Glorifying God Through Prayer
The Lord’s Prayer is probably the most recognized of all prayers. It is certainly the most familiar prayer amongst Christians.
Prayer starts with faith. Through prayer we communicate with God. It is impossible to be in a personal relationship with God without prayer. In Matthew 6:5-13, Jesus gives us the model prayer (also known as the Lord’s Prayer) to show us how to pray.
And 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 men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.
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 this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
Jesus wants you to have the correct attitude when you come to God in prayer:
- “First, Thy name, Thy kingdom, Thy will; then, give us, forgive us, lead us, deliver us. The lesson is of more importance than we think. In true worship the Father must be first, must be all”.–Andrew Murray
- Before we can pray, “Lord, Thy Kingdom come,” we must be willing to pray, “My Kingdom go.” – Alan Redpath
Our Father in heaven. When we pray, we come before God Who is our loving heavenly Father and we are His children.
Hallowed be Your name. God’s name is above and beyond all other names. He is the Creator of the universe. He is the King of kings and the Lord of lords. We are to come before Him in prayer showing the respect and honor He so richly deserves. Nehemiah 1:11 (NIV) says O Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of this your servant and to the prayer of your servants who delight in revering (honoring and respecting) your name.
Your kingdom come. Our prayers should be in accordance with those things that advance His kingdom. God presently reigns spiritually in the hearts of all believers. His kingdom will be complete when all evil is conquered and we dwell with Him in the new heaven and new earth in the Holy City (Revelation 21:1-4).
Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Romans 11:36 says For from Him, and through Him and to Him are all things. Contrary to popular opinion, prayer is not about meeting our own needs. Self gratifying prayers bring no glory to God. You should pray always remembering that you exist for God. He does not exist for you. Our prayers should be consistent with His will to advance His kingdom and His will for our personal lives. If the things we pray for don’t lead to God being glorified, we don’t need it, we shouldn’t want it, and we certainly shouldn’t be praying for it!
Give us this day our daily bread. God is the giver of life. It is only because of His grace and mercy that He breaths air into our nostrils so we can live another day. God is our Provider and through prayer we should acknowledge that without Him our most basic needs would not be met. We should pray with an attitude of gratitude that He maintains and sustains us. Romans 8:32 (NIV) says 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.
And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. As Christians, we now have a new relationship with the sins in our lives. WE HATE THEM! The Holy Spirit will convict us of our wrongdoing and we should be coming to God in prayer on a regular basis acknowledging our sins and asking for forgiveness. Others will do us wrong and we must forgive them. Colossians 3:13 (NIV) says Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. This isn’t always easy and at times we will have to come to the Lord and ask Him to soften our hearts. However this is highly important because Matthew 6:14-15 (NLT) says If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.
And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. The stronger your Christian walk, the more you should expect the devil to attack you. We should pray to God regularly to keep us aware of the daily temptations we encounter so that they do not hinder our spiritual walk. Also we should pray for strength and Biblical wisdom so that we can stand firm in the midst of the Satan’s attacks. Jesus tells us in Matthew 26:41 (NIV) Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak. 1Corinthians 16:13, 10:13 (NIV) says Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong. No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.
For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen!
Go Live The Victory!
