I’m a Christian, and sometimes a teacher/preacher.

This sermon series looks at the parts of the Bible that are the best known passages by those outside of church.

This time, we’ll take a look at the Lord’s Prayer, or The Our Father.

Discussion Questions

• Is there a song that you misheard the lyrics, but the wrong lyrics are stuck in your head even after learning the correct ones?
• Is there a time when you had to change your mind so drastically that you had to make a public statement or otherwise announce the change to everyone?

The Lord’s Prayer

Before we look at the Lord’s Prayer itself, let’s see what Jesus was saying right before he prayed it.

When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. I tell you, they have received their reward in full. Instead, go into your room and close the door, and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. When you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, who think they will be heard because of their many words.

This is how you should pray… (Matthew 6:5-8)

The Lord’s Prayer

This is how you should pray:
Our Father who is in heaven,
hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come, your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
Do not lead us into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one. (Matthew 6:9-13)
Yours is the kingdom, power, and glory forever. Amen. (Matthew 6:13½)

TL;DR

Luke gave us a shorter version. (TL;DR is internet shorthand for “too long; didn’t read”)

When you pray, say:
Father, hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come.
Give us each day our daily bread.
And forgive us our sins,
for we also forgive everyone who sins against us.
And lead us not into temptation. (Luke 11:2-4)

Notice what’s missing:

• our
• in heaven
• your will be done
• deliver us from evil

Did Luke miss some details? Did he cut to the chase? Did Matthew make stuff up? Did he tailor it to his audience? Did Jesus teach this prayer multiple times?

Our Father

Let’s take a look around the bible for other places where each of the phrases appears, to see what else we can learn about them.

Matt 23:9  – one Father, in heaven
Matt 26:42  – my Father
Luke 15:21  – prodigal son’s father
Acts 17:28  – we are his offspring
Matt 5:16  – glorify your Father

Kingdom Come

Psa 103:20  – angels do God’s will
Luke 22:42  – your will be done
2 Thess 3:1  – rapidly

Daily Bread

Prov 30:8  – give me daily bread
Isa 33:16  – bread will be supplied
Rev 2:17  – hidden manna
Matt 4:4  – not on bread alone
Eph 6:18  – pray for others saints

Forgive

Matt 18:33  – unmerciful servant
Psa 66:18  – without confessing, God doesn’t answer
Mark 11:26  – we must forgive

Temptation

James 1:13  – God cannot tempt
Psa 19:13  – guard against willful sin
Luke 22:40  – pray that we do not fall
1Cor 10:13  – common to man
2 Pet 2:9  – rescue from trials

Evil

John 17:5  – ask God to protect from evil one
2 Thess 3:3  – God will protect from evil one
1 Jn 5:18  – evil one cannot harm

Kingdom, Power, Glory

“Doxology” (exalting verse)
Not in the earliest writings
Similar to many traditional Jewish doxologies
1 Chron 29:11 (greatness, power, glory)
Didache (teaching of the Twelve)
Henry the VIII added kingdom power and glory (1525)
Henry the VIII changed his mind and removed it (1541)
Protestant: kingdom, power, glory forever
Catholic: detached
Orthodox: …to Father, Son, and Spirit forever

A. C. T. S.

Adoration – in heaven, hallowed name, kingdom come
Confession – our debts
Thanksgiving – father, kingdom power and glory
Supplication – daily bread, lead us, deliver us

Discussion Questions

• Do your prayers follow too much of a “recipe?”
• Are your prayers balanced among adoration, confession, thanksgiving, and supplication?
• James 1:13 tells us that God does not tempt us to sin. Is there anything that you blame God for?

Download

You can download the PowerPoint file here.