The Lord's Prayer

In these verses are contained Lesson 1 in Christ’s school of prayer. There are two things I would like to focus on that we should incorporate into all of our prayers.

First, prayer is not about us, it’s about God. We are approaching the Creator of the universe. We don’t pray in such a way as to bring attention to ourselves. Notice the contrast in the context between the hypocritical prayers in public of people who gain personal reward in their prayers of personal conceit, and the way Christ teaches us to go into our private room. Location is less important than the privacy allowing for intimacy. (By the way, I highly recommend the movie War Room. It wonderfully unfolds the power of this truth).

This Christ-prayer―better known as The Lord’s Prayer and often referred to as The Disciples Prayer[i]― is the way he himself prayed and if we pray his way, it will radically change our lives as we focus first of God’s awesomeness, majesty and uniqueness as God our Creator.

The second thing is intimacy. The word “Father” is based on the Semitic term “Abba.” It is not exactly the equivalent of “daddy,” as some suggest, but it is an intimate term reflecting a close familial relationship.[ii] It also follows that in order to have intimacy with God, we must pray regularly in private, as Christ teaches in these verses.

Let me encourage you to learn the other principles in this prayer by close study and meditation, but the beginning point is focusing on our wonderful God as we seek him in intimate prayer.

Intimacy with God is where our strength in him is found.

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5 “And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 6 But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

7 “And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.9 Pray then like this:

“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 this day our daily bread, 12 and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

Matthew 5:5–13 ESV

©2018 by Ben Bounds. All rights reserved.

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[i] See translators’ note 12, NET Bible on this.

[ii] See translators’ notes 12 and 13, NET Bible on these verses.

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We can come to know Christ through confession of our sins and repentance (turning away from sin). Let me encourage you to do this by talking to God through prayer. Here is an idea of how you might do that:

"Dear God, I believe your son Jesus Christ died in my place on the cross and rose from the dead on the third day following his death. I confess my sins, all of them, to you now with a humble heart. I repent of those sins and ask you to empower me with your Holy Spirit in overcoming further sin. Amen”

If you prayed this or a similar prayer committing your life to Christ and becoming one of his followers, let me encourage you to find a good, Bible-believing church. If you live in the Weslaco/Rio Grand Valley area of Texas, let me invite you to the church I attend, Mid-Valley Assembly (www.midvalleyassembly.com).

Begin talking to God in prayer and reading the Bible daily. A good way to begin to read the Bible is to start with the Book of John in the New Testament.

Feel very free in connecting with me if you need any further help in your walk with the Lord Jesus Christ. You can do this via the above email or facebook page or this web page.

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Mercy Road Ministries was founded and now led by Ben Bounds. Ben has pastored churches across Texas for over thirty years and is an ordained minister with the Christian and Missionary Alliance (C&MA). He holds a BA in Pastoral Ministry and Biblical Studies from Southwestern Assemblies of God College and did graduate theological studies at the BMA Theological Seminary.

Ben's first book, The Divine Chase: Responding to a Pursuing God, was released on 12.08.2017 through Westbow Press, a division of Thomas Nelson and Zondervan. It is available in paperback and hardback through your preferred bookseller (Mardels, Barnes and Noble, etc.) and paperback, hardback as well as ebook through online book retailers (www.christianbook.com, www.cokesbury.com, www.amazon.com, www.booksamillion.com, www.barnesandnoble.com, etc.).

Ben is the host of Staying in Bounds, an on-air Bible devotional broadcast multiple times daily on KWJV 103.7 FM Weslaco, TX which can also be heard worldwide online at www.kwjvthestar.com.

Ben and his wife, Linda, together have four adult children and nine grandchildren. They live in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas.

Ben can be contacted for preaching engagements at benbounds695@gmail.com or 903.441.3279. Ben can also be contacted via his website @ www.benbounds.com, which is also his blog and contains more information about his ministry.

Follow Ben @ https://www.facebook.com/mercyroadministries/ and this website www.benbounds.com.

©2022 by Ben Bounds. All rights reserved.