SOMEONE ONCE SAID THAT PRAYER IS LIKE DISPATCHES from the front lines of a war. You’re communicating with your “Commander,” calling in for reinforcements and additional supplies, and sharing the enemy’s strategies and tactics. When Paul described the spiritual weaponry associated with our battle against sin and Satan, he wrote that spiritual warriors pray “at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication” (Ephesians 6:18). The apostle realized that prayer is essential for gospel victory in this battle we fight in enemy territory!
Jesus knew that his disciples did not properly understand prayer. They had seen and heard prayers by the religious leaders of Israel that were often vain, bringing about no real effect. So, Jesus gave them a prayer to model. In that prayer Jesus introduced six petitions.
God’s Name
Jesus begins with the receiver of our prayers – our Heavenly Father. Though prayer is a wartime dispatch, it is not sent to a detached superior, but rather to a loving Father who cares deeply for his children. The mission for which our Father has sent us involves the “hallowing” of his name. When we pray, “hallowed be your name,” we are declaring that we desire that God would make his name known and that he would been properly seen in the world. The beginning of our prayer frames what follows.
God’s Kingdom
The Bible describes the universal reality of all things as a conflict between the kingdom of God and the kingdoms of this world, which are influenced by Satan. From the beginning, these kingdoms of darkness have sought to undermine the work of God’s kingdom. When we pray, “your kingdom come,” we are asking our Father to bring about his reign and rule on this earth. His kingdom is characterized by the peace, justice, and righteousness of Christ.
God’s Will
Though this petition is a continuation of “your kingdom come,” it is often expressed in a more personalized way by the one who is praying. “Your will be done” is a recognition that I do not always do God’s will, but I desire to do so. We are wanting to embody the ethics and values of God’s kingdom through the power of Christ’s Spirit dwelling within us.
Our Daily Food
Like those on the front lines, we are fully dependent on others (or for us – on Another) for the replenishment of our resources and supplies. This petition is an opportunity for us to ask from the Lord for all that we need – physically, emotionally, financially, relationally, spiritually. Our Father is the giver of every good and perfect gift (James 1:17) and he delights in providing for his children (Matthew 7:11). So, petition him daily for all you need!
Our Sins
Later in his life the Apostle Paul called himself the “chief of sinners” (1 Timothy 1:15). Though he had experienced the faithful, sanctifying work of Christ in his life, it was still clear to him that he was regularly in need of God’s forgiveness for his sin. When we’re humble about our need before our Father for forgiveness, it leads us to be more willing to forgive others when they have sinned against us.
Our Temptations
Ultimately, we want to honor God with our lives. We want to be faithful soldiers for Christ who never question our allegiance to the King. We ask for God’s help in this when we petition for him to “lead us away from temptation.” Though Christ has already delivered us from the “domain of darkness” and transferred us into his kingdom (Colossians 1:13), we still fight our battle in enemy territory with a body whose members “wage war against” against our souls (Romans 7:23). So we pray, “deliver us from evil,” my Lord!
PRAYER
Today, take a few minutes to pray through the Lord’s Prayer in Matthew 6:9-13, personalizing each petition.
PONDER
- Which of the six petitions do you find yourself focusing on most in your prayers?
- Which of the six petitions do you find yourself focusing on least in your prayers?
- It is easy for us to lose sight of the fact that we are in the midst of a spiritual battle. How can we keep that truth at the forefront of our minds so that we see prayer as truly essential for daily victory over sin and Satan?