Page 16 - Florida Sentinel 2-14-20

Kingdom-Seeking Prayer MATTHEW 6:9-15 (KJV)
Scriptures
Matthew 6:9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
10 Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our daily bread.
12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
13 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.
14 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:
15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, nei- ther will your Father for- give your trespasses.
In verses 9 through 14, Jesus tells the disciples how
they should pray in a model prayer that we commonly call the Lord’s Prayer. While it is an excellent prayer, used pub- licly for various reasons, it was not given just for us to memo- rize and recite. It was not in- tended to replace the corporate prayer in the syna- gogue, but to give His disciples (and us) a model for their own private prayer time.
Although it is short, it is a powerful model for the way that we should pray in our own prayer closets. This prayer for- mat begins with words of wor- ship, expresses a desire for God’s will to be done, thanks, God for supplying one’s phys- ical needs, and asks forgive- ness for sins and the help to stand against temptation.
Our Prayer
(Matthew 6:9–13)
Jesus gave His followers a model prayer known as the
Lord’s Prayer. We should use this prayer as a pattern, as Jesus said to pray “after this manner.” The purpose of prayer is to glorify God, ac- knowledge who He is, and these are the guidelines for prayer:
1. It should involve wor- ship, reverence, and exaltation of our Father;
2. It should concern itself with the work God is engaged in, namely, the establishment of God’s kingdom and His will be done on earth;
3. It should be concerned with daily needs; no matter where a child of God falls on the economicd spectrum, it is so important to ask and thank the Father for His daily provi- sion.
4. It should contain confes- sion and seek forgiveness, which comes by grace through faith in Jesus; and finally,
5. It should seek protection and deliverance from the evil one. We can be specific by ask- ing to be well equipped to do so.
This model prayer begins with the phrase, “Our Father,” because we put God’s concerns first; then we can bring in our
own needs. “ Seek first His kingdom and His righteous- ness and all these things wil be given to you as well” (Matt. 6:32-33). This is the God-ap- pointed way of having our needs met because prayer also prepares us for God’s answer.
Our Forgiveness
(vv. 14–15)
Forgiveness puts you in the right relationship with your brothers and sisters and with God. This enables you to pray effectively; therefore, forgive- ness is an important part of prayer. We must pray with a forgiving spirit toward others. Christians must be prepared and willing to forgive the of- fenses of others. If you do not forgive offenders, God will not forgive you. We all need for- giveness. To be forgiven is to be released from all guilt and condemnation.
Forgiving means we should not be bitter or hostile, seek revenge, or hold hard feelings against another per- son. We should not rejoice when others fall on hard times.
Prayer is needed today more than ever.
PAGE 4-B FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2020