The Fight (Spiritual Battle) Part 11
Last week we talked about the spiritual battle and how the kingdom of God is here but not fully here. We are in the midst of a cosmic battle. It is as though Jesus parachuted into enemy territory. He gathered followers, trained them, and then set them loose behind enemy lines with the intent of taking more and more of the enemy’s territory. It is done through the freeing of those who are captive. With that in mind let’s talk about the Lord’s Prayer.
Matthew 6:9-13 (ESV)
9 Pray then like this: “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 this day our daily bread, 12 and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
The Lord’s Prayer is a Guide
The Lord’s prayer is a guide that Jesus wanted His disciples to memorize and use. But the Lord’s prayer wasn’t meant to just be memorized and then repeated over and over. It was to be memorized as a way to pray. The prayer is a gift from Jesus. He is giving us His own prayer. It is a poem that He writes from His heart to His friends. It describes who He is and what He is doing. He wants us to be able to participate with Him is this cosmic battle. The structure of the prayer reflects the greatest commandment.
Matthew 22:36-40 (NIV)
36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” 37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
In the same way that the greatest commandment is love God and love your neighbor as yourself, the Lord’s prayer is Your and Us, not Me.
The Structure of the Lord’s Prayer
The Lord’s Prayer starts with an introduction and then proceeds with two sections of three petitions each:
Introduction
– Our Father in heaven
Section 1
– Hallowed be Your name
– Your Kingdom come
– Your will be done
Section 2
– Give us
– Forgive us
– Lead us
Does that mean we should never pray for ourselves? No. Just as we are to love ourselves, we should be presenting our own needs in prayer. It is just important that we not get selfish. As I have said many times in previous messages, it is some about me, but it is not all about me.
Each of the petitions reflect something that Jesus wants us to take into our daily walk with Him. We will be digging deeper into each of these this weekend at Keys Vineyard. If you can’t make it in person, please be sure to watch our live stream at your convenience.
Steve Lawes is a church encourager and the lead pastor of Keys Vineyard Church.