An obligation or liability to pay or render something to someone else.
2. The condition of owing: a young family always in debt.
2. An offense requiring forgiveness or reparation; a trespass.

Debt implies something that we have had and are bound to pay for according to contract (Barnes). Obviously, there can be no such thing between us and God, so it definition number two that we are looking at right now. (Also, Luke 11:4 uses the word “sins” in replacement of “debts” in the “Lord’s Prayer”). Jesus then goes on, does not stop at “forgive us our debts” but continues onwards to “as we also have forgiven our debtors”. How can you expect to be forgiven by the Creator of all things if you yourself can’t forgive fellow brothers? How will you be judged on Judgment Day when revenge and dark thoughts are stored in your mind? Remember, nothing is ever hidden from God, He can see you in the shower and He can see the state of your heart. Forgiveness, remember, also extends to not just actions but literal debt, the money kind. What will you do if someone is unable to pay you back, forgive?
Mat 6:13 'And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
God does not tempt (James 1:13) so the word “lead us” would mean “permit us”. A plea for freedom from evil, and the “lesseness” of suffering and temptations. If it is God’s will, it will be done.

There is one last line in the “Lord’s Prayer” which I’ve left out, it is the line “For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.” That last line is not included in most manuscripts of the New Testament, most likely it is an addition.