How to Invigorate Your Prayer Life: A Bite Sized Bible Study, Part 2

 

If you are looking for a way to grow closer to God in prayer, another way to do so is to pray the Lord's Prayer.  This is similar to the first suggestion of praying God's Word back to Him, but on an even greater level.  

I love how Jesus tells the disciples to go to their "inner room" when they pray.  You look inward, in a private moment between you and God sharing your heart.  Speaking to God in your heart is at the center of all prayer. 

Matthew 6:9-13: New International Version

9 “This, then, is how you should pray:

“‘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 today our daily bread.

12 And forgive us our debts,

    as we also have forgiven our debtors.

13 And lead us not into temptation,[a]

    but deliver us from the evil one.[b]’

While researching this, I found that many people are very loyal to their  version of the prayer.  Especially those of us who learned it as a young child from their parent or grandparent.  I remember my grandmother teaching me The Lord's Prayer, so it has always been extra special to me.

Let's break it down just a little bit. 

 The biggest difference between translations lies at the very end of the prayer.  The KJV version includes "For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen." The commonly used NIV and ESV Bibles do not.  I, myself, complete the prayer with this line as this is how my grandmother taught it to me! This was NOT in the original, most reliable, Greek editions.  It was later added; however, since it is theologically correct, it still remains in some editions. 

Another area of contention lies around line 12.  We have: 

Forgive us our debts (NIK, NKJV, ESV) 

Forgive us our sins (NLT) 

Forgive us our trespasses (NMB) 

The Greek word used here is: ὀφειλέτης opheiletēs: which means: debtor, one who owes, is obligated, guilty:– obligated (2), debtors (1), guilty (1), obligation (1), owe 

ὀφειλέτης

In doing a little research of The Lord's Prayer, using the many resources on Bible Gateway, I read that Jesus taught this prayer as an example to follow.  He was asking his disciples to share IN HIS PRAYER LIFE.  

The prayer has a beginning invocation and six petitions that give proper priorities for prayer. 

The first petition is God's name. His name signifies his purpose. God is holy, therefore we use the word "hallow", which means consecrate or make holy. God comes first. 

Our daily bread - not only is this food, but all of our daily needs.  We are asking God - give us this day everything we need. Being fully reliant on Him. 

Forgive us our debts is a prayer for the restoration of personal fellowship with God following sin

Lead us not into temptation - is asking for us to be spared circumstances that would tempt us to sin

So, if you are looking to go into your heart with our Holy, Hallowed God - follow Jesus' advice and give the Lord's Prayer a try.