THE PERFECT PRAYER

FIRST PETITION

HALLOWED BE YOUR NAME. / HALLOWED BE THY NAME. WHAT DOES THIS MEAN? GOD’S NAME IS CERTAINLY HOLY BY ITSELF, BUT WE PRAY IN THIS PETITION THAT WE TOO MAY KEEP IT HOLY. HOW IS GOD’S NAME KEPT HOLY? GOD’S NAME IS KEPT HOLY WHEN HIS WORD IS TAUGHT IN ITS TRUTH AND PURITY AND WE AS CHILDREN OF GOD LEAD HOLY LIVES ACCORDING TO IT. HELP US TO DO THIS, DEAR FATHER IN HEAVEN! BUT WHOEVER TEACHES AND LIVES CONTRARY TO GOD’S WORD DISHONORS GOD’S NAME AMONG US. KEEP US FROM DOING THIS, DEAR FATHER IN HEAVEN!

GETTING INTO THE PRAYER NOTE: GOD’S NAME IS ALREADY HOLY. HE WANTS US TO KEEP HIS NAME HOLY BY OUR REVERENCE, ADORATION, AND PRAISE.

GETTING INTO THE PRAYER WITH THE FIRST PETITION, JESUS TEACHES US TO PRAY THAT WE MIGHT KEEP GOD’S NAME HOLY. GOD’S NAME IS HIS TITLES. LIST EIGHT DIFFERENT TITLES THAT GOD USES FOR HIMSELF IN THE BIBLE. SHARE THE SIGNIFICANCE OR MEANING OF EACH OF THESE TITLES. GOD (GE 1) = POWER; LORD (EX 34:5-7) = FAITHFUL; LORD ALMIGHTY (GE 17:1) = POWERFUL; FATHER (1 JN 3:1) = KIND, PROTECTOR; ANCIENT OF DAYS (DAN 7:9) = ETERNAL; LIVING GOD (PS 84:2) = ONLY GOD WHO IS ALIVE AND REAL; ROCK (PS 19:14) = STRONG; REFUGE (PS 46:1) = SAFE PLACE

GETTING INTO THE PRAYER GOD’S NAME IS ALSO HIS REPUTATION—EVERYTHING THAT HE HAS REVEALED TO US ABOUT HIMSELF ON THE PAGES OF SCRIPTURE. WHAT DOES THE FOLLOWING PASSAGE TELL US ABOUT GOD? “THE LORD... PROCLAIMED HIS NAME,... ‘THE LORD, THE LORD, THE COMPASSIONATE AND GRACIOUS GOD, SLOW TO ANGER, ABOUNDING IN LOVE AND FAITHFULNESS, MAINTAINING LOVE TO THOUSANDS, AND FORGIVING WICKEDNESS, REBELLION, AND SIN. YET HE DOES NOT LEAVE THE GUILTY UNPUNISHED; HE PUNISHES THE CHILDREN AND THEIR CHILDREN FOR THE SIN OF THE FATHERS TO THE THIRD AND FOURTH GENERATION’” (EXODUS 34:5-7).

GETTING INTO THE PRAYER GOD’S NAME IS ALSO HIS REPUTATION—EVERYTHING THAT HE HAS REVEALED TO US ABOUT HIMSELF ON THE PAGES OF SCRIPTURE. WHAT DOES THE FOLLOWING PASSAGE TELL US ABOUT GOD? “THE LORD... PROCLAIMED HIS NAME,... ‘THE LORD, THE LORD, THE COMPASSIONATE AND GRACIOUS GOD, SLOW TO ANGER, ABOUNDING IN LOVE AND FAITHFULNESS, MAINTAINING LOVE TO THOUSANDS, AND FORGIVING WICKEDNESS, REBELLION, AND SIN. YET HE DOES NOT LEAVE THE GUILTY UNPUNISHED; HE PUNISHES THE CHILDREN AND THEIR CHILDREN FOR THE SIN OF THE FATHERS TO THE THIRD AND FOURTH GENERATION’” (EXODUS 34:5-7). COMPASSIONATE, GRACIOUS, SLOW TO ANGER, ABOUNDING IN LOVE AND FAITHFULNESS, MAINTAINING LOVE, FORGIVING, DOES NOT LEAVE THE GUILTY UNPUNISHED

GETTING INTO THE PRAYER MARTIN LUTHER REMINDS US THAT GOD’S NAME IS KEPT HOLY WHEN WE TEACH GOD’S WORD IN ITS TRUTH AND PURITY AND WHEN WE LIVE OUR LIVES ACCORDING TO THAT WORD. EXPLAIN HOW THESE TWO THINGS WILL SERVE TO HONOR GOD AND KEEP HIS NAME HOLY. IT IS CALLED GOD’S WORD, SO IT MUST NOT BE MIXED WITH ANYONE’S WORD, BUT KEPT PURE AND TRUE. WE ARE HIS CHILDREN, WE SHOULD LIVE LIKE IT, ACCORDING TO THIS WORD.

GETTING INTO THE PRAYER MARTIN LUTHER ALSO REMINDS US THAT GOD’S NAME IS DISHONORED WHEN ANYONE TEACHES AND LIVES CONTRARY TO HIS WORD. EXPLAIN HOW TEACHING AND LIVING CONTRARY TO GOD’S WORD SERVE TO DISHONOR GOD AND HIS NAME. GIVE EXAMPLES. CAN IT BE CALLED GOD’S WORD, IF SOMEONE TEACHES THEIR OWN WORD UNDER THAT NAME? CAN WE BE CALLED GOD’S CHILDREN, IF WE DO NOT LIVE LIKE IT?

GETTING INTO THE PRAYER HOW DID KING DAVID’S SINS OF ADULTERY AND MURDER SERVE TO DISHONOR GOD’S NAME? (2 SAMUEL 11) HE WAS GOD’S CHOSEN KING, GOD’S REPRESENTATIVE, AND GOD’S CHILD; AND HE STILL COMMITTED ADULTERY AND HAD A MAN KILLED TO TRY AND COVER IT UP.

GETTING INTO THE PRAYER AGREE OR DISAGREE: IF A CHURCH TEACHES THAT JESUS CHRIST IS THE SAVIOR, WE SHOULD NOT BE OVERLY CONCERNED IF THAT CHURCH ALSO HARBORS FALSE DOCTRINE. DISAGREE: UNLESS WE KEEP ALL OF GOD’S WORD, WE ARE DISHONORING IT AND GOD HIMSELF.

GETTING INTO THE PRAYER REACT: ONE OF THE MOST OFTEN-STATED REASONS UNCHURCHED PEOPLE GIVE FOR STAYING AWAY FROM THE CHURCH IS BECAUSE THEY SEE ALL THE HYPOCRITES IN THE CHURCH. HYPOCRITES DO DISHONOR GOD’S WORD AND GOD HIMSELF. BUT ALSO HYPOCRITES ARE EVERYWHERE, NOT JUST IN CHURCH. DO PEOPLE STAY AWAY FROM EVERYWHERE ELSE TOO?

GETTING INTO THE PRAYER WHAT IS THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE FIRST PETITION AND THE SECOND COMMANDMENT? BETWEEN THE FIRST PETITION AND THE THIRD COMMANDMENT? SECOND: YOU SHALL NOT MISUSE THE NAME OF THE LORD YOUR GOD. BOTH PROTECTS GOD’S HONOR. THIRD: REMEMBER THE SABBATH DAY BY KEEPING IT HOLY. BOTH PROTECTS GOD’S WORD.

LUTHER SAID: “JUST AS IT A SHAME AND A DISGRACE TO AN EARTHLY FATHER TO HAVE A BAD, UNRULY CHILD WHO ANTAGONIZES HIM IN WORD AND DEED, WITH THE RESULT THAT ON HIS ACCOUNT THE FATHER ENDS UP SUFFERING SCORN AND REPROACH, SO GOD IS DISHONORED IF WE WHO ARE CALLED BY HIS NAME AND ENJOY HIS MANIFOLD BLESSINGS FAIL TO TEACH, SPEAK, AND LIVE AS UPRIGHT AND HEAVENLY CHILDREN, WITH THE RESULT THAT HE MUST HEAR US CALLED NOT CHILDREN OF GOD BUT CHILDREN OF THE DEVIL” (KOLB- WENGERT, P. 445, PARA. 44).

EXPANDED PARAPHRASE “LEAD US TO HONOR YOUR HOLY NAME WITH GODLY LIVES AND FAITHFUL TESTIMONY TO YOUR WORD. RESTRAIN THE SCOFFERS AND FALSE TEACHERS WHO FIND FAULT WITH YOUR NAME. OVERCOME OUR DOUBTS, AND FINALLY VINDICATE YOUR HOLINESS AT THE END OF TIME BY REVEALING YOURSELF FULLY” (JOEL FREDRICH, “LORD’S PRAYER,” P. 11).

CLOSING PRAYER LORD, WE’RE ASHAMED OF THE DISHONOR WE’VE BROUGHT ON YOU AND YOUR NAME BY THE WAY WE’VE LIVED OUR LIVES. FORGIVE US FOR JESUS’ SAKE. EMPOWER US DAILY TO FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT, TO LET OUR LIGHT SHINE BEFORE OTHERS, TO SHARE THE MESSAGE OF YOUR WORD IN ITS TRUTH AND PURITY, AND THUS TO GLORIFY YOUR NAME. AMEN.