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“And When You Pray” (3)
Matthew 6:5-15
Introduction: Hosea 6:6, “I desire steadfast love, not sacrifice; the knowledge of God rather than burnt offering.” If I understand the scriptures correctly, there are two foundational, primary principles that ought to guide all else we do in life: deepening our the knowledge of God and deepening our dependence on God through prayer.
As we studied last week, the first order of prayer is concerns for our Father’s honor, our Father’s Kingdom, and our Father’s will. Jesus balances the first three requests with three more requests that specifically has to do with our physical and spiritual needs.
- Our Personal Needs
- What I appreciate most about this part of the prayer is God’s invitation to ask him about our most pressing personal needs. Our Father cares about us.
- Just a few verses later, Jesus warns us about being anxious for our physical needs. Verses 31-32 rebuke us soundly: “For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.” Is there anything more foolish than having the same anxiousness as a godless person over whether we are going to eat or drink or have adequate clothing? It is the ultimate sign of faithlessness and disrespect for God.
- Give us this day our daily bread:
- It is interesting to note that the word translated “daily” means “the bread of our necessity; the bread that suffices for each day.” (The word occurs nowhere else in Greek literature.) Israel in the wilderness with the manna illustrates the point well. Israel was not even allowed to store up the bread for the next day so that they would learn trust in God. We often look so much to the future and to retirement that we forget daily dependence.
- How should this specifically apply to us? How can we live in a way that illustrates our daily dependence on God?
- First, is to be careful about the kind of jobs we accept. Will I have the kind of boss or be in a company that does not appreciate balance in lifestyle? Will this job hinder my spiritual growth, my obligations to God, or my time to love my spouse and raise my children for God’s purposes?
- Second, what is our attitude toward preparing for retirement or the day we cannot work? Proverbs 6 tells us to prepare, but are we so concerned about storing up treasures on earth that we forget that it is God who is our retirement and we should not compromise our family and our spiritual welfare in order to store up for the future. Cf. Matt. 6:19-24
- Let me ask, “Do we pray this?” No, generally we do not. We would not dream of waking up in the morning and having absolutely nothing to eat. We don’t worry about daily food. We think in terms of months or even years. Jesus said to pray for your food today. This is such a simple and wonderful picture. Praying for our daily food is being content each day with what God provides. Teach your children!
- Therefore, let’s consider two important lessons from Jesus’ simple words, “Give us this day our daily bread.” Remember the prayer does not just teach us “content.” Jesus is teaching us how we need to change our hearts to connect with God’s heart and God’s desires for us.
- For example, consider Deut. 8:1-5. It is interesting that God is now explaining to the second generation, who were children growing up in the wilderness, why God did what he did. This generation’s parents grumbled incessantly and were eventually killed for it. They basically accused God of being a terrible Father. It seems that it is only in the 40th year that God gives them an explanation.
- God had a spiritual purpose for allowing them to go through hardships of hunger and thirst and only feeding them manna and occasional quail. If we will try to relate to the first generation, we will often find ourselves becoming like them. The point being, “Give us this day our daily bread” is definitely not what we prefer! While I never went hungry, I appreciate my parents insisting that we not only eat what was put before us, but also be content with it and thankful for it. This should be of the utmost spiritual importance!
- Also consider what God wanted them to learn: “Man does not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Father.” Jesus also quotes this in his temptations. But what does it mean?
- First, there is an emphasis on “live.” By not having everything we want and by being content with the basic necessities, we learn that we can be just as happy, just as joyful, and just as full as if we were millionaires. Jesus said in Luke 12:15, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”
- Second, if we are living by the word of God, then we are living with complete confidence in what God provides and in his promises. How many times did Israel accuse God of wanting to kill them in the wilderness! “Where is the God of Israel,” they would say. When times get difficult, the most important part of our lives must be our confidence in our Father!
- Third, there is the implication that when we accept that life is not found in “bread alone,” we will recognize an important contrast. We are to be content with whatever physical bread the Lord provides, but hungry for the spiritual bread that results in everlasting life. This should be reflected in our prayers. Do we have an over-emphasis on the physical and little desire to being filled with the spiritual? Remember Jesus’ words in Luke 11:13, “How much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”
- What then, is the overriding point? The child of God is to be dependent on God. That will create a life saturated with prayer.
- “Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors”:
- Note especially that Jesus refers to “debts.” These aren’t debts like paying you electric bill. Our sins are debts that cannot be paid back. When debts cannot be paid back the only recourse is to seek mercy. Jesus’ sacrifice made forgiveness of the debt possible, but the fact that Jesus calls us to pray for our debts to be forgiven reminds us that we need always be aware of our indebtedness to God. When we recognize our debt, prayer will truly be without ceasing.
- Consider also, why is this to be a regular part of our prayers? Can’t we just live our lives as those who are continuously forgiven? Ah, but there is the problem. We can so easily think of our sin, of our “falling short of the glory of God” as just something God expects of us, and therefore it is no big deal. Therefore, we are told to ask because it is a big deal! The cross should scream at us of how terrible our sin is, and the continual prayer for forgiveness should keep that before our minds. Cf. 1 John 1:8-10
- Further, this is the only request in which Jesus gives an explanatory note. If we do not forgive others their debts, neither will your heavenly Father forgive you. I would like you to just imagine being before God at the Judgment. You have served God faithfully, dedicated yourself to his work, loved his word and studied deeply. But there were a few people who hurt you so deeply, you refused to forgive them. And then the Lord pronounces his judgment on you. That would be very sad; it would be devastating. But Jesus warns that it could easily happen.
- “Do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.”
- Would you say this is a neglected part of our prayer life? This is one of 6 primary requests! It seems to be a universal problem. Remember the Lord repeatedly telling Peter, James, and John in the Garden to pray? They slept instead!
- Remember also when Jesus prayed for Peter that Satan would not be able to sift him like wheat? But how often do we pray this? Possibly the reason is that we just can’t imagine a temptation so strong, so overwhelming that it would cause us to fall away. That’s what Peter thought. Worse, that’s what Judas thought. Paul said, “Let him who thinks he stands, take heed lest he fall.”
- When I think of “do not lead us…” I think of Proverbs 3:5-6. The Bible doesn’t teach that we can detect a specific “leading” of God apart from the revealed word. There are too many variables. Even Mordecai said, “Who knows…” But that does not change the promise that if I acknowledge Him in all my ways and I do not trust in my own understanding, he will direct my steps. And with that confidence we pray that He will lead us away from temptation and deliver us from the evil one. Looking back, I believe I’ve seen that many times in my life, and I’m thankful for it.
Conclusion: Praying is a challenge, isn’t it? Each category offers us a bullet point from which numerous, important requests should be made. Thus the prayer is easily memorized so that as we pray it is easy to start with each request and expand to many details that need to be expressed before God. It we will use this as our pattern, we will put the emphasis where it belongs and we will be thorough in conversation with God. In Luke’s account, this was the first answer Jesus gave to the question, “Lord, teach us to pray.”
Berry Kercheville