The Lord’s Prayer - Part 2
Passage: Matthew 6:9-15 Preacher: Jonny Lochhead
QUICK RECAP
This week, we explored the depth of the Lord's Prayer, focusing on its second half. We examined three key petitions:
Give us this day our daily bread: This emphasizes our daily dependence on God for all our needs - physical, spiritual, and communal. It's about trusting God for today's provisions and praying collectively for our community's needs.
Forgive us our trespasses: Jesus directly connects our forgiveness from God to our willingness to forgive others. This highlights forgiveness as a crucial spiritual practice in the Christian life, encouraging us to let go of grudges and seek reconciliation.
Lead us not into temptation: This request asks God to protect us from times of testing. It recognizes our vulnerability to temptation - and how tough times of ‘testing’ can be. Remember: the greek word used for “temptation” here is the same word Matthew used earlier on to describe Jesus time of “testing” in the wilderness. This prayer underlines our need for God's guidance, for his protection and for his strength to resist the evil one.
The Lord’s prayer is life-changing. It shifts our focus from self-centeredness to community. It moves us self-dependance to God-dependence. By living into these prayers, we participate in God's plan for renewal: “on Earth as it is in Heaven”. Let’s pray this boldy in the week ahead…
5 QUESTIONS TO HELP YOU DIG DEEPER
A communal prayer: Note the “communal” phrasing of the Lord’s prayer: “our Father”, “our daily bread”, “forgive us our sins”, “don’t lead us into temptation”, “Deliver us”). What if this isn't just about words, but about a radical reimagining of our faith? What might change if we truly embraced the communal nature of following Jesus?
Daily Dependency: By telling us to pray for "daily bread" Jesus gives us a radical invitation to focus on God’s provision for today and trust him with the future. What would it mean for you to trust God for today's needs, without worrying about tomorrow? How does our fear of the future affect our behaviour?
Conditional Forgiveness: What if the forgiveness we receive is directly tied to the forgiveness we give? How does this challenge your understanding of grace? Is there someone in your life you need to forgive to experience God's forgiveness more fully?
Temptation: Jesus includes "lead us not into temptation" in this prayer. What might this reveal about our human nature and our need for divine guidance? How could praying this regularly reshape your approach to life's challenges?
Daily Practice: What if the Lord's Prayer became a blueprint for living? How might your life change if you committed to praying and living out this prayer - with God’s help - every day for a week, a month, or even a year?
