The Lord's Prayer - A Bible Study

Introduction.  During Jesus' earthly ministry, we received so much knowledge and wisdom, direction, instruction and revelation; His words form the core of all God has chosen to reveal to us about Himself.

Jesus' earthly ministry had the primary goal of  the "Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world." John 1:29,36  His other priority was to preach the kingdom of God, to proclaim the "year of God's favor," in His healing and teaching ministries. He primary audience were Judeans; Jesus had encounters with non-Jews as well. The Jewish people living in Judea and Galilee and the surrounding countryside were steeped in the ways of the Mosaic Law, and burdened by the then hundreds of alterations and additions provided by the relgious authorities - lawyers and priests - over the centuries. Jewish people had been taught a mixture of the Old Law and human reasoning for a number of centuries. As Jesus taught the crowds, this fact was a nag on what Yahweh had purposed thousands of years prior. Much of Jesus' spoken ministry focused on correcting the teachings and ways that the religious priests and lawyers had skewed the Mosaic Law to make it all about self-righteousness. 

When the question about how to pray was raised, again, Jesus borrowed from the principles of the Law that had been given to the Israelites. And why shouldn't He? Wasn't He God - the second in the Trinity - from whence those laws and principles came? It is a scary chuckle to hear Bible scholars debating over whether The Lord's Prayer was a spanking brand new kind of prayer or not, or if The Teacher 'stole' parts of it from the Psalms. Scary, because these are the same scholars who should be teaching the true author of scripture and instead calling Jesus the equivalent of a thief guilty of plaguerism. If I could, I would show you right now a picture of me shaking my head! Rather, Jesus' reinforces the importance of all scripture in The Lord's Prayer - He would fulfill the prophecies that parts of the prayer allude to! 

Most of us learned The Lord's Prayer as found in Matthew 6 and derived from the King James Version. It is printed out here. Of note, earlier versions of the King James Version  incorporates the word "trespasses" rather than "debts" as shown below.

9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.

10 Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

11 Give us this day our daily bread.

12 And forgive us our debts [trespasses], as we forgive our debtors [forgive those who trespass against us.

13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil[: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever]. Amen.

The bracketed portions of the Prayer, according to some Bible scholars, were added to the text in the process of publishing the King James Version. It borrows from doxology/praise to God that occurs frequently in scripture. 

As you may have deduced by now, The Lord's Prayer is Christ's example or model of how to pray. As we go through the prayer in depth, observe the order of the prayer and supplications. Prayers are found throughout the Old Testament, with possibly the larger number occuring in the Psalms. Christians still rely on the Psalms as substantive elements in their prayer lives. Prayer rides side by side with praise; this is so very evident in the Old Testament and we see it also in the New Testament. The prayer Jesus institutes is a model prayer that may be prayed as is, or the structure of which can be foundational for personal and corporate prayers. When we look at Luke's version of the model prayer in Luke 11, clearly we see how by the time of Luke's writing, how the prayer structure was being utilized, even if the words were not exactly the same.  

So, shall we begin on this journey of understanding the basic structure and language of the prayer, and some of the cultural references therein? For as you know, when we read Jesus' parables and other spoken communication, He often incorporates elements familiar to His listeners to make a point or futher clarify a matter. Similarly with The Lord's Prayer. This small group study guide is being presented in a series of pages that will be linked to below. 

-Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. 

-Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

-Give us this day our daily bread.

-And forgive us our debts [trespasses], as we forgive our debtors [forgive those who trespass against us].

-And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

A hymn and scripture-based prayer will accompany or be suggested for each lesson.

--"Ancient Words." Michael w. Smith.

Dear Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples. Teach us to pray with our whole heart, whole mind, and whole soul. Teach us to pray, Lord, so that we may hear you when you speak. In the Name above all names we offer our petition. Amen.  

Bible study: The Lord's Prayer - "Our Father Which Art in Heaven, Hallowed be Thy Name"

 Our Father Which Art in Heaven, Hallowed be Thy Name/Our Father Who Art in Heaven, Hallowed Be Your Name

(For each lesson, where appropriate, a contemporary version of the portion of the prayer will be offered.)

The Lord's Prayer is also called the "Our Father prayer" by some. 

Jesus lays out the architecture and tone of the model prayer that He is teaching His disciples in its opening words, borrowing from the principles of the Mosaic Law - specifically, The Ten Commandments at Exodus 20. Commandments 1 and 2:

2“I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery; 3 you shall have no other gods before me."

4 “You shall not make for yourself an idol, whether in the form of anything that is in heaven above or that is on the earth beneath or that is in the water under the earth. 5 You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God,"

 When we pray, we must be cognizant as to whom we are praying. We are to be aware that Our Father always takes primary position because of who He is. He is Creator God, He is Elohim (the "im" is a plural suffix that indicates His superiority and infers the Godhead). He is Adonai, Sovereign Lord. The Old Testament is filled with the names God has identified Himself by. One of them is that of a Father role, as implied by Hosea 1:10, Interestingly, in Isaiah 63, the prophet speaks about a nation of people sinking deeping into the consequences of their sins and rebellion who are calling out to the One they disobeyed for help, attempting to appease Him by calling Him their Father - even to the extent of belittling their human ancestor Abraham!

In the era in which Jesus lived, there were specific laws and standards that existed under Roman rule, so that two different legal customs for fathers were in place. Fathers who sired a son through natural means, had absolute control over the child's life. Referencing a documentary that was aired on PBS about the first century life in Roman times, the commentator noted that the father - if displeased with his natural child - had the absolute right to disinherit the child, to abandon it, to sell it into slavery, or even to kill it. However, if a child were adopted according to the law, it was absolutely forbidden for the father to do harm to that child; the father had a legal responsibility to the child until the age of majority, and was required to include the adopted son as an heir to his estate. This was common practice. As beloved children of God, the first century Christians aware of those legal terms recognized that as adopted children, how much more would God, their Father, provide for and care for them? As seen in the above linked Ephesians passage, we become joint heirs with Christ; we who have been sanctified as children of  holy God have been given the privilege of calling the God and Sovereign of all things "Father. Those in the first century hearing this prayer model and Jesus' words, if spoken in Aramic, may have heard the word Abba spoken. If spoken in Hebrew, the words that may have been used are Avi and Avinu, which are the familiar titles used affectionately for a Father. 

Heaven. Jesus spoke about our Father in heaven a number of times. In so doing, He reveals a relationship between humankind and God that many of the religious leaders and lawyers had glossed over. Jesus was reaffirming God's role of heavenly Father; in the Old Testament there are minimal references to a Father in heaven. Interestingly, we see in Isaiah 63 a people sinking in the quicksand of their rebellion and wickedness who are calling out for help, appeasing God by calling Him Father. In one of John the Baptist's strong sermons, he points out to the proud Pharisees and Saduccees who were fond of calling Abraham their Father, that Abraham would not even recognize them. In another instance, when Jesus was speaking in John 8, the religious leaders verbally assault Him as He preached about His Father. The leaders, always having ulterior motives when approaching Jesus once again claim Abraham as their Father, and like John the Baptist had already said, Jesus, too informed the self-righteous leaders that if Abraham was indeed their Father, then they would know who Jesus was; He would go on to say that the father they came from was the devil. 

Jesus referring to God the Father and Father of heaven would have been understood by believers as the Most High God who existed beyond their eyesight, in a place called heaven, where the hosts of angels dwell. In the 21st century, some have commented that mankind has traveled into space, has sent spacecrafts beyond what was once the 'known' universe, to a distance of 14 billion miles, with tools that can capture images of light years away. None of the images have revealed a 'heaven', or heavenly being - let alone God and His throne! Heaven is so far beyond the created universe no human can ever reach it. Heaven is literally out of time as we know it. God uses heaven as a marker or descriptor for the reason that it is beyond the reach of flesh and blood. Flesh and blood cannot inherit, visit, or fly by or around heaven! The Father of Heaven lives in light inaccessible!

So, in the opening words of Jesus' model prayer, we are being taught about the One to whom the Lord's Prayer is directed - the believers' Father in Heaven where His throne and courts are. The prayer is indeed a model for how we should construct our prayers - praising and honoring God, rather than a straight shot to the "I wants". This adoration is to be genuine, and aids in giving a believer a sense of place. That we must approach God humbly. Also, with love, as a child would have for their human father.

Hallowed beYour Name. We now come the last part of the opening words that reveal the Father. Going back again to the Ten Commandments, this commandment follows the one above: 7 “You shall not make wrongful use of the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not acquit anyone who misuses his name." 

"Hallowed" means to hold something sacred, to regard it as holy, and deserving of all reverence. Yahweh or Jehovah is the name God gives Himself in His covenant relationship with Israel. His name Yahweh/Jehovah is the "tetragrammaton" or the four-letter name that God told Moses to identify Him by. That translates to YHWH, which means "I AM THAT I AM". The original Hebrew language had no vowels. The meaning of the YHWH is that God has self-revealed Himself to be from everlasting to everlasting, never created by someone. His perpetual existence expands beyond anything our minds can imagine. Not even the amazingly large universe we can read about and see parts of through telescopes is able to contain Him. He revealed Himself to the nation of Israel through Moses to teach them that He always has been and always will be, therefore, capable of keeping any of His promises; He does not grow old, nor weary. He is Creator and Sustainer, The Great I AM  That is the name we are to keep holy, as well as all the names revealed to mankind through God's Word for the Triune God. 

Jesus, in His earthly ministry, was always able to take just a few words and yet describe a panorama of thought and revealed truth. In the opening words alone of the Lord's Prayer, we are being given to understand that, when we pray, we are to remember the reverence we are to have for God, not only in prayer, but in all we do. When we approach a holy God, our approach must be in humility, for He is a God whose Name is power, and "The Name" (Hashem) - the Jewish substitute for the holy name Yahweh -  requires all honor and glory and worship to be given to Him. When one prays, it is an act of worship. (Leviticus 25:1-3; Isaiah 25:1; Deuteronomy 6:13; 1 Chronicle 16:29; Nehemiah 9:5; Malachi 2:2). 

Therefore, before we even begin to pray - especially if we have just come through a difficult moment or are stressed, and even perhaps ask to pray, take a couple of moments to ponder - not what you are going to say, but rather, to whom you are saying it to. Reflect on what it means for us to be able to approach such an Almighty God, the El Shaddai (All-Sufficient God), and Adonai Tzebaot (Lord of Hosts), having full awareness of the reverence and honor due Him, the reverence of His name. As we ponder these things, genuinely and soberly, we will then know what to pray.

EXPLORING 

1. Have you ever had an audience with a head of state (like a Governor, Mayor of a large city, the County Executive, etc.? If so, what did that feel like? Why do you think you felt that way? Were you limited time-wise in chatting with him or her? Were you allowed to touch him or her?  

If you haven't had an audience with a head of state, what if you were to receive an invitation to attend a function at which a former President that you always wanted to meet was going to be -- how would you respond? What would you say to him? Do you think he would friend you on Facebook or some other social media platform? Why or why not?  

2. When you think about God as Father, what comes to mind? Does the description about him in this page give you pause? Are you as hesitant to talk to God as you would an important dignitary, considering God's importance and position? Why or why not? If you were to think that you took God for granted at any time, what would make you change your mind?  

3. How should a person hallow God's name? Have you ever heard anyone misuse God's name before - even if they are telling a joke? How did that make you feel? Have you ever misused God's name? How does that make you feel now?

King of Glory  - Todd Dulaney, performed by The Pentecostals of Alexandria - invitation to worship and prayer

Dear Father, Our Abba, 
We come to You with bowed hearts to hear Your voice. We are so unworthy to be in your presence, Abba, or to even presume a closeness with you. It is only due to Your Son's, our Savior's sacrifice and cleansing blood that we can even speak with You. Open our hearts and minds to the Greatness of You, Father, so that we may never belittle you, misuse your name, or act in a way that would be shameful. You deserve all the glory, all the praise, all the honor. May our lips speak praise from our hearts. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Bible Study - The Lord's Prayer: Thy Kingdom Come, Thy Will Be Done on Earth As It Is in Heaven

The Lord's Prayer continues:

"Thy kingdom come, thy will be done
  on earth as it is in heaven."

In church and Christian conversations, the expression, "God's kingdom" is often mentioned. We talk about it, we sing about it, we pray about it. But what is God's kingdom? What is God's will?

The Oxford Languages Dictionary offers two definitions online: it first defines a kingdom as "a country, state, or territory ruled by a king or queen," basically, a domain ruled by a king/queen. The dictionary secondly defines it as "the spiritual reign (i.e., the period during which a Sovereign rules) or authority of God."

Let us turn to scripture to explore further. In Genesis chapters 1 and 2, we see hints and prefiguration of God's kingdom. God creates the visible, material heavens and earth over which He is supreme Sovereign. The Bible informs us that God created His own domain over which He rules. He did not go on a long hike or pilgrimage to stumble onto a place or region that He could claim as discovered by Him. He did not travel from some distant world and stumble on our universe and stake His claim. No - the Lord created from nothing (referred to by Bible scholars as "ex nihilo" - out of nothing) all that is seen and unseen. He owns and has authority over all that is seen and unseen. (see Colossians 1:16; Psalm 104; Psalm 47; Psalm 24:1-2) The "unseen" also includes angels who serve Him day and night and some of whom He appoints as messengers and armies (Psalm 78:49; Isaiah 6:1-3; 2 Kings 6:11-17; Matthew 13:41). 

In the Genesis account, God appoints Adam and Eve as stewards or managers of this earthly domain of God's kingdom (Genesis 1:26-31). That was His overall will for mankind that would entail more than tending animals, the soil, and procreation. He desired a close relationship with His human creation, made in His own image, an intimacy akin to a father and child. God had placed them in a beautiful paradise called the Garden of Eden, which was to have been the "launching off point" as described in Genesis 1:26-31 for expansion of the mission of stewardship throughout God's earth, honoring and reflecting the character and personhood of God. However, they failed to carry out God's directions; their lawbreaking resulted in a paradise lost, and a skewed mission that would cause the creation to "groan." God foretold of a time - after condemning the devil (removing him from his heavenly life with God and sentencing him to eternal punishment) when He would rectify what had been lost due to Adam and Eve's failures, which would include utter destruction of the devil by the One called to redeem all things (Genesis 3:15). 

It must be noted that God's will for us as described here and which is the focus of this study on the Lord's Prayer as it pertains to His kingdom reign is only a small aspect of what is the full will of God. God gives us many clues about the scope of His Sovereign will, yet even that pales in comparison. It is not a simple answer that can zip up the meaning nice and tidy. Thus, a full exploration of God's diverse and complex will in ALL things would take a separate and comprehensive study. For the curious, I recommend a couple of sources: this excerpt from theologian Dr. R.C. Sproul's book, "Can I Know God's Will?". Another source may be "Baker's Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Will of God" article, as posted on Bible Study Tools website.

God's will for restoration of the earthly kingdom would come through a Divine Plan that only the Sovereign over all things could accomplish. The part of the Bible we call the Old Testament steps us through the plan as introduced in Genesis 3:15, in which a Savior and Redeemer would be given to accomplish the reconciliation of all things, and who would serve as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. God's call of Abraham, recorded in Genesis 12 to 23, the one through whom God would create a covenant nation  that would "birth" this Savior - the special "seed" or descendent of Abraham through whom all the world would be blessed (Genesis 22:16-18). From Abraham's descendents there would be born Isaac, then his son Jacob - who God renamed Israel (the Triumph of God), who would sire 12 sons who would sire twelve tribes that would become the national of Israel. This covenant people would receive a covenant of law and instructions on how to serve Abraham's God, and He would reveal Himself to Israel as Yahweh - the I AM THAT I AM - a testimony to His eternal Sovereignty and Lordship. Yahweh's covenant would serve to prefigure the One whom Moses foretold,  and who would be the promised Deliverer and Redeemer, the "woman's seed" that would crush the serpent satan. He would be born by miraculous means of the tribe of Judah, as a descendent of King David, and come first to His people Israel as the Messiah, as the king representing God's eternal kingdom (Isaiah 9:1-7; Matthew 22:41-46). 

God's Sovereign plan would not limit reconciliation and restoration to Israel only, but, as originally willed, to ALL of Abraham's seed who would come into relationship with God through Christ. God's earthly kingdom - unlike the prefigurement seen in ancient Israel, does not have a fixed geographic location. You can't Uber to it, ride the friendly skies to it; or even sail the QE2 to it. That is why scripture  at Hebrews 12:18-24 tells us we cannot go to some fixed location on earth and enter the "palace" where Christ is enthroned. We cannot "touch" a singular building or country that is the singular location of the kingdom. The heavenly kingdom where Christ's throne is located is invisible to the human eye. But look: When Christ went to the cross in victory to satisfy the only means of redemption of mankind, He was raised the ultimate Victor, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, defying all evil and opening a path to reconciliation. The condemnation of Adam's sin absorbed into the entire human race that came after him, and which damaged and condemned the whole earthly creation; it awaits a "new earth" where all are restored to Paradise. Yet even before that reality will occur, Christ has and continues to restore individuals to become citizens of His kingdom here on earth in the flesh - God's will done on earth. Citizens serve God's kingdom all throughout this planet earth.  The Divine Plan calls for faithful followers of Christ to go into all the world to make disciples, to teach them the good news that they, too, can come to a saving relationship with God and enter into His kingdom. Again, God's will being done. This kingdom, this reign of God in Christ the King, is "visible" in the sense that its citizens serve as ambassadors of Christ's kingdom - Christ's rule from heaven. Because they reside in Christ's domain - the place of obedience and of following the rule of Christ the King - by the work and direction of the Holy Spirit and His Spirit-written Word of God, these kingdom citizens do the bidding of their King. The "new earth" begins here visibly, yet spiritually, as faithful followers unite to work for God's kingdom, and "seek His kingdom", i.e., with all their heart and soul they seek the One who reigns from heaven above and His commandments. These faithful are being transformed into the image of their King and reflecting in their day-to-day lives what His kingdom rule is all about. They endeavor to live lives worthy of their King and His kingdom so that they reflect the glory of Christ's perfect kingdom where His throne is - His seat of authority and rule. Those heavenly members of God's kingdom serve Him day and night in perfect submission, doing His bidding, and praising Him constantly. (Psalm 103:20; Mark 1:13; Isaiah 6:1-7; Revelation 7:11-12; Revelation 5:11-12). Since the first century A.D. this kingdom has been steadily growing and will continue to do so until, as Romans 11:25 tells us, the full number of those predestined to become kingdom citizens - those whom God has designated to live within the kingdom of Christ, are brought into that kingdom. This is the "salvation" message of the Gospel (Romans 10:4,9-18). 

When we pray for God's kingdom to come on earth, this is what we are praying for: God's will, a will that reflects His sovereignty and desire for a humankind to be restored to Him in close relationship. We are praying for God to empower those who become faithful followers to continue obedient to the Holy Spirit's work of gathering those who are to live within God's kingdom, which reign emanates from the throne of heaven where Christ sits. That these faithful followers will remain faithful, will worthily live as kingdom citizens under the rule of Christ the King, following Him, obeying Him in all things. We are praying for a perfect earth filled with perfect beings joined to a perfect heaven and perfect beings - all who serve God continually. God's will is eternally connected to His kingdom reign. Putting His kingdom first in our lives - our whole allegiance to Christ the King first in our lives - which prepares us for eternity with Him. In so doing, we begin to glimpse the promise of Revelation 21 and 22 of God's heavenly kingdom being united once more with an earth restored to Paradise and filled with eagerly awaiting faithful followers of Christ the King. Do we, like Abraham, long for this new place of Paradise restored, the 'eternal' city of God?

EXPLORE

1. Why might the concept of "kingdom" in the western democracy of the U.S. and similar be a challenge to understand? 

2.  If you have lived in a political kingdom on this earth, how does it compare to Christ's kingdom as revealed in scripture in your experience? How is God's will different from the will of human kings and queens?  

3.  Christians are dual citizens - citizens of a country somewhere on earth in which they were born, and citizens of God's kingdom to which we were reborn. As a person who is living in this dual citizenship, what conflicts have you encountered? What other challenges might you experience? What benefits might one receive? 

4.  Very few of us have an opportunity to personally meet the ruler of a country - be it king, queen, president, prime minister, etc. For those who have, how does God's kingdom and His will compare to that?

5.  Lastly, considering what God's kingdom means and what the requirements of living as a citizen in this kingdom means, do you really want to be a citizen? Why do you answer as you do?

Write a prayer to God about His kingdom.

Christian music about God's kingdom:  Seek Ye First the Kingdom of God (Maranatha); We Declare that the Kingdom of God is Here (Ron Kenoly); Kingdom, feat. Naomi Raine, Chandler Moore with Kirk Franklin (recorded with the inmates at the Everglades Correctional Institution in Miami-Dade, Florida in early March of 2022)

Go to the title page for a link to "Give us this day our daily bread"