The Lord's teaching on Prayer

Was studying Matt 6:9-13 and Luk 11:1-13 for the Berean Series in church on Jesus' teaching on how we should pray... and realise that "The Lord's Prayer" isn't too accurate a description for it. Jesus could have never prayed that prayer himself, as he was sinless and needn't have prayed for forgiveness. Rather, it should be "The Lord's Teaching on Prayer". Anyway, its quite sad that people often mistake this prayer to be "holier" than most. The scene in my head now is one of those cliche horror films where the pastor often starts praying this prayer in response to a greater presence of evil... grr... terrible...

Well, instead of sharing some bits of what I've learnt regard the Lord's teaching on Prayer(there's a lot!), will type out what was given to us in out notes on this... It's something worth thinking about and acting on...

But first, the Lord's teaching on Prayer in Matt 6:9-15[NIV]:

[9]"This, then, is how you should pray:

"Our Father in heaven,

hallowed be your name,

[10]your kingdom come,

your will be done

on earth as it is in heaven.

[11]Give us today our daily bread.

[12]Forgive us our debts,

as we also have forgiven our debtors.

[13]And lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from the evil one."

(Taken from The Christian Messenger)

I cannot say 'our' if I live in a watertight spiritual compartment

I cannot say 'Father' if I do not demonstrate the relationship in daily life

I cannot say 'which art in heaven' if I am so preoccupied with the earth that I am laying up no treasure there

I cannot say 'hallowed be they name' if I am, who am called by His Name, am not holy

I cannot say 'thy kingdom come' if I am not doing all in my power to hasten its coming

I cannot say 'thy will be done' if I am questioning, resentful of, or disobedient to His will for me

I cannot say 'in earth, as it is in heaven' if I am not prepared to devote my life to His service

I cannot say 'give us this day our daily bread' if I am living on past experiences or am an under-the-counter shopper

I cannot say 'forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us' if I harbour a grudge against anyone

I cannot say 'lead us not into temptation' if I deliberately place myself in a position to be tempted

I cannot say 'deliver us from evil' if I am not prepared to fight it in the spiritual realm with the weapon of prayer

I cannot say 'thine is the kingdom' if I do not accord the King the disciplined obedience of a loyal subject

I cannot say 'thine is the power' if I fear what men may do or what my neighbours may think

I cannot say 'thine is the glory' if I am seeking glory for myself

I cannot say 'for ever' if my horizon is bounded by the things of time

We cannnot ever say out that prayer by our own strength, but by the cross, by our Lord's grace, we can :) Hallelujah!