Growing
Growing
Wise Wise
Lord, Teach Us
to Pray—Part One
Lesson
Notes
2
TEACHER TO TEACHER
I
n the late ‘70s, I sought a mentor or spiritual director who could help me begin to master the discipline of
Christian meditation. I was directed by the Associate Pastor in my Southern Baptist church to an Episcopal
pastor named Ed Abrahamson, who was widely recognized as a gifted spiritual director.
One of the early assignments I received from Father Ed was to spend a week reflecting upon each phrase in
the Lord’s Prayer. So I spent an hour each day seeking to allow the Spirit to teach me about each phrase of the
prayer. When I had finished working through the prayer as it is recorded in Luke, I worked through the rendition
recorded by Matthew. Father Ed—like a good spiritual director always does—regularly asked me questions that
led me to more meaningful insights and challenging applications to be lived out in my developing prayer life.
Preparing to write this lesson has resurrected many wonderful memories of my time with Father Ed. It also
has led me to a fresh understanding and again challenged me to integrate my new understanding into my current
prayer disciplines.
AS YOU PREPARE
A
s you prepare to teach this lesson, be encouraged to take the time to slowly meditate upon both
Matthew’s version and Luke’s version of the prayer. I have placed them in parallel below as they appear
in the NIV. However, please feel free to study them in your own favorite version of the Bible, too. Begin your
meditation saying along with the original disciples, “Lord, teach us to pray.”
Luke 11:2-4
Address
Father,
Our Father in heaven,
Petition 1
Hallowed be your name (May your
name be hallowed),*
Hallowed be your name (May your name be
hallowed),*
Petition 2
(May)* your Kingdom come.
(May)* your kingdom come,
(May)* your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Petition 3
Petition 4
Give us each day our daily bread.
Give us today our daily bread.
Petition 5
Forgive us our sins, for we also
forgive everyone who sins against us.
Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our
debtors.
Petition 6
And lead us not into temptation.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from
the evil one.
Benediction
*
h
Matthew 6:9-13
For yours is the kingdom and the power and the
glory forever (found only in later manuscripts).h
Parenthetical words added by author.
Similar to passage found in the Didache 8:2—“for yours is the power and glory forever.”
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To Teacher 2-1
Lesson 2
Lord, Teach Us to Pray—Part One
Notes
Growing Wise
STUDYING THE WORD TOGETHER
T
he Spirit seemed to regularly prod me saying, “There is something more for you to
discover about prayer.” After a few months of reading and unimaginative
experiments, I called my friend Jim Zanios and asked him to meet me for lunch. He
listened attentively as I described what I thought the Spirit was saying to me. Then I heard
myself saying, “Jim, are there still Christian men who really know how to pray?”
Jim smiled, nodded his head, and invited me to join him and about eight others who met
to pray for one hour from 6:00 a.m. until 7:00 a.m. each Thursday morning—even on
Thanksgiving and Christmas! Some in the group were very successful businessmen;
another was a renowned scientist at the Sandia National Defense Laboratory. One had
served on the board of the Billy Graham Foundation and on the Executive Committee of
Chuck Colson’s Prison Fellowship. I was out of my league professionally and socially.
I arrived early the first Thursday and was warmly greeted. Sharply at 6:00 a.m. the men
in the room knelt around a large conference table and begin to pray. They concluded just
as sharply at 7:00.
The first few weeks I didn’t pray aloud at all. I just listened. I was astounded at what I
heard. These men prayed with power and authority. I knew the Lord had led me to this
group and that He intended to use each one to teach me things that would help me move
to the next level in my prayer life. With the exception of working with Ed Abrahamson, I
had learned about prayer pretty much on my own. Now, I was really being taught to pray
in a fresh new way. I learned by listening to these godly men pray. Then I prayed
according to the patterns and models I recognized in their prayers.
LEARNING TO PRAY
T
here appears in Luke 9:51-56 a
brief, but very interesting passage
that tells us about Jesus’ final journey to
Jerusalem.
As the time approached for him to be
taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely
set out for Jerusalem. And he sent
messengers on ahead, who went into a
Samaritan village to get things ready
for him; but the people there did not
welcome him, because he was heading
for Jerusalem. When the disciples
James and John saw this, they asked,
Lord, do you want us to call fire down
from heaven to destroy them? But
Jesus turned and rebuked them, and
they went to another village.
2-2
Word Study
Jesus and the disciples wanted to pass
through a small village, taking a short cut
to Jerusalem. However, the Samaritan
people in the village refused to let them
pass through. The disciples were angry
and wanted to destroy the whole village.
We don’t know if they were angry
because their trip to Jerusalem was
lengthened or because the villagers
rejected Jesus. The fact that they wanted
to beseech God to destroy the people with
fire from heaven, tells us that they perhaps
were holding on to a distorted view of
God based upon their understanding of
how He had acted in Israel’s history. They
apparently viewed Him as powerful, angry,
and vengeful, particularly toward nonJews. The disciples had not yet learned to
look at God as He was being revealed to
them in the life of Jesus. By the way, a
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Growing Wise
Lesson 2
Lord, Teach Us to Pray—Part One
footnote in the Christian Standard Bible
tells us that later manuscripts show verse
55 reading, “But Jesus turned and rebuked
them [the disciples] saying, ‘You don’t
know what kind of spirit you belong to.
For the Son of Man did not come to
destroy people’s lives but to save them.’”
I believe that the disciples became
aware of the difference in the way they
perceived God and the way Jesus knew
Him. They recognized a difference in the
way they prayed and the way Jesus
prayed. Perhaps this is what led them to
ask Jesus to teach them to pray.
phrases not found in Luke. Matthew most
likely was written between A.D. 70 and
A.D. 90. Matthew used both Luke (written
approximately A.D. 50) and Mark as
sources for his Gospel. Luke’s version of
the prayer more likely is nearer the
original length. The more eloquent form
found in Matthew probably is reflective of
the way the prayer had evolved due to its
use in the worship services of the very
early church.
These differences1 need not be viewed
as problematic as far as the significance of
the prayer is concerned. What matters is:
One day Jesus was praying in a certain
place. When he had finished, one of
his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach
us to pray, just as John taught his
disciples.” Luke 11:1
1. Jesus thought it important to teach His
disciples a model prayer
2. It was a prayer that drew upon Jesus’
and His disciples’ Jewish heritage and
marked out those who used it as
followers of the Christ.
It was not unusual for a rabbi to teach
his disciples a simple prayer that they
often would pray, both privately and
communally. We assume from this
passage that John the Baptist probably
taught his disciples such a prayer. Jesus’
disciples presumably had heard Him pray
on many occasions. Just as His teaching
was different than that of other teachers
(Matt 7:29), I imagine Jesus’ prayers also
were different than those the disciples
were accustomed to hearing and praying.
No wonder they wanted Him to teach
them to pray! Jesus’ response to His
disciples’ plea was what believers ever
since have called The Lord’s Prayer.
The Two Versions
of the Lord’s Prayer
I
f you read the introduction to this
lesson, you already are aware that
there are two versions of the Lord’s Prayer
recorded in the Gospels: one in Luke 11:24 and the other in Matthew 6:9-13. You
also know that the versions are different in
some respects.
Matthew contains a number of clarifying
1
Notes
Whether taught by Jesus in two forms or
used by the early Christians in two forms,
it is indeed the same prayer and remains a
living, adaptable form.
Six Petitions
A
s indi cated in T E A C H E R T O
TEACHER in the table showing the
forms of the Lord’s Prayer in parallel, the
model can be understood as containing six
petitions. In this lesson, we will study the
first three. The final three will be
discussed in the next lesson. But let’s
review all six petitions, using Matthew’s
expanded form of the prayer (see chart on
the following page).
There are a few things I want you to
notice as you review the six petitions.
First, notice that the first three petitions
are prayed on behalf of God’s Name, His
Kingdom, and His Will. Then see that
three petitions are offered not on behalf of
the praying individual, but on behalf of
the entire faith community: “give us,”
“forgive us,” and “lead us.” It is as if we
dare not ask for blessings for ourselves
Adapted from article titled “Prayer” by J. D. G. Dunn appearing in Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels © 1992 by
InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA.
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Word Study
2-3
Lesson 2
Lord, Teach Us to Pray—Part One
Growing Wise
Notes
Matthew 6:9-13
Address:
Our Father in heaven,
Petition 1:
Hallowed be your name (or may your name be hallowed),2
Petition 2:
(May)2 your kingdom come,
Petition 3:
(May)2 your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Petition 4:
Give us today our daily bread.
Petition 5:
Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
Petition 6:
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.
Benediction:
For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever (found only
in later manuscripts).2
that would set us apart from or give us
advantage over our brothers and sisters in
our faith community. This is a communal
prayer and, as such, was used by the earliest
church when she gathered to worship.
Isn’t it interesting that the six petitions
are divided into two sections: praying for
things that concern God and praying for
things of concern to man. This reminds
me of the Great Commandments: Love the
Lord, your God…and love your neighbor
as yourself (Matt. 22:37-39).
Now let’s give attention to the address
and the first three petitions.
The Address
teaches the His followers to
J esus
begin their prayers by addressing God
as He did—from a personally intimate
Father-Son or Abba-Child relationship.3
Father…Luke 11:2
Our Father who is in heaven…
Mathew 6:9
Dunn finds this clearer in the Lukan
form of the prayer. He states that Jesus’
use of Father “almost certainly reflects
Jesus’ own style of addressing God and…
also indicates Jesus’ intention that His
disciples should share in His own intimate
sonship to God as Father.”4
T h i s i s n o t q u i t e a s o b vi o u s i n
Matthew’s account where He says in a
more stately form, “Our Father who is in
heaven.” This form is more in line with
the language of the Shemoneh Esreh, the
Eighteen Benedictions that probably were
known and used by Jesus. Each of the
Eighteen Benedictions ended with a final
“Blessed are you, Lord…” immediately
followed by a descriptor like “who makes
t h e d e a d a l i ve ,” “ wh o d e l i ght s i n
repentance,” “who humbles the insolent,” or
“who hears prayer.”5
The First Petition—
Reverencing His Name
T
he first petition in the Lord’s Prayer
beseeched God to set apart His
Name from all others—to make it holy.
…Our Father who is in heaven,
hallowed be your name.
(Matthew 6:9)
The word translated hallowed is part of
the Greek verb hagiazesthai, which is
connected to hagios. Hagios usually is
rendered holy, but the basic meaning is
2
Parenthetical words and phrases inserted by author. Not contained in original Bible passages.
You may find it beneficial to review Lesson One of this study.
4
J. D. G. Dunn, Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels.
5
See Commentary for this lesson for more information on prayer in Jesus’ time.
3
2-4
Word Study
Helping People Close the Gap Through the Sunday Morning Experience
Growing Wise
different or separate. Something which is
hagios is different. A person who is hagios
is separate from other people. So we
might less formally pray, “Let God’s
Name be treated differently than all other
names” (Philip 2:9). Or we might pray
“Give God’s Name an absolutely unique
position” (Ps 138:2).
There is something to add to this. “In
Hebrew, the name does not mean simply
the name by which a person is called….
The name means the nature, character or
the personality of the person insofar as it
is known or revealed to us.”6 For example,
David writes in Psalm 9:10, “Those who
know your name will trust in you….” This
passage means that those who know the
nature and character of God will put their
trust in Him.
Hallowed means to regard as different.
Name refers to the nature, character, and
personality of God insofar as it has been
revealed to us. So, “hallowed be your
Name” means “enable us to give you,
God, the unique place which your nature
and character deserve.” There is a word in
English which captures this idea and that
word is reverence.7
The Second Petition—
Pleading for His Kingdom
to Come
T
he Second petition is a plea for the
coming of the Kingdom of God.
Your kingdom come….
(Matthew 6:10)
Just as the opening address—“Our Father
who us in heaven”—reflected forms of
Jewish prayer found in the Eighteen
Benedictions, this petition also resembles
a Jewish prayer, the Qaddish, with which
Christ is likely to have been familiar. The
Qaddish says: “Exalted and hallowed be
Lesson 2
Lord, Teach Us to Pray—Part One
his great name in the world, which he
created according to his will. May he
establish his kingdom in your lifetime and
in your days, and in the lifetime of the
whole household of Israel, speedily and at
a near time.”8
The Kingdom of God was an integral
part of Christ’s teaching. Early in His
public ministry Jesus declared, “…The
kingdom of God is near. Repent and
believe the good news” (Mark 1:15). Later
He said, “…I must preach the good news
of the kingdom of God…because that is
why I was sent” (Luke 4:43). Because
J e sus i ncl u de d t he ple a f or God ’s
Kingdom to come in this prayer and
because the Kingdom of God is so central
to His teaching, surely it is important for
us to try to understand its meaning.
It generally is recognized that the
Kingdom of God as referred to in the
Lord’s Prayer references God’s kingly
rule in which He exercises His royal
power and authority. Barclay views the
second and third petitions of the Lord’s
Prayer as Hebrew parallelism and,
therefore, concludes that the Kingdom of
God can be defined as “a society upon
earth where God’s will is as perfectly
done as it is in heaven.”9
The idea of the Kingdom of God was
understood by Israel throughout her
history. For example when interpreting a
dream for King Nebuchadnezzar, Daniel
said, “…the God of heaven will set up a
kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor
will it be left to another people. It will
crush all those kingdoms and bring them
to an end, but it will itself endure
forever” (Dan 2:44). This is certainly a
picture of a future eternal earthly kingdom
in which God will rule.
Notes
debate as to whether the
S cholars
Kingdom of God as referred to by
Christ was past, present, or future. Jesus
6
William Barclay, The Daily Bible Study Series (Revised Edition): The Gospel of Matthew Volume 1, The Westminster
Press, Philadelphia, PA, 1975, p. 205.
7
Barclay, p. 206.
8
J. D. G. Dunn.
9
Barclay, p. 211.
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Word Study
2-5
Lesson 2
Lord, Teach Us to Pray—Part One
Notes
Growing Wise
seems to present all three perspectives. In
Luke 13:28 He tells His audience that
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are in the
Kingdom—possibly suggesting that the
Kingdom existed prior to the birth of
Jesus. Then in Luke 17:21 He says that the
Kingdom of God “is within you,” indicating
that it currently is present. Finally, Jesus
instructs His disciples to pray for the future
coming of the Kingdom (Matt. 6:10).
It seems to me that Jesus’ teaching,
when taken in its entirety, tells us that the
Kingdom of God mysteriously exists
within the believer. This has been true, is
true, and will continue to be true. It also
seems to me that the whole of Scripture
teaches us that in His Second Advent,
Christ will establish an earthly Kingdom
(the New Jerusalem) and will reign over
that kingdom eternally.
By the way, in some later manuscripts
the second petition reads, “May your Holy
Spirit come upon us and cleanse us.” This
probably reflects that some of the early
churches were concerned that the time
remaining until the Second Advent seemed
very distant, and thus they wanted to make
the experience of the believer more
contemporaneous. This substituted petition
recognizes that the kingly rule of God and
Christ is exercised through the Holy
Spirit. When made a regular petition, it
properly reflects the pray-er’s need to
receive enabling grace in order to remain
holy and pure.10
Nevertheless, our prayer simply might
be this: “May your kingdom be established
within me and within the church in this
present time. And may you soon come to
establish your eternal Kingdom on Earth.”
The Third Petition—
Submitting to His Will
T
he third petition is most certainly,
as Barclay asserts, intended to be
understood as an extension or clarification
10
11
of the second. In fact, some Bible interpreters
prefer a structure of five petitions rather
than six. Let’s look now at the third petition
as a Hebrew parallelism:
...your kingdom come,
your will be done on earth as it is in
heaven. (Matthew 6:10)
The first line in the pair calls for God to
establish His Kingdom rule and authority.
The second or parallel clarifying petition
beseeches God to cause His Will to be
done as perfectly on earth as it is perfectly
done in heaven. The two ideas actually are
inseparable. If I live under the rule and
authority of God, it follows that I must
give His Will preeminence over my own.
This immediately brings to mind Christ’s
prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane:
Father, if you are willing, take this cup
from me; yet not my will, but yours
be done. (Luke 22:42)
God’s Kingdom cannot be established in
the hearts of people who are unwilling to
wholeheartedly submit their will to His.
Said another way, when we fail to submit
our will to the King of King’s authoritative
Will, we are living in rebellion!
I believe that the attitude of heart behind
the submission is very important. One
might submit because of a sense of
defeated resignation. Or one may accept
God’s Will with bitter resentment as one
defeated by an enemy who is overwhelmingly strong. Neither case represents
wholehearted submission to God’s Will.
C
hristians can submit to God’s Will,
knowing that the Real God 11 is
caringly involved in their lives, full of
wisdom and love. Paul expressed it this way:
He who did not spare his own Son, but
gave him up for us all—how will he
not also, along with him, graciously
give us all things? ... Who shall
separate us from the love of Christ?
J. D. G. Dunn
You may find it helpful to review Lesson 3: “Knowing the Real God” in The Prayer God Always Answers: Lord, Make
Me a Spiritual Parent at any Cost © 2005 by Casas Adobes Baptist Church, Tucson, AZ.
2-6 Word Study
Helping People Close the Gap Through the Sunday Morning Experience
Growing Wise
Shall trouble or hardship or
persecution or famine or nakedness or
danger or sword? … No, in all these
things we are more than conquerors
through him who loved us. For I am
convinced that neither death nor life,
neither angels nor demons, neither the
present nor the future, nor any powers,
neither height nor depth, nor anything
else in all creation, will be able to
separate us from the love of God that
is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
(Romans 8:32, 35, 37-39)
APPLICATION IDEAS
AND QUESTIONS
T
he biblical truths and principles in
this lesson find their application in
both our private and our communal
prayers. As Roger Barrier has said so
often in his sermons, “The heart attitudes
of the pray-er make a real difference in the
effectiveness of the prayer.” Responding
to the following questions may suggest
how we might work toward praying as
Jesus taught us to pray.
1. Do my attitudes and actions suggest
that I really do reverence God’s Name?
Do I recognize that it is different
Lesson 2
Lord, Teach Us to Pray—Part One
from, separate from, and above every
other name—including my own? Do
my attitudes and actions indicate that I
may not view God as He really is?
Would I be better able to pray from a
Father-Son/Daughter or Abba-Child
relationship if my heart perspective of
God were more biblically accurate?
Notes
2. How has the Kingdom of God already
made a difference in the world, in my
church, and in me? Do my prayers
suggest that I am longing for the
Kingdom of God to come to the world,
to the Universal Church, to Casas, and
to me? Am I prepared to let the coming
of the Kingdom begin with me—at any
cost? Am I ready to endure the “cross
of sanctification” in order to make a
place for the Kingdom in my heart?
3. Living in the present manifestation of
the Kingdom of God means that I
must submit to the rule and authority
of the King of Kings. Am I too selfreliant, selfish, or self-condemning to
be able to truly and humbly say with
Christ, “Father…not my will, but yours
be done”? Am I secure enough in His
love for me that I can trust Him to meet
my needs and act in my best interest?
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Word Study
2-7
Lesson 2
Lord, Teach Us to Pray—Part One
Notes
Growing Wise
COMMENTARY
PUBLIC PRAYER IN THE
SYNAGOGUE
D
uring the time of Jesus, synagogue
s er vi ce s wer e hel d t hr ee or
perhaps four times on the Sabbath. The
normal pattern of the synagogue service
appears to have included the recital of
several prayers: the Shema (a combination
of Dt 6:4-9, 11:13-21, and Nu 15:37-41);
the Shemoneh Esreh (the Eighteen
Benedictions), a lengthy and elaborate
corporate prayer (offered while standing);
and the reading and interpretation of
Scripture, perhaps on the basis of a
lectionary. There is no comment about
these matters in any of the Gospels. The
worship of the early church tended to
carry on the worship practices of the
synagogue. While that affinity is chiefly
the result of factors other than Jesus’ own
precept and example, it is hard to imagine
the early church carrying on a form of
worship so reminiscent of the synagogue
if Jesus Himself had condemned such
worship. In this instance the argument
from silence seems compelling.1
THE EIGHTEEN
BENEDICTIONS
T
hese eighteen (really nineteen)
benedictions are mentioned in the
Mishna. We are distinctly told that they
were ordained by the one hundred and
twenty elders of the Great Synagogue and
we know that the representatives of the
people recited them in the Temple every
day, that the priests pronounced three of
them upon the people every morning in
the Hall of Squares in the Temple Court,
and that the High Priest prayed the
sixteenth and the seventeenth sections of
this litany on the Great Day of Atonement.
Therefore there can be no doubt that our
Savior and His apostles joined in these
p r a yer s whe n t h e y r es o rt ed t o t he
synagogue, and that when the apostles
went on the top of the house to pray at the
stated hour (Acts 1:13; 10:9), these
b en ed i ct i on s f or me d p ar t o f t hei r
devotions.
The text of the Eighteen Benedictions as
they were published in McClintock and
Strong Encyclopedia 2 as originally
published between 1867-1887 (note the
King James English) follows:
1. “Blessed art thou, O Lord our God,
the God of our fathers Abraham,
Isaac, and Jacob; great, omnipotent,
fearful, and most high God, who
bountifully showest mercy, who art
the possessor of all things, who
rememberest the pious deeds of our
fathers, and sendest the Redeemer to
their children’s children, for his
mercy’s sake is love, O our King,
Defender, Savior, and Shield!
Blessed art thou, O Lord, the shield
of Abraham!”
2. “Thou art powerful, O Lord, world
without end; thou bringest the dead
to life in great compassion, thou
holdest up the falling, healest the
sick, loosest the chained, and
showest thy faithfulness to those
that sleep in the dust. Who is like
unto thee, Lord of might, and who
resembles thee (a Sovereign killing
and bringing to life again, and
causing salvation to flourish)? Arid
1
Adapted from Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels © 1992 by InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA. All rights
reserved.
2
From McClintock and Strong Encyclopedia, Electronic Database. Copyright © 2000, 2003 by Biblesoft, Inc. All rights
reserved.
2-8 Commentary
Helping People Close the Gap Through the Sunday Morning Experience
Growing Wise
thou art sure to raise the dead.
Blessed art thou, O Lord, who
raisest the dead!”
3. “Thou art holy, and thy name is
holy, and the holy ones praise thee
every day continually. Blessed art
thou, 0 Lord, the holy God!”
4. “ T h o u m e r c i f u l l y b e s t o w e s t
knowledge upon men and teachest
the mortal prudence. Mercifully
bestow upon us, from thyself,
knowledge, wisdom, and
understanding. Blessed art thou, O
Lord, who mercifully bestowest
knowledge!”
5. “Our Father, lead us back to thy
law; bring us very near, O our King,
to thy service, and cause us to return
in sincere penitence into thy
presence! Blessed art thou, O Lord,
who delightest in repentance!”
6. “Our Father, forgive us, for we have
sinned; our King, pardon us, for we
have transgressed; for thou art
forgiving and pardoning. Blessed art
thou, O Lord, merciful and
plenteous in forgiveness!”
7. “Look at our misery, contend our
cause, and deliver us speedily, for
thy name’s sake, for thou art a
mighty deliverer, blessed art thou, O
Lord, the deliverer of Israel!”
8. “Heal us, O Lord, and we shall be
healed; save us, and we shall be
saved; for thou art our boast. Grant
us a perfect cure for all our wounds;
for thou, O Lord our King, art a
faithful and merciful Physician.
Blessed art thou, O Lord, who
healest the sick of thy people
Israel!”
9. “Bless to us, O Lord our God, for
good this year, and all its kinds of
produce; send thy blessing upon the
face of the earth; satisfy us with thy
goodness, and bless this year as the
years bygone. Blessed art thou, O
Lesson 2
Lord, Teach Us to Pray—Part One
Lord, who blessest the seasons!”
10. “ C a u s e t h e g r e a t t r u m p e t t o
proclaim our liberty; raise the
standard for the gathering of our
captives, and bring us together from
the four corners of the earth.
Blessed art thou, O Lord, who
gatherest together the dispersed of
Israel!”
Notes
11. “Reinstate our judges as of old, and
our councillors as of yore; remove
from us sorrow and sighing; and do
thou alone, O Lord, reign over us in
mercy and love, and judge us in
righteousness and justice. Blessed
art thou, O Lord the King, who
lovest righteousness and justice!”
12. “Let the apostates have no hope, and
let those who perpetrate wickedness
speedily perish; let them all be
suddenly cut off; let the proud
speedily be uprooted, broken,
crushed, and humbled speedily in
our days. Blessed art thou, O Lord,
who breakest down the enemy and
humblest the proud!”
13. “On the righteous, on the pious, on
the elders of thy people, the house
of Israel, on the remnant of the
scribes, on the pious: proselytes, and
on us, bestow, O Lord our God, thy
mercy; give ample: reward to all
who trust in thy name in sincerity,
make our portion with them forever,
and let us not be ashamed, for we
trust in thee! Blessed art thou, O
Lord, the support and refuge of the
righteous!”
14. “To Jerusalem thy city in mercy
return, and dwell in it according to
thy promise; make it speedily in our
day an everlasting building, and
soon establish therein the throne of
David. Blessed art thou, O Lord,
who buildest Jerusalem! The branch
of David, thy servant, speedily
cause to flourish, and exalt his horn
with thy help, for we look to thy
Helping People Close the Gap Through the Sunday Morning Experience
Commentary 2-9
Lesson 2
Lord, Teach Us to Pray—Part One
Notes
Growing Wise
help all day.” “Blessed art thou O
Lord, who causest to flourish the
horn of David!” (Two benedictions
are combined here.)
15. “Hear our voice, O Lord our God;
have pity and compassion on us, and
receive with mercy and acceptance
our prayers, for thou art a God
hearing prayer and supplications.
Our King, do not send us empty
away from thy presence, for thou
hearest the prayers of thy people
Israel in mercy! Blessed art thou, O
Lord, who hearest prayer!”
16. “Be favorable, O Lord our God, to
thy people Israel, and to their
prayer; restore the worship to thy
sanctuary, receive lovingly the
burnt-sacrifice of Israel and their
prayer, and let the service of Israel
thy people be always well-pleasing
to thee. May our eyes see thee
return to Zion in love. Blessed art
thou, O Lord, who restorest thy
Shechinah to Zion!”
17. “We thankfully confess before thee
that thou art-the Lord our God, and
the God of our fathers, world
without end, and that thou art the
shepherd of our life and the rock of
our salvation from generation to
generation; we render thanks unto
thee and celebrate thy praises.
Blessed art thou, O Lord, whose
name is goodness, and whom it
becomes to praise!”
18. “Bestow peace, happiness, blessing,
grace, mercy, and compassion upon
us and upon the whole of Israel, thy
people. Our Father, bless us all
unitedly with the light of thy
countenance, for in the light of thy
countenance didst thou give to us, O
Lord bur God, the law of life,
loving-kindness, justice, blessing,
compassion, life, and peace. May it
please thee to bless thy people Israel
at all times, and in every moment,
2-10 Commentary
with peace. Blessed art thou, O
Lord, who blessest thy people Israel
with peace!”
THE KINGDOM OF GOD
T
he “Kingdom of God” is one of the
most remarkable ideas and phrases
of all time, having begun to be used very
near the beginnings of history and
continuing in force down to the present
day. Its use by Jesus is by far its most
interesting aspect—for, in the Synoptics
at least, it is His watchword. Thus in
Matthew 4:23, the commencement of the
ministry is described in these words: “And
Jesus went about in all Galilee, teaching in
their synagogues, and preaching the
gospel of the kingdom, and healing all
manner of disease and all manner of
sickness among the people.” And somewhat
later, in Luke 8:1, the expansion of His
activity is described in the following
terms: “And it came to pass soon afterwards,
that he went about through cities and
villages, preaching and bringing the good
tidings of the kingdom of God, and with
him the twelve.” When the Twelve are
sent forth by themselves in Luke 9:2, the
purpose of their mission is given in these
words: “And he sent them forth to preach
the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick.”
In Matthew 13:11, the parables, which
formed so large and prominent a portion
o f H i s te ac hi n g, ar e d e no mi n ate d
collectively “the mysteries of the kingdom
of heaven”; and it will be remembered
how many of these commence with the
phrase, “The kingdom of heaven is like.”
In these quotations, and in others which
might easily be adduced, it will be
observed that the phrases “the kingdom,”
“the kingdom of God,” and “the kingdom
of heaven” are used interchangeably. The
last of the three, “the kingdom of heaven,”
is confined to the first Gospel, which does
not, however, always make use of it; and
it is not certain what may have been the
reason for the substitution. The simplest
explanation would be that heaven is a
name for God, as, in the parable of the
Helping People Close the Gap Through the Sunday Morning Experience
Growing Wise
Prodigal Son, the penitent says, “I have
sinned against heaven,” and we ourselves
might say, “Heaven forbid!” It is not,
however, improbable that the true meaning
has to be learned from two petitions of the
3
Lesson 2
Lord, Teach Us to Pray—Part One
Lord’s Prayer, the one of which is epexegetic
of the other, “Thy kingdom come. Thy
will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.”
Here the disciples are instructed to pray
that the kingdom of God may come.3
Notes
From International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia, Electronic Database Copyright (c)1996 by Biblesoft.
Helping People Close the Gap Through the Sunday Morning Experience
Commentary 2-11
Lesson 2
Lord, Teach Us to Pray—Part One
Notes
RESOURCES
NEEDED:
2-sided copies of
Lesson Notes /
Take-Home
pages
Pencils or pens
for each person
Dry erase
markers and
marker board or
felt tip markers
and a flip chart
TIME FRAME:
Growing Wise
SUGGESTED LESSON PLAN
NOTE TO TEACHER: This suggested lesson plan contains many elements that, if
employed, will help maximize learning for life-change in your Bible Fellowship. If you
are an experienced teacher, you have freedom to create your own plan based upon the
“Studying the Word Together” section. If you are less experienced, we suggest that you
“stick to the plan.” However, even less-experienced teachers should feel free to modify
the plan based upon the needs of their Bible Fellowship. This plan is designed to be
presented in 45 minutes. It is important, therefore, that you carefully plan your
presentation so that you communicate the main points with brevity and clarity.
Focal Scriptures:
Luke 11:2-4
Matthew 6:9-13
Teaching Goals:
Learn: Department members develop
a clear understanding of the first
three petitions of the Lord’s Prayer
and know how to apply the related
truths in their personal and corporate
prayer lives.
Experience: Experience praying the
Lord’s Prayer in community from an
Abba-Child relationship.
45 minutes
Before Class Begins:
Distribute handouts.
Write phrases from Lesson Notes on
the board, so that as you teach you
may fill in the blanks.
STEP ONE: GETTING
READY TO LEARN
(3 MINUTES)
Begin your class by telling them that
you will begin a two part lesson
today on the Lord’s prayer. Tell them
that it is a prayer that has its origin
with Christ and was used in the
w o r sh i p s er vi ce s of t h e e ar l y
Christian churches. Mention that it
would have been customary for
people to stand while praying the
Lord’s Prayer together.
Ask your class to stand and read
aloud together the Lord’s Prayer
from Matthew 6:9-13 (NIV). Refer
them to their handout or their New
International Version of the Bible.
STEP TWO: LEARNING TO
PRAY (7 MINUTES)
Summarize the Luke 9:51-56 passage
and call attention to the difference
between the disciples’ desire for
retribution against the people of the
Samaritan village and Jesus’
response. Help your classmates
recognize the disciples’ misperception
of God’s character as well as their
growing understanding of His grace.
As you introduce the Luke 11:1
passage, “tell the story” of the
disciples asking Jesus to teach them
to pray. Briefly share with them what
2-12 Lesson Plan
Helping People Close the Gap Through the Sunday Morning Experience
Growing Wise
you imagine it would have been like
to hear Jesus pray and what it must
have been like to receive firsthand
the model prayer directly from the
Master Teacher.
Quickly mention the two versions of
the Lord’s prayer (reference their
Lesson Notes), and that our study
will focus on the longer version from
Matthew’s gospel.
Refer your class to the petition chart
on their handout. Explain the structure
of the prayer as it is recorded in
Matthew: address, six petitions (three
prayed on behalf of God and three
p r a ye d o n b eh al f of t he f ai t h
community), and benediction. Tell
your class that you are going to cover
the first three petitions this week and
the last three next week.
STEP THREE: THE
ADDRESS AND THE
FIRST PETITION—
REVERENCING HIS
NAME (5 MINUTES)
Explain that the address (Our father)
encouraged the disciples to approach
God from a personally intimate,
Father-Son / Abba-Child relationship.
Introduce the first petition and
discuss the meaning of hallowed
(Lesson Plan blank: different). To
facilitate the learning process, solicit
a few of their definitions before
presenting the lesson’s information.
Explain that name refers to God’s
nature, character, and personality.
STEP FOUR: THE SECOND
PETITION—PLEADING
FOR HIS KINGDOM TO
COME (15 MINUTES)
Take a few moments to define the
Kingdom of God for your class. Fill
Lesson 2
Lord, Teach Us to Pray—Part One
in the blanks and explain the ideas of
the Kingdom having existed in the
past (before Jesus’ birth), in the
p r e s e n t ( w i t h i n t h e d i s ci pl es
individually and collectively —and
within us and today’s Church), and in
the future (upon Christ’s return, as an
earthly kingdom).
Divide them into groups of 3 or 4.
Ask each group to discuss how the
world might be different if God’s
loving rule and sovereign authority
where to be established on earth. Ask
them to discuss how the lives of the
lost would be different if God’s
Kingdom were established in them.
Take a moment to pray that God
would give each of us the grace to
m o r e e a r n e s t l y ye a r n f o r H i s
Kingdom to come in us and in the
rest of the world.
Notes
STEP FIVE: THE THIRD
PETITION—SUBMITTING
TO HIS WILL (10 MINUTES)
Briefly discuss that the third petition
is inseparable from the second
(Hebrew parallelism). Those living
under God’s kingly rule must submit
to His Will, not live in rebellion to it.
Ask your classmates, “Might we be
able to do lip service to submitting to
God’s Will, yet not truly submit?
What might that look like?”
As you develop this section, fill in
the blank for Lesson Notes: wholeheartedly submit their will to His.
Propose the idea that our greatest
struggle in this area may be to desire
to impose our will on God rather than
submit our will to His—and that this
in effect is rebellion and idolatry.
Men tio n th at n eith er d ef eated
resignation nor bitter resentment
qualify as wholehearted submission.
You might also explain that selfreliance, self-centeredness (selfishness),
and self-condemnation discourage us
Helping People Close the Gap Through the Sunday Morning Experience
Lesson Plan 2-13
Lesson 2
Lord, Teach Us to Pray—Part One
Notes
Growing Wise
from submitting our will to God’s.
Review Jesus’ prayer in the Garden
of Gethsemane as the proper example:
“Father…not my will, but yours be
done.” Point out that Jesus was able
to choose to submit to God’s Will
because of the intimate Abba-Child
relationship that He had with the
Father; the Father had lovingly
revealed His true nature, character,
and personality (Name) to Jesus.
Celebrate God’s loving involvement
in our lives as pictured by Paul in the
Romans 8 passage, pages 2-6—2-7.
STEP SIX: EXPERIENTIAL
CLOSING (5 MINUTES)
Invite your class to sit quietly for a
moment and focus on principles
taught in the first three petitions:
Reverencing His Name, Pleading for
His Kingdom to Come, and Submitting
to His Will. Ask them to silently
reflect upon their present reality and
the possibility that they may need
Christ to help them “close the gap”
between where they are and where
He desires them to be regarding the
three petitions. The “baseball game”
scale on Lesson Notes may be helpful.
After giving them time for some
private reflection, ask them to stand
and read aloud together the Lord’s
Prayer. This time, call their attention
to the New Living Translation (NLT)
version on their handout:
Our Father in heaven,
may your name be honored.
May your Kingdom come soon.
May your will be done here on earth,
just as it is in heaven.
Give us our food for today, and
forgive us our sins, just as we have
forgiven those who have sinned
against us.
And don’t let us yield to temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.
(Matthew 6:9-13, NLT)
As you dismiss, remind them of
“Daily Reflections” on their handout
and invite everyone to return for next
week’s lesson: “Lord, Teach Us to
Pray—Part Two.”
LESSON NOTES BLANKS:
The First Petition: Reverencing His Name
Hallowed means to regard as different.
Name refers to the nature, character, and personality of God.
The Second Petition: Pleading for His Kingdom to Come
Jesus referred to the Kingdom of God from three perspectives:
The past
The present
The future
The Third Petition: Submitting to His Will
God’s Kingdom cannot be established in the hearts of people who are unwilling to
wholeheartedly submit their will to His.
2-14 Lesson Plan
Helping People Close the Gap Through the Sunday Morning Experience
Lesson 2
Growing Wise
Lord, Teach Us to Pray—Part One
Notes
Matthew 6:9-13
Address:
Today’s Scriptures
Our Father in heaven,
Petition 1:
Hallowed be your name (or may your name be hallowed),
Petition 2:
(May)* your kingdom come,
Petition 3:
(May)* your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Petition 4:
Give us today our daily bread.
*
Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil
Petition 6:
one.
For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever
Benediction:
(found only in later manuscripts).*
Petition 5:
The First Petition: Reverencing His Name
Hallowed means to regard as __________________________.
Name refers to the _________________, _______________________,
and _________________________ of God.
The Second Petition: Pleading for His Kingdom to Come
Jesus referred to the Kingdom of God from three perspectives:
The ____________
Luke 11:2-4 (NIV) He said to them,
“When you pray, say:
‘Father, hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come.
Give us each day our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins, for we also
forgive everyone who sins against us.
And lead us not into temptation.
Matthew 6:9-13 (NIV) This, then, is
how you should pray:
“Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.”
The _________________
The _______________
Reflect and discuss:
1. How might the world be different if God’s loving rule and
sovereign authority were to be established on earth?
2. How might the lives of the lost be different if God’s Kingdom
were established in you?
The Third Petition: Submitting to His Will
God’s Kingdom cannot be established in the hearts of people who are
unwilling to wholeheartedly _______________ their will to His.
If submission to God’s Will were a baseball game, where would
you rank yourself currently? Where would you like to be?
Not on
the Team
On the
Bench
Minor
League
Major
League
Hall of
Fame
* Parenthetical words and phrases inserted by author. Not contained in original Bible passages.
Helping People Close the Gap Through the Sunday Morning Experience
Matthew 6:9-13 (NLT) Pray like this:
Our Father in heaven,
may your name be honored.
May your Kingdom come soon.
May your will be done here on
earth, just as it is in heaven.
Give us our food for today,
and forgive us our sins,
just as we have forgiven those
who have sinned against us.
And don't let us yield to
temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.
Next Week’s Lesson:
Lord, Teach Us to Pray—
Part Two
Lesson Notes
Lesson 2
Lord, Teach Us to Pray—Part One
Notes
Growing Wise
Daily Reflections
B
egin each daily reflection by meditating a few minutes on the suggested Scripture passage. Seek
to listen to the Holy Spirit as He speaks to you. Then consider the comments and questions
about the passage. Be aware of both your thoughts and your feelings. Respond to God through both.
Monday: One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he had finished, one of his disciples
said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.” (Luke 11:1)
Imagine being one of the disciples sitting and listening to Jesus pray. Do you suppose that you
might say to yourself, “Wow, I wish I could pray like that”? Are you open to allowing Jesus,
through the Holy Spirit, to teach you to pray? Take time now to tell Christ about your heartfelt
desire to learn from Him to pray. Remembering there is a difference in knowing how to pray and
applying what you have learned, tell Jesus about your commitment to apply what He teaches you
this week as you meditate upon the Lord’s Prayer.
Tuesday: …“Our Father who is in heaven,….” (Matthew 6:9)
Silently, read this passage several times. Then read it aloud, emphasizing the word “our.” Read it
aloud, emphasizing the word “Father.” Finally, read it aloud giving emphasis to “heaven.” Imagine
hearing Jesus pray this phrase. To which word do you imagine He gave emphasis? Is His intimacy
with His Father obvious in the way He says, “Our Father”? Speak with God about your desire to
more intimately converse with Him from an Abba-Child relationship.
Wednesday: …“Our Father who is in heaven, hallowed be your name,….” (Matthew 6:9)
How do your attitudes and actions demonstrate that you hallow, consider holy, or reverence God’s
Name insofar as it has been revealed to you? Do your attitudes and actions indicate that you
perceive His name to really be different from, separate from, and above all other names? Do your
attitudes and actions show that you place His Name above your own name? Respond in prayer from
both your heart and your mind with appropriate worship, confession, and commitment.
Thursday: “…your kingdom come….” (Matthew 6:10)
This is a petition for God’s kingly rule and authority to be established upon earth. Imagine an
earth full of people totally submitted to our loving God’s rule and authority. How would it be
different than our present reality? Imagine the Church Universal totally submitted to God’s caring
leadership and rule. How would it be different than present reality? Imagine your heart totally
submitted to God’s Kingship. How might that be different than your present reality? Pray now for
His Kingdom to come in the world, in the church, and in you.
Friday: “...your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. …” (Matthew 6:10)
After meditating upon this passage, consider Jesus’ prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane:
“Father…not my will, but yours be done.” In what way do you see Jesus “walking His talk” here?
How is He demonstrating trusting submission to His Abba, Father? When you look into your own
soul, do you observe more rebellion against God than trusting submission to your Abba, Father?
Respond honestly now from your heart to your Lord of Lords in worship, confession, and
commitment.
Take-Home
Helping People Close the Gap Through the Sunday Morning Experience