Truth Archive

In this prayer Jesus gave to His disciples there are two sets of three things: (Matthew 6:9-13)
Hallowed be thy NAME
Thy KINGDOM come
thy WILL be done

The second set of three:
GIVE us…
FORGIVE us…
LEAD us…
This is a beautiful pattern regarding prayer. What was the first thing Jesus wanted them to think about when they were praying to their Father in heaven?

‘Hallowed be thy name.’

I believe that is what God has given us here on this earth, quite a thing about our name. It is quite a thing for our parents to have the liberty to give us our name and we children have no choice in the matter. You have to correct people and make sure your name is spelt correctly and make sure it is correct on passports and paperwork. God wants His name because He has a wonderful spirit, a wonderful power and He doesn’t want anything with Him to be lessened, to be brought down to earth. He wants everything with His name and He is Holy, He is pure and He is eternal, He doesn’t want anything connected with His name to be brought down to an earthly level.
In the Old Testament, [we read] time and time again that God’s name should be honoured and that His people should bring honour and glory to His name. We can understand that with families. None of us like to have a bad family name. Everyone likes to have a good name and reputation. That is why parents tell their children to conduct themselves at school so they can be proud to be part of our family. That is teaching us about God. God has a family name and He wants His name to be hallowed. And He is totally worthy of it. We can never praise His name and honour His name enough because He is worthy of it.
Sometimes people ask what is the name of your church and what is the name of your religion? We don’t have a denominational church name, and another thing we don’t have is church property. There are convention grounds and they are privately owned and the homes where the fellowship meetings are. All are privately owned and there is no need for a church name. The beautiful thing about God’s kingdom, is it is not an earthly kingdom, but a heavenly kingdom; so we don’t need to have an earthly name for our earthly cooperation. It is not a corporation. When people ask us what is the name of our church we know why: God is wanting people who would only honour and respect His Holy name.
If you have a church corporation what happens? Oh, that is a Catholic Church or Uniting Church so the praise goes to the Catholic Church and the Uniting Church organization. There is no praise or honour going to God’s hallowed name. It is so wonderful that God’s people only have His Holy name. And what does it say about Jesus? God gave Him a name above every name. That is what the Father did for His Son. So we by lip and life say, “Hallowed be thy name”.
‘Thy Kingdom Come’: God’s family is not a democracy. Some of God’s servants have had the privilege of living in a country that is not democratic and you begin to realise this is very different how these people think and function. God’s kingdom is not a democracy. God is King of His kingdom and when you have a King that totally loves everything about His Kingdom, and the citizens of the Kingdom such that He is willing to give His only Son for the salvation of the Kingdom and for the citizens of the Kingdom, you realise you are part of the most wonderful Kingdom that can ever exist. Not an earthly government, but an eternal Kingdom. God’s kingdom has a perfect rule. That is why there is total peace, and there is peace in heaven. What God wants in His Kingdom and in His church where He rules is His peace.
‘Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven’: thy name, thy Kingdom and thy will. Jesus is saying to His disciples here, You know how God’s will is in heaven; pray that it is the same here on earth.

In the world there are law buildings and they are supposed to be about truth. We are so grateful when it comes to the truth that what will reign is the will of God. That is what Jesus is saying here, thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven. The will of God will always be accomplished in heaven and that is what God wants on earth. The place where that happens is this little bit of earth, our bodies.
The next set of three is what Jesus said in verse 11: “give us,” “forgive us” and “lead us”. What is Jesus telling His disciples? He wanted them to draw near to their Father in heaven, totally giving themselves to His name, His kingdom and His will. Then there is the “us”. It is wonderful when we go before the Father of heaven that we can plead and beg ‘give us’, even me. Give us bread from above for our hunger.
Luke 15:17 And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!

19 And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants.

20 And HE AROSE, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.
This is all about us living on a higher level, our Father’s house!
‘He arose’: when this young man came to the place where he said ‘give us’ he then went home to his Father’s higher level and atmosphere. That prodigal son was living on the level of the pigs. He had a great need and felt his need of getting into the presence of his Father, being on a higher level. The strong emotion he felt was to get back to a higher level, his father’s house. This was totally a different level than he was at, feeding with the pigs! It is wonderful when we come to our Father and say, “Give us this day our daily bread”.
Mark 5:2-13 Legion, a man with an unclean spirit, dwelling among the tombs, knew no restraint, but when he saw Jesus he ran to Him, to a higher level and worshipped Him addressing Him and praying to Him as the Son of the most high God. He was taken to a higher level. That is what we want when we pray! The religious people of the city prayed also, but it took them to a lower level, asking Jesus to depart (verse 17).
Matthew 6:12-13 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
‘forgive us our debts’: Forgive us our debts, our failings and shortcoming and then lead us.

This is a beautiful pattern. Jesus said PRAY AFTER THIS MANNER. We have our Father and this helps bring us all to the same place and unites us. God unites His people on a higher level through prayer.
When we come to love God’s name we have a respect and a gratitude and then we can see God so much more clearly and it generates a gratefulness and a thankfulness to be a part of Him and His on this higher level. This enables us to come into His Holy presence and be part of His Kingdom so His will can be done in our little piece of earth as it is done in heaven. We then can plead for Him to give us bread and forgive us for failings and to lead us. In the place of prayer we can rise to His level and truly our Father’s name will be honoured.
Vain Repetitions
Matthew 6:7 But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.
Tracy Staples [a sister worker in Saskatchewan, Canada] spoke on the Lord’s Prayer being repeated daily by millions who have not the slightest intention of letting anyone’s will be done but their own. They use the request to be led of God, but not one thought of being led by God for that day, not even one day. We need to be led of God to a higher level in every thought we think and choice we make for this day and every day following.
It is wonderful when we can’t find words to express ourselves and we take His words and make them truly the expression of our heart. Paul could write to the Ephesians of being no longer foreigners or aliens, but citizens in the household or kingdom of God. Jesus spoke so much of the Kingdom of God and was continually inviting people in. What an invitation to a higher level!