Month: September 2024

The Lord’s Prayer – Line by Line Part 7

On By JCIn Miscellaneous, Wounded Butterflies BlogLeave a comment

In verses Matthew 6:9 – 13, Jesus provides a model for believers to follow as they pray. He is speaking to crowds that have gathered around Him as He sits and preaches. Jesus is sharing that believers are not to pray to draw attention to ourselves or to just say Christian phrases so we sound good. He exhorts us to pray differently. He then shares what is commonly called the Lord’s Prayer. Jesus says, “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.”

Credit: JC

The seventh line, “and forgive us our debts,,” is our confession to the Lord that we are sinners and our debts (or sins) are many. God promises to forgive us, 1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” Why does asking God for forgiveness matter? If we believe in Jesus as the Son of God who died for our sins, then we are going to heaven. And we are humans, so we are going to keep sinning every day that we are still here on earth. God knows we love Jesus even when we sin, so why do we have to ask for His forgiveness?

There are many verses in the Bible about what happens if confess our sins. James 5:16 says, “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” How do we become righteous so our prayers are powerful and effective? We confess our sins, we ask God for forgiveness and He purifies us from all unrighteousness. We are healed through the process of asking for forgiveness. That means asking God for forgiveness when we sin, because all sin is a direct attack on God. If we sin against someone, we should ask for their forgiveness. In both cases, we will be healed from the burdens of guilt and shame that we carry when we sin because we have obeyed Scriptures.

Proverbs 28:13 says, “Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper, but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy.” When we ask for forgiveness, we find healing and mercy and God cleanses us with the precious blood of Jesus so we are made righteous and our prayers are powerful and effective once again. If your prayers feel ineffective, reflect on whether there is unconfessed sin in your life. Reflect on whether you need to ask God and/or someone to forgive you of your debts. Freedom, mercy and forgiveness are waiting.

Let’s pray. Father in heaven, thank You for showing us how to pray. Thank You for the promise we have of Your forgiveness if we confess our sins. Help us to see the places in our lives where we need to ask for forgiveness and where we need strength to turn from sin so our debts do not keep growing. Help us to place You first in everything so that we may reflect Your love to everyone we meet. In Jesus name we pray, amen.

The Lord’s Prayer – Line by Line Part 6

On By JCIn Miscellaneous, Wounded Butterflies BlogLeave a comment

In verses Matthew 6:9 – 13, Jesus provides a model for believers to follow as they pray. He is speaking to crowds that have gathered around Him as He sits and preaches. Jesus is sharing that believers are not to pray to draw attention to ourselves or to just say Christian phrases so we sound good. He exhorts us to pray differently. He then shares what is commonly called the Lord’s Prayer. Jesus says, “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.”

Credit: JC

The sixth line, “Give us this day our daily bread,” is about us learning to trust God. Each day, we will have needs to include physical, spiritual, financial, or emotional needs. God promises to meet those needs in Matthew 6:25 – 34, “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you add a single hour to your life by worrying?”

As we ask for God’s provision of daily bread, this line reminds us that God provides what we need day by day. Like the Israelites in the wilderness, Exodus 16: 4 says, “Then the Lord said to Moses, “I will rain down bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day. In this way I will test them and see whether they will follow my instructions.” This verse says “each day” God will provide. We humble ourselves each time we pray this line and confess that ‘man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.’

Let’s pray. Father in heaven, thank You for showing us how to pray. Thank You for meeting our every need each day. Even before we know we have a need, You are there ahead of us meeting it. Father, please remind us that You are all we ever truly need. Help us to place You first in everything so that we may reflect Your love to everyone we meet. In Jesus name we pray, amen.

The Lord’s Prayer – Line by Line Part 5

On By JCIn Miscellaneous, Wounded Butterflies BlogLeave a comment

In verses Matthew 6:9-13, Jesus provides a model for believers to follow as they pray. He is speaking to crowds that have gathered around Him as He sits and preaches. Jesus is sharing that believers are not to pray to draw attention to ourselves or to just say Christian phrases so we sound good. He exhorts us to pray differently. He then shares what is commonly called the Lord’s Prayer. Jesus says, “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.”

Credit: JC

The fifth line, “on earth as it is in heaven” is actually a very scary part of this prayer. We are not only acknowledging God’s holy dominion over both heaven and earth, but we are submitting our entire lives to Him in these few words. We are laying all that we have and all that we are at His feet to do with as He wills. This includes our lives, bodies, our loved ones, our money, our health – everything, As believers, we know it is all His to begin with, but with these words, we are saying ‘Lord, I want what You want on earth, no matter what that means. No matter the cost, the hurt, the discomfort or the loss I may feel – I want it because I trust that You love me and will work all things together for my good.’

When we ask for God’s Kingdom to be manifested in our lives and for His will to be done in this world, it also means that we are placing Him first. We are expressing our commitment and desire to do His will, no matter what. We are committing to God that our priority is to see His glory displayed, whatever that may mean to us or our loved ones.

Let’s pray. Father in heaven, thank You for showing us how to pray. Let Your kingdom come and let Your will be done. Help us to be laborers for You to usher in Your will on earth, no matter what that may cost us. Help us to place You first in everything so that we may reflect Your love to everyone we meet. In Jesus name we pray, amen.

The Lord’s Prayer – Line by Line Part 4

On By JCIn Miscellaneous, Wounded Butterflies BlogLeave a comment

In verses Matthew 6:9-13, Jesus provides a model for believers to follow as they pray. He is speaking to crowds that have gathered around Him as He sits and preaches. Jesus is sharing that believers are not to pray to draw attention to ourselves or to just say Christian phrases so we sound good. He exhorts us to pray differently. He then shares what is commonly called the Lord’s Prayer. Jesus says, “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.”

Credit: JC

The fourth line, “your will be done” is a commitment to God that we want Him to rule in our lives. No matter what that means, whether we like what He is doing or not. This portion of the prayer is about our complete surrender to God’s will, in all things. This means that we are giving Him control over everyone and everything in our life, which He already has. But this is about our hearts and reminding us that we are not in control of anything. The scary part of this commitment is that God is not always going to do what we want Him to do. Things do not always turn out the way we think they should. It is during these times that we must cling to His promise in Romans 8:28 that He works all things together for the good of those who love Him. The promise is “all” things, not some, not the ones that feel nice when they are happening, but all things. No matter what happens to us, God will use it for good.

Let’s pray. Father in heaven, thank You for showing us how to pray. Help us to step aside and give You control of our lives, no matter what that may mean. May our lives reflect Your love to everyone we meet. In Jesus name we pray, amen.

The Lord’s Prayer – Line by Line Part 3

On By JCIn Miscellaneous, Wounded Butterflies BlogLeave a comment

In verses Matthew 6:9-13, Jesus provides a model for believers to follow as they pray. He is speaking to crowds that have gathered around Him as He sits and preaches. Jesus is sharing that believers are not to pray to draw attention to ourselves or to just say Christian phrases so we sound good. He exhorts us to pray differently. He then shares what is commonly called the Lord’s Prayer. Jesus says, “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 third line, “Your kingdom come . . ” means that we are asking for and desire the return of Jesus. This is the cry of every believer’s heart, for our Savior to return and right all of the wrongs, take care of wickedness once and for all and to permanently remove the devil from the earth. For people who believe Jesus is the Son of God, this will be an incredible time, we will worship Him all together, in person forever. “He will wipe away every tear from our eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” Revelation 21:4

Credit: JC

There is a tension with this portion of the prayer that we must consider. Once a person has accepted Jesus as their Lord, they will spend eternity in heaven, regardless of what they may do after they have accepted Him. But for those people who have refused to believe that Jesus is the Son of God and died for our sins, once Jesus returns, it is too late. They will spend eternity in hell, the Bible does not show the ability to change your choice once you are forever dead. That is why when believers pray ‘Thy Kingdom come’, we are filled with joy and peace in the promise of heaven. But we must not forget that Jesus left us here to tell as many people as we can about His love for them. He does not want anyone to go to hell, but the choice lies with each and every person. While we pray for Jesus’ kingdom to come, we should be busy telling everyone we can about it.

Let’s pray. Father in heaven, thank You for showing us how to pray. May we share Your love with all people while we await Your return. In Jesus name we pray, amen.