Matthew 6:9-15 (The Sermon on the Mount, Part IX)

The Lord's Prayer
Starting with verse 9, Jesus, the Son of God teaches us how to pray. For discussion, I will include paraphrased explanations from Luther's Small Catechism, which I was raised with and feel is an excellent guide through the prayer.

Our Father, who art in Heaven

God is our true father, the one who has created our person and our lives, who gives in tender grace and rebukes with wrath. We are most definitely his highly loved children.

Hollowed by thy name

God's name and everything about Him is completely holy and we pray that he will always be regarded as holy. His name is kept holy when His word is taught truthfully and in it's purity, and when we live our lives according to it.

Thy Kingdom come

God's Kingdom will come whether we pray for it or not. We pray that it will come to us by the Spirit giving us faith to believe in Christ and his sacrifice for us.

Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

God's Will is always done whether we pray for it or not. We pray that it will come to us specifically as the strength to live holy lives pleasing to him and to thwart any plans of the Devil.

Give us this day our daily bread.

God gives to everyone without our prayers, even to all evil people, but we pray that God would lead us to realize this and to receive our blessings with thanksgiving.

"Daily bread includes everything that has to do with the support and needs of the body, such as food, drink, clothing, shoes, house, home, land, animals, money, goods, a devout husband or wife, devout children, devout workers, devout and faithful rulers, good government, good weather, peace, health, self control, good reputation, good friends, faithful neighbors, and the like."

And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.

We pray that God would not look at our sins, or deny our prayer because of them. We are neither worthy of the things for which we pray, nor have we deserved them. We ask that He would give them all to us by grace, for we daily sin much and surely deserve nothing but punishment. So we too will sincerely forgive and gladly do good to those who sin against us.

And lead us not into temptation.

God tempts no one. We pray that God would guard and keep us so that the devil, the world, and our sinful nature may not deceive us or mislead us into false belief, despair, and other great shame and vice. Although we are attacked by these things, we pray that we may finally overcome them towards a God pleasing life.

But deliver us from evil.

We pray that God would rescue us from every evil of body and soul, possessions and reputation, and finally, when we die, give us a blessed end, and graciously take us to Himself in heaven.

Verse 14 and 15 continues and repeats the command to forgive others. God does not tolerate hypocrites. I see it this way... when someone sins against you, who's law have they broken? Yours? or God's? So who should be the one to judge them?

Matthew 6:1-8 (The Sermon on the Mount, Part VIII)

Giving to the Needy and Prayer
The sermon continues, as well as the message. Our actions should reflect a heart that is dedicated to God, not one that is merely doing "things" to earn points. These passages are a few of my favorites... how it is the quiet and humble work that glorifies God. Not big obnoxious, self-promoting events. Go out, give graciously and kindly, and do the Lord's Will for no other reason than your love for Him and neighbor alike.

The verses 5-8 here also talk about prayer. Prayer is meant for you to talk to God. Luckily he knows what you will ask before you say it. (v. 8) I feel these verses speak against Televangelism. The gaudiness, self-aggrandizing, and endless prayers seem to fly directly in the face of these verses. Luckily the Lord can (and does) use anything towards his Glory. Go into your closet today, and pray to him to give you guidance in giving and praying.