[Matthew 6:9-13 KJV] “After this manner therefore pray ye: 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. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.”
Anything God tells us to pray about is important. The model prayer posted above touches on certain aspects or dimensions of life that prayer must address. I will touch on a few in this teaching.
In the model prayer, we understand that
- Relationship is very important. If there is anything we must work on, it is our relationship with God and with others. You must be clear in your mind about the relationship you have with any person and how to work on it. You must remind yourself always what people represent in your life and what they mean to you. We must learn to forgive others and to receive forgiveness from God. These are important aspects of life your prayer must build on.
- A good or Hallowed name is better than riches. Your name is your spiritual identification number. When the sons of Sceva attempted to cast our devils, they said we command you in the name of Jesus whom Paul preaches; the demons acknowledge that they knew Jesus, they knew Paul … Your name is your identification number in the spirit. We must strive to make our names known in the realms of the spirit.
- Community and the King’s will is important. We all build relationships alright, but few of us build communities. For effectiveness and development, we must desire to see the kingdom of God built. It is not just a matter of knowing me and me knowing you; we must build a healthy society where the will of God is done.
- Portion control is important. The truth the model prayer teaches is the fact that no matter how much you have, you must control the portion of what you eat. You must eat neither too much nor too little. You must desire just daily bread. That is what you pray for. If you eat too much, you will become poor and sick. Let us respect portion control. You must work on how much is enough for a day.
- Leading and deliverance. It is important to understand that there is real evil in the world that hurts and maims men; we should pray that the Lord would lead and deliver us through and from stormy waters. Remember, if the Lord does not help us; we are doomed. Both the kingdom, the power and the glory belong to Him.
Therefore, when you pray every morning and night if you want to prosper and excel by faith;
- Pray that the name of the Lord will be hallowed
- Pray that the kingdom of God shall be established among us. May the righteousness, peace and joy of the Holy Spirit be manifested in our lives.
- Pray that the will of God will be done in our lives as it is in heaven. Pray that all men shall be saved; that we shall possess our vessel in honour; that we shall give thanks in all situations.
- Pray that God will give unto us our daily supply of sustenance. May God give us our daily bread!
- Pray that God will forgive us our trespasses as we forgive others.
- Pray that God will not lead us into temptation; and that he shall deliver us from evil.
- Acknowledge that the kingdom, the power, and the glory belong to God.
Stay blessed