My Friend
of many years and Christian brother, Pastor Ike, recently posted an
interesting challenge on Facebook. But first a bit of background: I
met Pastor Ike about 15 years ago when I visited the Olive
Branch Community Church and Christian School in Corona, California - and was
very impressed with what that church had accomplished under his
pastoral guidance.
We had an immediate connection, for being from Tennessee originally, he still had that Southern lilt in his speech. In other words he still had his Tennessee flavor and I have never really lost my Alabama flavor - so we "tawked" the same language. And Pastor Ike is a product of California Baptist University in Riverside, California - which fit well with my Baptist-flavored faith.
But back to Pastor Ike's challenge. He suggested, "Another Scripture misused" referring to what many call The Lord's Prayer. And thinking about it, I agree with him 100% - for when we hear someone mention "The Lord's Prayer" we most often will think of Matthew 6:9-13, or more likely the more historically accurate Luke in chapter 11:2-4, where His disciples ask Jesus, "Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples."
When His disciples asked, Jesus gave them a Prayer Model, not a word-by-word fixed prayer. Just as the Sinner's Prayer is only a model, to be prayed in one's own words, to guide the new believer into a relationship with Jesus Christ - He gave His disciples, and us, this Prayer Model to guide us in our relationship with God the Father.
In his post, Pastor Ike tells us:
Actually John 17 is not a single prayer, but a three part prayer:
(1) That He and the Father be glorified through His work on earth [vs 1-5].
(2) Then Jesus prays for His disciples [vs 6-19], i.e., His apostles and all the disciples He has ministered to and taught during His earthly ministry - that the Father will protect and sanctify those whom He has given unto Christ.
(3) And He finishes by praying for the church down through the ages [vs 20-26] with this petition, "I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their (the apostles and disciples) word;" In other words, He first prays to glorify God through His own glorification. Then He prays the Father empower His immediate disciples - that they may go out and share His Word with others, who will then share with others - until He gets to you and me, that we, your and I, may share His Word and bring others into the family of God.
Let's examine His John 17 prayers:
Jesus Prays To Be Glorified, That He May Glorify The Father:
Jesus Prays For His Disciples:
Jesus Prays For His Church Down Through The Ages:
I am reminded of the prayer acronym JOY: J ~ Jesus first in our thoughts and prayers. O ~ Others next, pray for the needs of others that they may know and have eternal life in Christ, that they will depend upon Him in all things, Y ~ Yourself, that all you do will glorify God as you share His Word.
If you find this short discussion on prayer to be helpful, then Pastor Ike and I have accomplished our goal - to encourage you to meditate on God's Word and especially what it says about prayer.
God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,
Bill
We had an immediate connection, for being from Tennessee originally, he still had that Southern lilt in his speech. In other words he still had his Tennessee flavor and I have never really lost my Alabama flavor - so we "tawked" the same language. And Pastor Ike is a product of California Baptist University in Riverside, California - which fit well with my Baptist-flavored faith.
But back to Pastor Ike's challenge. He suggested, "Another Scripture misused" referring to what many call The Lord's Prayer. And thinking about it, I agree with him 100% - for when we hear someone mention "The Lord's Prayer" we most often will think of Matthew 6:9-13, or more likely the more historically accurate Luke in chapter 11:2-4, where His disciples ask Jesus, "Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples."
Matthew 6:9-13 says, “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 today our daily bread. Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.'“
Many people misunderstand the Lord’s Prayer (here the writer also considers this Matthew passage to be the Lord's Prayer) to be a prayer we are supposed to recite word for word. Some people treat the Lord’s Prayer as a magic formula, as if the words themselves have some specific power or influence with God.
The Bible teaches the opposite. God is far more interested in our hearts when we pray than He is in our words. “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 use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words” (Matthew 6:6-7). In prayer, we are to pour out our hearts to God (Philippians 4:6-7), not simply recite memorized words to God. ("What Is The Lord's Prayer And Should We Pray It?" - https://www.gotquestions.org/Lords-prayer.html)
When His disciples asked, Jesus gave them a Prayer Model, not a word-by-word fixed prayer. Just as the Sinner's Prayer is only a model, to be prayed in one's own words, to guide the new believer into a relationship with Jesus Christ - He gave His disciples, and us, this Prayer Model to guide us in our relationship with God the Father.
"Our Father who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name" ~ We are glorifying and honoring God.
"Your kingdom come. Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven" ~ We look forward to His coming again and restoring His kingdom on earth.
"Give us this day our daily bread" ~ We go to Him for all our daily needs - not necessarily all our wants, but most certainly all our daily needs.
"And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors" ~ Forgive us our sins of disobedience against You, Lord - as we are to forgive those who have wronged us.
"And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil" ~ Or as many read this, deliver us from the Evil One, Satan.
In his post, Pastor Ike tells us:
Most of us have memorized the so-called Lord's Prayer. But the error is in calling it the Lord's Prayer. It is in reality the MODEL Prayer. Jesus' disciples asked Him to teach them how to pray and He gave them a MODEL to follow when they prayed. This was not a prayer that He prayed to the Father openly.
The actual Lord's Prayer is found in John 17. He prayed a beautiful prayer that is recorded. Most of His prayers were done in seclusion and so we do not know what He prayed. The prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane was also His prayer to the Father in His greatest hour of need.
Actually John 17 is not a single prayer, but a three part prayer:
(1) That He and the Father be glorified through His work on earth [vs 1-5].
(2) Then Jesus prays for His disciples [vs 6-19], i.e., His apostles and all the disciples He has ministered to and taught during His earthly ministry - that the Father will protect and sanctify those whom He has given unto Christ.
(3) And He finishes by praying for the church down through the ages [vs 20-26] with this petition, "I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their (the apostles and disciples) word;" In other words, He first prays to glorify God through His own glorification. Then He prays the Father empower His immediate disciples - that they may go out and share His Word with others, who will then share with others - until He gets to you and me, that we, your and I, may share His Word and bring others into the family of God.
Let's examine His John 17 prayers:
Jesus Prays To Be Glorified, That He May Glorify The Father:
John 17:1-5, "Jesus spoke these words, lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said: 'Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You, as You have given Him authority over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as You have given Him. And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do. And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.' "
Jesus Prays For His Disciples:
John 17:6-8, 'I have manifested Your name to the men whom You have given Me out of the world. They were Yours, You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word. Now they have known that all things which You have given Me are from You. For I have given to them the words which You have given Me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came forth from You; and they have believed that You sent Me.
John 17:9-12, "I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for those whom You have given Me, for they are Yours. And all Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine, and I am glorified in them. Now I am no longer in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep through Your name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We are. While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Your name. Those whom You gave Me I have kept; and none of them is lost except the son of perdition (Judas), that the Scripture might be fulfilled.'
John 17:13-19, 'But now I come to You, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves. I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth.'
Jesus Prays For His Church Down Through The Ages:
John 17:20-23, 'I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.'
John 17:24-26, 'Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world. O righteous Father! The world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me. And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.' "
I am reminded of the prayer acronym JOY: J ~ Jesus first in our thoughts and prayers. O ~ Others next, pray for the needs of others that they may know and have eternal life in Christ, that they will depend upon Him in all things, Y ~ Yourself, that all you do will glorify God as you share His Word.
If you find this short discussion on prayer to be helpful, then Pastor Ike and I have accomplished our goal - to encourage you to meditate on God's Word and especially what it says about prayer.
God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,
Bill
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