HOW TO PRAY

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HOW TO PRAY

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© 2018 LifeWay Christian Resources

If you could ask Jesus one question, what would it be? Twelve disciples walked closely with Jesus. They saw His miracles. They heard His teaching. They observed how He interacted with people. Yet the one thing we know the disciples asked Jesus to specifically teach them about was prayer. It seems that, in all they observed in Jesus, it was His prayer life that seemed to be the “secret.” Thankfully for all of us, Jesus taught them how to pray. He gave us a model as a part of His Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5–7). This prayer has inspired Christians for 2,000 years. It is both striking in its simplicity and breathtaking in its scope. It is certainly worth our study, and as we look at the different parts of this prayer. We will draw from other passages, which will help illustrate truths from Jesus’ Model Prayer. Prayer changes us as we pray. Isn’t it time we joined the original disciples and asked Jesus to teach us to pray? After all, prayer moves the Hand that moves the world.

KIE BOWMAN Kie is the senior pastor of the multi-site Hyde Park Baptist Church in Austin, Texas. He is actively involved in the prayer movement and contributed to the study Pray Like This. He and his wife Tina have three adult children.

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GET INTO THE STUDY 5 minutes GUIDE: Over the next few weeks our focus will be on how to pray.

SESSION 1

THE OBJECT OF OUR PRAYER

Invite members to turn to page 3 of the Personal Study Guide (PSG) and review the titles of the sessions.

The Point A right view of God fuels how

LEADER PACK: Display Item 6:

we pray.

How to Pray poster to introduce the session titles of this new

The Bible Meets Life

seven-week study.

Our conversations are greatly affected by our perception of the other person. Praying to God is similar. Some people approach God with fear and trembling, hoping they utter just the right words. Others look at God as a kindly grandfather or a vending machine who dispenses whatever we want. How we approach God should be based on what He has revealed about Himself. Thankfully, the Bible presents a clear picture of our almighty and loving Father.

The Passages Matthew 6:9a; Psalm 103:1-5,11-13,19-22 DISCUSS: Draw group members’ attention to the picture on PSG page 84 and ask Question 1: What’s something you’d like to have a birds-eye view of?

The Setting Jesus gathered with His disciples on a mountain so He could teach them about living as citizens of God’s kingdom. A multitude listened as Jesus taught His disciples. As He turned their attention to the discipline of prayer, He warned them about what they should avoid when they prayed. Then He gave the disciples a model for prayer. Using the model, He presented the appropriate picture of the Lord with whom they talked when they prayed.

GUIDE: Introduce The Point on PSG page 85: A right view of God fuels how we pray. 88

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STUDY THE BIBLE

Matthew 6:9a; Psalm 103:1-5

Matthew 6:9a; Psalm 103:1-5

Matt.6:9a “Therefore, you should pray like this:

Our Father in heaven,

10 minutes

.......................... Ps. 103:1 My soul, bless the Lord,

GUIDE: Refer group members

and all that is within me, bless his holy name.

to “The Bible Meets Life,”

2 My soul, bless the Lord,

(PSG p. 85) to the author’s story of talking to his father about

and do not forget all his benefits.

Alaska, his home for 55 years,

3 He forgives all your iniquity;

just before he died. Share the

he heals all your diseases.

author’s thankfulness that this

4 He redeems your life from the Pit;

last conversation focused on his

he crowns you with faithful love and compassion. 5 He satisfies you with good things;

father and what brought him joy.

SUMMARIZE: Before reading

your youth is renewed like the eagle.

the passage, refer to “The Bible

KEY WORDS: Bless (Ps. 103:1)—The Hebrew word means to adore, to praise, or to bend the knee in worship. Benefits (Ps. 103:2)—Literally, deeds or dealings or acts. It has come to

Meets Life” and “The Setting” on page 88 to establish the context of the passage.

mean the good things God has done for His people.

Matthew 6:9a. Our Father wants only good for us. That’s what Jesus wants us to grasp first as He teaches us how to pray. This verse provides in a few words a gigantic lesson that will help us as we go to God in prayer. 1 Notice how Jesus taught that we should refer to God as our Father in heaven. Of course, God is identified by a variety of names in the Bible, and all of them help us know Him better. However, the picture of God as our Father has a stellar uniqueness. Jesus reflected keen insight when He introduced it to His disciples for them to use as they approached God in prayer. It’s the best picture because of the perfect blend of majesty and intimacy associated with it. When we talk with our Father “in heaven” in prayer, we’re spending time with the Creator of the universe, King above all authorities, and the Commander of the heavenly host. All power resides in Him, for He is sovereign. All glory belongs to Him, and He reigns with majestic splendor. Because of His majesty, approaching Him in prayer can be a daunting experience.

READ: Ask a group member to read Matthew 6:9a.

SUMMARIZE: Use Bible Commentary 1 on this page and page 90 to provide more information about the phrase our Father in heaven.

S U G G E S T E D U S E | W E E K O F O C T O B E R 14 89

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THE POINT

A right view of God fuels how we pray.

GUIDE: Refer to DIGGING DEEPER on PSG page 87 for information about the Lord’s Prayer. Also see the article on pages 98-101 (PSG, pp. 108-111) titled “The Church’s Use of the Lord’s Prayer.”

LEADER PACK: In advance, distribute copies of Item #7: Psalms to group members. Use the handout to give background information on the Book of Psalms. The Psalms provide us with a glimpse into personal

But He’s also the perfect “Father” who wants to enjoy an intimate relationship with His children. Granted, He intends for us to fear Him, but not to be terrorized by Him. By instructing His followers to refer to Him as “our Father,” Jesus prompted them to approach God with healthy respect nourished by love. Such an approach flows from us easily when we experience His love for us through Christ. We bask in His kindness toward us and His eagerness for us to come close and linger in His presence. He’s the perfect Father. While He has complete authority over us, He longs for us to experience the joy and peace that only a relationship with Him can render. By instructing us to remember heaven when we talk with our Father, Jesus helps us to focus attention on where God lives. Of course, He’s not limited to heaven. But it’s God’s home, and it’s our home too if we belong to Him. Therefore, when we talk with our Father in prayer, we embrace the glad reality that we’re close to home when we’re with Him.

prayers and hymns offered to God.

READ: Ask a group member to read Psalm 103:1-5.

GUIDE: Use the KEY WORD on

DIGGING DEEPER THE LORD’S PRAYER The Lord’s Prayer or the Model Prayer (Matt. 6:9-13) is the prayer Jesus gave in the Sermon on the Mount to explain to His followers how they were to pray. This was given in contrast to how the religious leaders of Jesus time prayed. The Sermon on the Mount in the early church was used as the “Christianity 101” curriculum to teach believers what it meant to be a follower of Jesus. The prayer Jesus gave in this context was used for centuries in the church to teach believers how to pray. See the article, “The Church’s Use of the Lord’s Prayer” on pages 108-111 (PSG, p. 108-111), for more information on the Model Prayer. We will refer to this prayer in many of the following sessions as the springboard into the specific teaching about how to pray.

page 89 (PSG, p. 86) to provide insight about the word bless.

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Psalm 103:1. This psalm enables us to add enriching colors to the portrait of our Father that Jesus provided. With this psalm, we learn more about our Father and His goodness to us. At the outset, the psalm brings to mind the need for us to take a long look in the mirror. By talking to our souls and looking deep within ourselves, we have a chance to © 2018 LifeWay Christian Resources

see what’s really going on inside us. From there, we have the opportunity to make lasting changes in our lives that will please the Lord. One of the chief ways to make such important spiritual adjustments involves praising the Lord. That’s the idea implied from the call in this verse to bless Him. By fixing our minds and hearts on the holy name of the Lord through praising Him, we’re taking the right path toward renewed spiritual vitality. Verse 2. Praise flows easily from our hearts when we consider the monumental ways in which the Lord has been good to us. However, when we forget about blessing Him and focus our thoughts on being blessed ourselves, we tend to lose sight of what He has done for our benefit. By the same token, recalling His remarkable care for us sets the stage for praising Him. For that reason, we do well to remember His blessings to us each day. When we do, we will spend valuable time worshiping and praising His holy name. The psalmist pointed us to the invaluable actions that God has taken for us. He draws our attention to them by referring to them as benefits. Reflecting on them prompts our praise to Him for His blessings to us. Verse 3. One of the greatest benefits we enjoy results from what God has done about our greatest problem. Our sin serves as a wall that separates us from our Father. He could have chosen to allow us to suffer in our sin. After all, we’re responsible for the wall and the separation in our relationship. However, we can’t do anything about removing our sin. No matter how we try, we can’t take it away. But God doesn’t allow the wall to remain. Instead of allowing us to languish in our sinful condition, He forgives us by taking our sin away. Furthermore, diseases of the soul will not have the last word over us. 2

Verses 4-5. But that’s not all He has done for us. He’s paid the price necessary to set us free from death. The Pit symbolizes the abode of the dead and the adversity that goes along with death. From our side of the cross, we know that Jesus paid the price at Calvary. The Lord not only redeems us, He also treats us like royalty by crowning us with the honor of being His children. He’s faithful to us, and He feels our pain and joy with us. Thanks to His work in us, we can be completely content. We no longer search for something to fill up the empty places in our hearts. Complete and lasting satisfaction fills us because His strength renews us so we can keep on flying like eagles as the years pass.

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DISCUSS: Question #2: (PSG, p. 86): How would you describe prayer without using religious language?

GUIDE: Use the KEY WORD on page 89 (PSG, p. 86) to provide insight about the word benefits.

SUMMARIZE: Refer to Bible Commentary 2 to provide more information about the many benefits that belong to those who love God and bless His name: • He forgives us. • He heals us • He redeems our lives from the pit. • He crowns us with faithful love and compassion. • He satisfies us. • He renews us

DISCUSS: Question #3 (PSG, p. 88): Which of the benefits listed in Psalm 103:3-5 mean the most to you today? Alternate: How did you learn to pray?

TRANSITION: ”Next we will see more examples of God’s great love for us.”

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THE POINT

A right view of God fuels how we pray.

STUDY THE BIBLE Psalm 103:11-13 10 minutes READ: Read or ask a group member to read Psalm 103:11-13.

Psalm 103:11-13 11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth,

so great is his faithful love toward those who fear him. 12 As far as the east is from the west,

so far has he removed SAY: “God’s love for us knows

our transgressions from us.

no boundaries; when we peer

13 As a father has compassion on his children,

up into space, we’re awestruck

so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him.

by the endless reach of God’s reign. He rules over a kingdom that stretches higher than the best eyes can see, further than the strongest telescopes can penetrate. That’s the impression left on us when we gaze upward toward the heavens. The psalmist used the image of the limitless stretch of God’s reign to describe the reach of His love for His people.”

SUMMARIZE: Refer to Bible Commentary 3 to explain two important certainties of God’s faithful love: • His love or mercy prompted His faithfulness. • His love nourished His kindness.

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Verse 11. We can be certain of our Father’s compassion for us. David underscored that certainty by elaborating on the reach of our Father’s faithful love to His people. When God’s people would look across the landscape, they could see the place in which the sky met the earth. But when they looked up into the sky, they could see no boundaries. Instead, they beheld a remarkably vast display of God’s limitless reach. They could see nothing on the other side of the sky. God’s people today behold the same scene, even though our viewpoint has been sharpened by pictures provided by astronauts and telescopes. When we peer up into space, we’re awestruck by the endless reach of God’s reign. He rules over a kingdom that stretches higher than the best eyes can see, further than the strongest telescopes can penetrate. That’s the impression left on us when we gaze upward toward the heavens. 3 The psalmist used the image of the limitless stretch of God’s reign to describe the reach of His love for His people. In the Old Testament language, the term for God’s faithful love incorporated two important certainties. First, His love or mercy prompted His faithfulness. He would never be fickle in His relationship with the people who followed Him. When He made promises, He kept them faithfully. Second, His love nourished His kindness. He never showed that He lacked kindness when He dealt with His people. On the contrary, He consistently reached down to help them, pick them up, and carry them. Because of these two critical certainties, God’s faithful love or mercy sometimes is also referred to as His lovingkindness. © 2018 LifeWay Christian Resources

Because of our Father’s faithful love, we rejoice that we belong to Him through Christ. In our walk with Him, we fear him. In other words, we recognize His authority over us, and we submit ourselves to Him. But at the same time, we also rejoice over His abiding love for us. 4 Verse 12. When we think about east meeting west, we arrive at only one possible conclusion. It’s something that will never happen. If we travel west in search of an ending point in the east, the journey will never end. The same outcome awaits us if we try to make the journey toward the east in search of the west. The endless dimension suggested by the unlimited distance between east and west offers us an enriching insight into God’s love for us. The insight has to do with our sin. Because we have sinned against God, we have to be accountable for what we have done. God would have been justified if He made us suffer for our sin. But instead of making us suffer, He showed His love for us by taking a completely different approach. He removed our sin and sent it away with no intention of bringing it back into our relationship with Him ever again. Notice that the psalmist referred to our sins as transgressions. The term brings to mind a boundary that we have stepped across illegally. Indeed, all of us have crossed the line and sinned against God. Like a referee who penalizes a player who crosses the line in a football or basketball game, He could have punished us for eternity. Instead, He took our transgressions and sent them on a journey from which they will never return. When we think about what our Father has done with our sin through the crucifixion of Christ, we ought always find ourselves overwhelmed by His love for us. The greatest expression of His faithful love to us can be seen in the cross. What He did for us at Calvary moves us to adore Him even more. It also urges us to come closer to Him and learn more about living in the light of His love.

SUMMARIZE: Refer to Bible Commentary 4 to explain the following: • As far as the east is from the west speaks of an endless dimension or an unlimited distance. • He has removed our sin and taken it away, with no intention of bringing it back ever again. • Transgressions brings to mind a boundary that we have stepped across illegally.

SUMMARIZE: Refer to Bible Commentary 5 on this page and page 94 to show how the psalmist used the image of a father’s love and compassion for his children to demonstrate “the Lord’s compassion” for his people. Make the connection to Matthew 6:9a, addressing God as our Father in Heaven.

5 Verse 13. The psalmist brought into view the clear image of a father and his children. The image helps us to embrace another dimension of God’s compassion for us. Jesus taught us to approach God as our Father when we talk with Him in prayer. The psalm helps us to grasp Jesus’ instruction by comparing God to a father who loves his children compassionately. When we think about God being compassionate, the wonder of His affection for us comes to mind. His heart remains tender toward us, and His attention to us flows from His abiding compassion for us.

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THE POINT

A right view of God fuels how we pray.

DISCUSS: Question #4 (PSG, p. 90): What do the images and descriptions in this passage teach us about God? Alternate: Why do you think people miss the compassion and love of God described in this passage?

TRANSITION: ”Next we will be reminded of God’s eternal rule and our response of praise to Him.”

STUDY THE BIBLE Psalm 103:19-22

Using the image provided in this verse, we can understand better how our Father sees us. In turn, we can take hold of the way we can see ourselves through His eyes. He sees us as His children. When we received Christ, we became members of the family of God. In His family, we live as blessed children. We have the honor of being able to know Him intimately and to have the blessing of His careful watch over us. He will provide what will nourish us so we can grow steadily toward spiritual maturity. Like children, we will stumble and fall. When it happens, we can trust Him to help us up with tenderness and wisdom. A child will make mistakes, and some of them will have far-reaching effects that could be disastrous. Our Father’s tender heart won’t allow Him to give up on us and remove us from His family. Instead, His compassion will prompt Him to reach into our lives to guide us away from destructive thoughts and behaviors. Equally important, He directs us to live out the purpose for which He brought us into the world and redeemed us through Christ. When we pray, we can have confidence the One to whom we pray is a loving and compassionate Father eager to hear from us.

Psalm 103:19-22 19 The Lord has established his throne in heaven,

15 minutes READ: Ask a group member to read Psalm 103:19-22.

and his kingdom rules over all. 20 Bless the Lord,

all his angels of great strength, who do his word, obedient to his command. 21 Bless the Lord, all his armies,

his servants who do his will. 22 Bless the Lord, all his works

in all the places where he rules. My soul, bless the Lord! 94

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Verse 19. Our Father will always be Almighty God. The psalmist showed that we do well to remember God’s majesty as well as His intimacy. David’s psalm challenges us to keep in mind that our compassionate Father cares for us. At the same time, He’s the sovereign Ruler of heaven and earth. In order for us to have a firm grip on God’s reign, David reminded us of the location of His throne. We won’t find it in the temple in Jerusalem or any other place on earth. On the earth, time-bound people live and die. Even powerful rulers have no choice but to live with that fixed reality. Even though their thrones are established within secure palaces encircled by protective walls, they will not be able to avoid death. Indeed, they will die one day, and their kingdoms will come to an end. In stark contrast, our God is not bound by time or any other feature that controls us. His throne exists in heaven, above all limitations. Therefore, He rules without any constraints ever being imposed upon Him, and His kingdom isn’t threatened by life and death. His kingdom will last forever because it’s established in heaven. From there, His authority has an endless reach. 6

Verse 20. After such a proclamation of God’s sovereignty and the limitless reach of His kingdom, the psalmist returned to his call to praise the Lord. Earlier he challenged his soul to praise the Lord. This time, however, he calls on God’s angels to bless Him. The Bible affirms the reality of angels and allows us to understand why the psalmist called on them to bless the Lord. They have a long history of serving the Lord with excellence. Accounts of the ministry of angels have been provided throughout the Old and New Testaments. When we study the accounts, we look with wonder at the work of these special servants of God. And with the psalmist, we acknowledge that they excel in the kind of tremendous strength necessary to carry out God’s commands. With their exceptional strength, they are able to complete the work assigned to them. Although the sheer power they can exert strikes us as remarkable, their absolute willingness to follow the Lord’s leadership stands out as even more striking. They obey Him without fail. For them, His word becomes their command. Listening for His voice, they wait until He gives them an order. Once they hear it, they do not question. They simply execute His order. Accordingly, they welcome the opportunity to praise the Lord. 7

SAY: “The psalmist showed that we do well to remember God’s majesty as well as His intimacy.”

SUMMARIZE: Refer to Bible Commentary 6 to provide further explanation to verse 19: • God’s throne is in heaven. • God’s kingdom rules over all. • God’s kingdom is eternal.

SUMMARIZE: Refer to Bible Commentary 7 on this page and page 96 to explain the resounding call for all created beings to bless the Lord: • The Lord’s angels (v. 20). • The Lord’s armies (v. 21). • All His works in all places where He rules (v. 22).

OPTIONAL ACTIVITY: Divide into groups of 3-4 and discuss the following: • How does prayer fit into your daily life? • What about praying seems challenging to you? • Why is praising God such a difficult aspect of prayer?

Verse 21. When the psalmist turned his attention to the Lord’s armies, he had in mind a group of heavenly

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THE POINT

A right view of God fuels how we pray.

DISCUSS: Question #5 (PSG, p. 92): How does placing our focus on God enhance our prayer life? Alternate: How can you “bless the Lord” for all He does for you?

DO: Encourage group members to take a few minutes to evaluate their responses to God as Father, by completing the activity titled “Father” on PSG page 92. Share responses with the group.

messengers that have also been called by another name. The term “hosts” has also been used to describe this apparently large gathering of angelic servants. Indeed, the sheer number of them obviously made them appear to be like an army. The Scriptures provide us with a few vivid examples of the Lord’s armies. In the Old Testament, the prophet Micaiah spoke to the king of Israel. In his prophecy, he described a vision in which he saw the Lord seated on His throne and surrounded by His heavenly host (2 Chron. 18:18). The most well-known New Testament example can be found in the account of Jesus’ birth (Luke 2:13). According to the account, the heavenly host appeared in the night sky and glorified God once the angel had announced to the shepherds that Jesus had been born in Bethlehem. Like God’s angels, His heavenly armies devote themselves to doing whatever the Lord wants. In keeping with their role in God’s eternal kingdom, the psalmist called on them to bless Him. Verse 22. The clearest testimonies of Almighty God’s sovereign reign come from what He has already done. His works among His people send a distinct signal to the entire world about His overwhelming and fearsome power. Old Testament accounts of creation, the flood, the miracles in Egypt, the parting of the Red Sea, the fall of Jericho, the rise of the kingdom of Israel, the exile to Babylon, and the return of God’s people to Jerusalem only scratch the surface of the works of His hand that bear witness to His boundless authority. Of course, the New Testament accounts of the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus speak volumes about the ceaseless and infinite power of God. Indeed, He rules completely, and His kingdom will last for eternity. In response to the psalmist’s reflection on God’s angels, armies, and works, he stepped back and took another long look into his soul. Then he uttered the same command that he gave himself at the outset of this psalm. Bless the Lord! We join him by praising God because He’s our Father.

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LIVE IT OUT Since powerful and consistent prayer life has to begin somewhere, shouldn’t we begin where Jesus began? All true prayer is a loving response to our Father in heaven. Use one or more of these ideas to deepen your prayer life this week.

>> Focus on the Father. Consider the traits of God as

our perfect Father. As you begin each day with prayer, focus on those traits and thank God for being your heavenly Father.

>> Humble yourself. Reflect on the holiness and

greatness of God. Humble yourself before Him and acknowledge that He is the Lord who is all-powerful and capable of handling what you bring to Him.

LIVE IT OUT 5 minutes GUIDE: Emphasize The Point: A right view of God fuels how we pray.

REVIEW: Review Live It Out (PSG, p. 93); (see text to the left). Encourage each group member to follow through this week with at least one of the applications.

>> Pray together. Tell another Christian what you’ve

learned or are practicing in your prayer life as a result of this study. Challenge them to do the same. Pray with the person.

WRAP IT UP GUIDE: Remind group members to take time to focus on God and praise Him in their prayer time this week.

PRAY: ”Father, we praise and glorify Your great name. We love You and are so grateful for Your many blessings to us.”

Free additional ideas for your group are available at BibleStudiesforLife.com/AdultExtra

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THE CHURCHES’ USE OF THE LORD’S PRAYER In his treatise “On Prayer,” the early Christian writer Tertullian called the Lord’s Prayer “a new form of prayer.” 1 According to Tertullian, Christ had passed on to the church a prayer that was uniquely Christian. This prayer appears in two Gospels (Matt. 6:9‑13 and Luke 11:2‑4) with the version in Matthew being the more lengthy and complete. The slight variations in the versions are probably due to the disciples hearing Jesus utter the prayer with these differences on separate occasions. Christ likely repeated many of His teachings during His ministry. Tertullian is correct that this prayer has a uniquely Christian tone although Christ borrowed from the prayer life of Judaism. Jesus’ simple prayer became foundational for the prayer life of the early church and for all the succeeding generations of Christians. Today, you will find the Lord’s Prayer being sung in weddings, recited by congregations 98

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A stone relief depicts the Lord’s Supper. The period is not identified, however the arches in the relief appear to be Byzantine in style. Augustine thought the recitation of the Lord’s Prayer should be part of the Lord’s Supper celebration.

ILLUSTRATOR PHOTO/ KEN TOUCHTON/ ISRAEL MUSEUM/ JERUSALEM (3/9/16)

BY TIMOTHY N. BOYD

in worship, preached in numerous sermons, and analyzed in various articles and books. It is the best-known prayer in Christianity. Not only has this prayer become the most widely known, but it has also been used numerous ways throughout church history. While detailing all of those usages would be impossible in this article, we can summarize some of the main ways that believers have used the prayer.

ILLUSTRATOR PHOTO/ LOUISE KOHL SMITH (32/5/5)

A Personal Prayer Initially, it was a simple daily prayer, which believers repeated for their own benefit and for the benefit of the church community at large. The Didache (an early Christian writing for instructing believers) quotes the Lord’s Prayer and instructs believers to pray this prayer three times a day. Obviously, early Christians saw great value in the personal repetition of the prayer. 2 Tertullian, in the writing mentioned above, challenged all believers to use the Lord’s Prayer. Cyprian, a third-century martyr, also wrote a treatise that focused on this prayer. He is believed to be the first to call it the “Lord’s Prayer.” 3 He borrowed from Tertullian, and his treatise paralleled the method of that writer. Both Tertullian and Cyprian echo the Didache in recommending that believers should offer the prayer at least three times a day. Origen, who was a Christian leader in Alexandria, Egypt, also wrote an exposition of the Lord’s Prayer. Like Tertullian and Cyprian, he saw the prayer as a vital part of the life of a believer. 4 After Constantine legalized Christianity with the Edict of Milan in AD 313, people continued to recommend the prayer for daily usage. Augustine of Hippo (354–430), writing to a woman named Proba, said, “If we pray rightly, and as becomes our wants, we say nothing but what is already contained in the Lord’s Prayer.” 5 John Calvin (1509–1564) said of the prayer, “[Christ] puts words into our lips, and thus relieves our minds of all hesitation.” 6 John Wesley (1703-1791), founder of Methodism, said of this prayer, “It contains all we can reasonably or innocently pray for. There is nothing which we have need to ask of God, nothing which we can ask without offending him, which is not included, either directly or indirectly, in this comprehensive form.” 7

Cloister at the Church of the Paternoster (Latin for “Our Father) in Jerusalem has over 60 tile plaques inscribed with the Lord’s Prayer, each in a different language.

E. M. Bounds (1835–1913), a popular writer on prayer, said the prayer is “the universal prayer, because it is peculiarly adapted to all men everywhere in all circumstances in all times of need. It can be put in the mouths of all people in all nations, and in all times.”8 Contemporary scholar R. T. Kendall said, “The Lord’s Prayer is verbally inspired by the Holy Spirit and therefore perfectly worded. … It cannot be stressed too much that Jesus Himself is the formulator of it—every single word—and if you want to know at least once that you prayed in God’s will, the Lord’s Prayer is for you.” 9

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Another way the church has used the prayer has been in the liturgy (meaning standardized worship service) of the church. The emphasis in the Didache on the repetition of the prayer a specified number of times each day opened the door for the liturgical use of the prayer. Tertullian and Cyprian, while recommending the prayer for a believer’s personal use, also began to associate it with the rites of the church (baptism and the Lord’s Supper). Augustine, in the same vein, associated the petition in the prayer for daily bread with celebrating the Lord’s Supper. Augustine also associated the prayer with the rite of baptism and encouraged the candidates to understand the necessity of forgiving others in order to receive forgiveness. 10 Pope Gregory I (the Great; lived 540–604) set the liturgical pattern for the Roman Catholic Church by standardizing where the prayer was to be placed in the saying of the Mass. He also added to the ritualistic nature of the usage of the prayer by insisting that only the priest would repeat the prayer, not the congregation. 11

The ruins of the church at ancient Hippo, including the baptistry. In AD 391, the church at Hippo ordained Augustine into the priesthood. Augustine, who lived A.D. 354–430, served this church in the town of Hippo (now called Annaba, in Algeria, north Africa).

Although his actions brought about the Reformation, Martin Luther continued use the Lord’s Prayer when the church observed the Lord’s Supper or baptized someone. 12 Another reformer, John Calvin, in both his Strasbourg and Geneva liturgies, included the prayer as a part of the service of the Lord’s Supper. 13 In the mid1500s, the Church of England standardized Anglican worship by establishing The Book of Common Prayer, which included the Lord’s Prayer as a part of the liturgy as well. 14 Later Wesley and the Methodists incorporated the prayer as a standard part of Methodist worship. 15 These liturgical uses of the Lord’s Prayer continue to the present day. You will also find Baptists and others reciting the Lord’s Prayer during their worship services although such usage is not necessarily part of a formal or set liturgy.

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A Church Prayer

A Teaching Prayer Another use of the prayer in church history is as a teaching tool for the practice of prayer. In their writings Tertullian, Cyprian, and Origen included detailed expositions of the Lord’s Prayer, which in essence used it to teach the practice of prayer. Augustine also wrote of the prayer, “Ye have not first learnt the Lord’s Prayer, and after that the Creed; but first the Creed, where ye might know what to believe, and afterwards the Prayer, where ye might know whom to call upon.” 16 Augustine then gave a detailed interpretation of Jesus’ words to teach his hearers the meaning of prayer.

Jesus Himself is the formulator of it … and if you want to know at least once that you prayed in God’s will, the Lord’s Prayer is for you.—R. T. Kendall Calvin also used the Lord’s Prayer as a teaching tool. In one of his writings, the Institutes, he devoted a large section to a thorough exposition of this prayer. 17 Wesley saw in the prayer a pattern of every topic worthy of prayer. 18 R. C. Sproul, a contemporary writer, has written that in this prayer, “Jesus was providing us with an outline of priorities or those things that ought to be priorities in our prayer life.” 19 Another contemporary Christian scholar, J. I. Packer, wrote, “The Lord’s Prayer should be put to service to direct and spur on our praying constantly. To pray in terms of it is the sure way to keep our prayers within God’s will.” 20 This brief survey shows that the Lord’s Prayer has enriched personal devotion, deepened Christian worship, and provided ample instruction to believers in the practice of prayer. It is indeed the greatest of prayers. I

1. Tertullian, “On Prayer” in Ante-Nicene Fathers, ed. Alexander Roberts and James Donaldson, vol. 3 (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1994), 681. 2. Didache 8. 3. Cyprian, The Lord’s Prayer. 4. Origen, On Prayer 12. 5. Augustine, “To Proba,” Letter 53 in Letters of St. Augustine in Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, First Series, ed. Philip Schaff, vol. 1 (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1994), 466. 6. John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, trans. Henry Beveridge, vol. 2 (Edinburgh: T&T Clark, 1863), 3.20.34 (p. 183). 7. John Wesley, “Sermon 26: ‘Upon Our Lord’s Sermon on the Mount,’ ” Global Ministries [online; accessed 7 February 2012]. new.gbgmumc.org/umhistory/wesley/sermons/26/. 8. E. M. Bounds, E. M. Bounds On Prayer (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 2006), 85. 9. R. T. Kendall, The Lord’s Prayer (Grand Rapids: Chosen, 2010), 29. 10. Kenneth W. Stevenson, The Lord’s Prayer: A Text in Tradition (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2004), 79, 82-83. 11. Gregory the Great, Epistle 12: To John, Bishop of Syracuse. 12. Stevenson, The Lord’s Prayer, 161–62. 13. John T. Dyck, “Calvin and Worship,” WRS Journal 16, no. 1 (February 2009): 33–40. See chart. 14. “The Supper of the Lord and Holy Communion, Commonly Called the Mass,” Virginia Theological Seminary, virginia.edu. anglican.org/logue/bcp-1549.htm. 15. “To Remember and Celebrate,” GeneralCommission on Archives & History. www.gcah.org/atf/cf/%7B9FFCD624-0CB24EB6-9D68-68E9775A36DA%7D/To%20Remember%20and%20Celebrate.pdf. 16. Augustin, Sermon VI in Sermons on Selected Lessons of the New Testament in Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, First Series, ed. Philip Schaff, vol. 6 (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1994), 274. 17. John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, 3.20.34–49. 18. John Wesley, “Sermon 26: ‘Upon Our Lord’s Sermon on the Mount,’ ” Global Ministries [online; accessed 7 February 2012]. new.gbgm-umc.org/umhistory/wesley/sermons/26/. 19. R. C. Sproul, Following Christ (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House, 1991), 127. 20. J. I. Packer, Growing in Christ (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 1994), 157.

© 2018 LifeWay Christian Resources

This article by Timothy N. Boyd originally appeared in the Fall 2012 issue of Biblical Illustrator magazine. Each quarter Biblical Illustrator offers in-depth articles and information that support our weekly Bible study lessons. You can subscribe to Biblical Illustrator by going to www.lifeway. com/biblicalillustrator, by using your church’s quarterly literature order form, or by calling 1-800-458-2772.

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