December 8, 2022 | Silver Spring, Maryland, United States | Ted N.C. Wilson, President, General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists
Greetings, friends. There are many prayers recorded in the Bible, but no doubt the most well-known is what is called “The Lord’s Prayer.”
Jesus’ disciples had often seen Him in prayer and witnessed its impact on His life and ministry. One day, as they heard Jesus praying, the disciples were especially moved, and sensing their own need, asked Him to teach them how to pray.
In answer, He again presented the familiar prayer He first gave in His Sermon on the Mount, recorded in Matthew 6:9-13. It was as if Christ was saying, “You need to understand what I have already given. It has a depth of meaning you have not yet fathomed” (MB, p. 103).
The Lord’s prayer offers rich rewards to those who carefully consider it. Rather than a formulaic prayer where simply repeating the words by rote will grant our desires, Jesus teaches heavenly principles that draw us closer into the heavenly family and to one another.
He begins with the beautiful invocation of “Our Father,” assuring us God is indeed our Father, we are His sons and daughters, and as such, all His children are our brothers and sisters.
“But if you call God your Father,” writes Ellen White, “you acknowledge yourselves His children, to be guided by His wisdom and to be obedient in all things, knowing that His love is changeless. You will accept His plan for your life . . you will hold His honor, His character, His family, His work, as the objects of your highest interest” (MB, p. 105).
Jesus’ prayer continues, “Hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven” (Matt. 6:9,10). When we pray, we should speak God’s name in reverence. “Holy and reverend is His name,” we read in Psalm 111:9. But it means more than this. When we pray, “Hallowed be Thy name,” we are asking that it may be hallowed in us. We read, “God sends you into the world as His representative. In every act of life you are to make manifest the name of God. This petition calls upon you to possess His character . . . This you can do only through the acceptance of the grace and righteousness of Christ” (MB p. 107).
We long for Jesus to come, and the fact that Jesus taught His disciples to pray “Thy kingdom come” is evidence that one day it will surely come. And we have a part in hastening His coming, for we are told, “as we give ourselves to God, and win other souls to Him, we hasten the coming of His kingdom” (MB, p. 108).
The petition, “Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven” is a plea that the reign of evil on this earth will end, sin be forever destroyed, and God’s kingdom of righteousness established—something that by faith we eagerly look forward to!
After focusing on the name, kingdom, and will of God, the prayer then turns to our needs.
“Give us this day our daily bread” includes not only physical food, but also the spiritual bread that nourishes the soul. Jesus said, “I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live forever” (John 6:51). And just as we need physical food, so we need this spiritual food every day.
“Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone that is indebted to us,” (Luke 11:4, NASB). Here we are invited to ask God for forgiveness, who will “abundantly pardon” (Isa. 55:7). Jesus explains we are also to forgive those who have wronged us. This is not always easy, but when we realize the love and forgiveness God has shown to us, He helps us show compassion and forgiveness to others.
Satan seeks to bring us into temptation, that he may claim us as his own, but as we turn to God in prayer, He will deliver us. We are to pray, “Bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one” (Matt. 6:13).
While we are not to deliberately place ourselves in situations that lead to temptation, we should pray that God will not permit us to be brought where we will be drawn away by the desires of our own evil hearts. We read, “In offering the prayer that Christ has given, we surrender ourselves to the guidance of God, asking Him to lead us in safe paths. . . We shall wait for His hand to lead us; we shall listen to His voice, saying, ‘This is the way, walk ye in it.’ (Isa. 30:21)” (MB, p. 117).
Christ ends His prayer as He began—pointing to our Father in Heaven. “For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen” (Matt. 6:13).
This wonderful assurance gives us confidence that God is ultimately in control, and what He promises will be fulfilled. We read this magnificent promise at the end of this chapter in Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing:
“The Majesty of heaven has the destiny of nations, as well as the concerns of His church, in His own charge. . . . He who slumbers not, who is continually at work for the accomplishment of His designs, will carry forward His own work. . . . When the strongholds of kings shall be overthrown, when the arrows of wrath shall strike through the hearts of His enemies, His people will be safe in His hands” (MB 121).
What an amazing God! And what a privilege we have to pray to Him. I invite you to bow your head with me just now.
Father in heaven, thank You for providing us with instruction as to how to pray, how to formulate our petitions to heaven, how to pray earnestly from the heart. Lord, we ask that You now will accept this prayer as it represents our dearest and warmest wishes to connect with You at all times, whether in silent prayer or in public oral prayer. Lord, we place ourselves in Your care, knowing that You’ll respond to us, by the promptings of the holly spirit and will also give us even the words to say in our prayers. Thank You for hearing us, in Christ name. Amen.