1. Let’s Review… Prayer is… A partnership with God
Working with God to accomplish His purposes
Established by God as a law of the universe

2. Let’s Review… Prayer requires Prayer is essential for
Biblical knowledge
Persevering faith
Prayer is essential for
Ministry effort
Social justice

3. Let’s Review… Prayer must be thoughtful Prayer must be mindful
God the Father
God’s work
God’s will

4. So…how do we pray?

5. Matthew 6:9-13 “Pray, then, in this way: ‘Our Father who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. ‘Your kingdom come. Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven.

6. Give us this day our daily bread
Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.

7. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil
And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. [For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.]’”
New American Standard Bible : 1995 Update. LaHabra, CA : The Lockman Foundation, 1995

8. First, we must un-learn Prayer is commanded
The command to pray is loving
The command to pray is gracious

9. An inward look We have needs! Necessities God’s will God’s kingdom
Our role with Him

10. Do not miss the connection between King and Kingdom and the need for provisions…

11. A good King with a good kingdom lovingly and graciously provides for His subjects

12. An inward look “Give us…” – to grant or bestow The great qualifier
Humble dependence

13. Provision and Sustenance
“…our daily bread…”
Looks back to the wilderness (Exodus 16)
Not exclusively food
Matthew 4:4
John 6:32-35
Focus on “today”

14. Provision and Sustenance
“…and…and…”
Forgiveness and reconciliation
Protection from sin

15. The prayer is for the “…day’s provision of life’s essentials as they recognize that all sustenance for one’s life comes from God…

16. …He makes no long-term future guarantees…the prayer makes request for our needs and not our greed.” (Blomberg, pp )

17. Provision and Sustenance
“But what about…?!”
Must think eternally
Sometimes physical is withheld
But spiritual is given
So spiritual will be sought

18. Peace and Security “…forgive us…as we…”
Temporal intimacy not eternal security
Never separate the vertical from the horizontal (1 Peter 1:22)

19. There can never be practical intimacy with God if we withhold forgiveness from others.

20. Peace and Security We need the daily provision of forgiveness
We need the daily provision of being able to extend forgiveness

21. Protection and Survival
“…do not lead…but deliver…”
Notice the difficulty
James 1:2-3
James 1:13

22. Protection and Survival
It’s a recognition and an admission
We are unable to overcome on our own
We are unable to anticipate on our own
Remember Lot (2 Peter 2:4-10)

23. “This petition is another plea for God to provide what we in ourselves do not have…

24. It is an appeal to God to place a watch over our eyes, our ears, our mouth, our feet, and our hands…and in anything we do, He will protect us from sin.” (MacArthur, pg. 396)

25. Let’s Pray…
Think eternally
Think daily
Think humbly