The Lord Jesus taught His disciples how to pray. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him. In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your Kingdom come. Your Will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Matthew 6:8-10
Note that He stated “On earth as it is in heaven”. That is our number one prayer. Do not pray for the rapture. That is what the religious do. Don’t pray for retreat or rescue. The Lord God did not put us here only to rescue us. What we should pray for is revolution. Every time you pray for the Lord God to take you out of this world, you are praying the wrong prayer that is against His Will and purpose for your life. Instead, we should pray for Heaven to come to earth! By the way, I used to think that way. I had a religious mindset! Whatever you need is covered with “Your Will be done on earth as it is in heaven”! We should never want to pray against His Will for our lives.
He wants His Garden to spread until it fills the whole earth. That is why we as citizens of the Kingdom should embrace His Kingdom. A petition is an earnest request for a need, presented to a government or one who is in authority. Keep in mind, often when you read the word prayer in the New Testament, it is speaking about petitioning. There is nothing religious about the word petitioning. The Kingdom of God is a government, not a church. When we go before the King with our request, we are petitioning our King.
Consider this: For many Believers, prayer does not work the way it should because they have made it a religious exercise of pleading for a favor, or even ruminating on their troubles and what they lack. Rather, it should be approached as a legal act of asserting their rights and privileges as Kingdom citizens in right standing with their King. I realize there will be some reading this that may feel offended, but ask yourself, “Why aren’t my prayers being answered?” Prayer is business with the Government of God. It is where you bring a legal claim to a legitimate government authority and petition for your government’s response.
When you petition your King properly (in the right spirit of humility an in accordance with His Will) you are only asking for what He has already promised. This is why, even with humility, we can ask with boldness and confidence. The writer of Hebrews had this in mind when he wrote: Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:16 How did we come to this position of authority? So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for He faced all of the same testings we do, yet He did not sin. Hebrews 4:14-15 NLT Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for His own? No one—for God himself has given us right standing with himself. Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and He is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us. Romans 8:33-34 NLT
The Lord Jesus’ prayer shows not only what we should ask for, but also the manner in which we should petition the Lord God’s government. Here is what the Lord Jesus states:
Firstly, you must address your petition to the right Person: “Our Father in heaven.” Remember, the Lord God is the King who is ruling in Heaven, and we are His citizens in His Colony here on Earth, petitioning for an audience.
Next, you must pay proper respect when addressing the King “Hallowed be Your name”. To hallow the Lord God’s name means to render utmost respect and reverence to His name because His name is identical to His reputation. Keep in mind, the Lord God is very jealous concerning His reputation. He is also jealous concerning His name This is why He commanded His chosen people, the Israelites: You shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God… You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain. Exodus 20:5a, 7 This goes far beyond merely using the Lord God’s name as a curse word. It includes such things as misrepresenting Him before others by not following the Governor’s lead. When we use His name to serve our own purposes and misrepresent who He is and “put words in His mouth”, so to speak, we are taking His name in vain!
To hallow the Lord God’s name means to fear and reverence Him with a holy fear. We must acknowledge Him for who He is and never take Him for granted. Today’s culture has made Him common and brought Him down to their level to view Him as their friend. No! He is the Lord God and is far greater and well beyond anything we can comprehend. When you really see Him as He is, you will feel a great sense of awe and reverence! As the Lord God told Isaiah: “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.
For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, and do not return there, but water the earth, and make it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall My Word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it." Isaiah 55:8-11 So then, why do you hallow the King? Because He holds the power of life and death. When you petition your government, you must first show proper respect to the King. Always remember that the "God of the Old Testament" is the same "God of the New Testament". His character does not change. He--unlike the world--never changes. He is eternal and unchanging. It is only through His Son that we are able to approach Him and be forgiven and accepted as His children.
Finally, your petition should always reflect the Will of the King, not your own. You request what you desire, always submitting to His Will in your life. Why His will and not yours? Because anything that is His Will for your life will ultimately be better than anything you can imagine. The Will of the King is law, in the Kingdom government of heaven, and God’s Kingdom colony on earth. “Your Kingdom come, Your Will be done on earth as it is in heaven”. Keep in mind that this is the Lord Jesus instructing His disciples as well as the future generations to come:
“And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. 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. Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him.
In this manner, therefore, 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 this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.
For Yours is the Kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
Matthew 6:5-13
Please remember, this is not a mindless religious ritual, to be repeated as if it were some magical chant or incantation. This is about a mindset and posture as to how we approach the Lord God with our petition in prayer.
Matthew 6 is a treasure chest filled with basic Kingdom living principles about giving, prayer, fasting, money and possessions! Why has the church so often ignored these Kingdom principles—so simply laid out—for self-care and prosperity “feel good” messages?!
Remember, your greatest asset in the Kingdom is your faith in His Word and His Word alone.
W.R. Luchie
www.kingdomcitizens.org
This article may only be reproduced, in print or on the internet, if the author's name and website address are included at the end of the article as originally placed. Thank you.
Note that He stated “On earth as it is in heaven”. That is our number one prayer. Do not pray for the rapture. That is what the religious do. Don’t pray for retreat or rescue. The Lord God did not put us here only to rescue us. What we should pray for is revolution. Every time you pray for the Lord God to take you out of this world, you are praying the wrong prayer that is against His Will and purpose for your life. Instead, we should pray for Heaven to come to earth! By the way, I used to think that way. I had a religious mindset! Whatever you need is covered with “Your Will be done on earth as it is in heaven”! We should never want to pray against His Will for our lives.
He wants His Garden to spread until it fills the whole earth. That is why we as citizens of the Kingdom should embrace His Kingdom. A petition is an earnest request for a need, presented to a government or one who is in authority. Keep in mind, often when you read the word prayer in the New Testament, it is speaking about petitioning. There is nothing religious about the word petitioning. The Kingdom of God is a government, not a church. When we go before the King with our request, we are petitioning our King.
Consider this: For many Believers, prayer does not work the way it should because they have made it a religious exercise of pleading for a favor, or even ruminating on their troubles and what they lack. Rather, it should be approached as a legal act of asserting their rights and privileges as Kingdom citizens in right standing with their King. I realize there will be some reading this that may feel offended, but ask yourself, “Why aren’t my prayers being answered?” Prayer is business with the Government of God. It is where you bring a legal claim to a legitimate government authority and petition for your government’s response.
When you petition your King properly (in the right spirit of humility an in accordance with His Will) you are only asking for what He has already promised. This is why, even with humility, we can ask with boldness and confidence. The writer of Hebrews had this in mind when he wrote: Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:16 How did we come to this position of authority? So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for He faced all of the same testings we do, yet He did not sin. Hebrews 4:14-15 NLT Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for His own? No one—for God himself has given us right standing with himself. Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and He is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us. Romans 8:33-34 NLT
The Lord Jesus’ prayer shows not only what we should ask for, but also the manner in which we should petition the Lord God’s government. Here is what the Lord Jesus states:
Firstly, you must address your petition to the right Person: “Our Father in heaven.” Remember, the Lord God is the King who is ruling in Heaven, and we are His citizens in His Colony here on Earth, petitioning for an audience.
Next, you must pay proper respect when addressing the King “Hallowed be Your name”. To hallow the Lord God’s name means to render utmost respect and reverence to His name because His name is identical to His reputation. Keep in mind, the Lord God is very jealous concerning His reputation. He is also jealous concerning His name This is why He commanded His chosen people, the Israelites: You shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God… You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain. Exodus 20:5a, 7 This goes far beyond merely using the Lord God’s name as a curse word. It includes such things as misrepresenting Him before others by not following the Governor’s lead. When we use His name to serve our own purposes and misrepresent who He is and “put words in His mouth”, so to speak, we are taking His name in vain!
To hallow the Lord God’s name means to fear and reverence Him with a holy fear. We must acknowledge Him for who He is and never take Him for granted. Today’s culture has made Him common and brought Him down to their level to view Him as their friend. No! He is the Lord God and is far greater and well beyond anything we can comprehend. When you really see Him as He is, you will feel a great sense of awe and reverence! As the Lord God told Isaiah: “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.
For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, and do not return there, but water the earth, and make it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall My Word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it." Isaiah 55:8-11 So then, why do you hallow the King? Because He holds the power of life and death. When you petition your government, you must first show proper respect to the King. Always remember that the "God of the Old Testament" is the same "God of the New Testament". His character does not change. He--unlike the world--never changes. He is eternal and unchanging. It is only through His Son that we are able to approach Him and be forgiven and accepted as His children.
Finally, your petition should always reflect the Will of the King, not your own. You request what you desire, always submitting to His Will in your life. Why His will and not yours? Because anything that is His Will for your life will ultimately be better than anything you can imagine. The Will of the King is law, in the Kingdom government of heaven, and God’s Kingdom colony on earth. “Your Kingdom come, Your Will be done on earth as it is in heaven”. Keep in mind that this is the Lord Jesus instructing His disciples as well as the future generations to come:
“And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. 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. Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him.
In this manner, therefore, 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 this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.
For Yours is the Kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
Matthew 6:5-13
Please remember, this is not a mindless religious ritual, to be repeated as if it were some magical chant or incantation. This is about a mindset and posture as to how we approach the Lord God with our petition in prayer.
Matthew 6 is a treasure chest filled with basic Kingdom living principles about giving, prayer, fasting, money and possessions! Why has the church so often ignored these Kingdom principles—so simply laid out—for self-care and prosperity “feel good” messages?!
Remember, your greatest asset in the Kingdom is your faith in His Word and His Word alone.
W.R. Luchie
www.kingdomcitizens.org
This article may only be reproduced, in print or on the internet, if the author's name and website address are included at the end of the article as originally placed. Thank you.
