DIMENSIONS OF THE LORD'S PRAYER

Matthew 6:9-13

Introduction


Each day this last week our church has been hosting a Vacation Bible School during the evening.

The name of our VBS program this year has been "Kingdom of the Son a Prayer Safari" and our emphasis has been on the Lord's Prayer which is found in Matthew 6:9-13.

Each night our teachers presented lessons that touched upon some aspect of this prayer.

We learned who our Father is in heaven, how God supplies our needs, the need to be forgiven and forgive others, how God can help us avoid temptations and also that Jesus rose from the dead and is going to return to establish his kingdom here on earth.

These lessons were also reinforced through exciting songs that the children learned as well as crafts, games and activities which all augmented our theme of a prayer safari.

Matthew 6:9-13  Pray, then, in this way: 'Our Father who is 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 do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. [For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.]' (NAU)

One child's understanding of the lord's prayer goes like this:

  Our Father Who art in heaven,

  Hello!  What IS YOUR name?

  Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done

  On earth as it is in heaven.

  Give us this day our jelly AND bread,

  And forgive us our debts

  As we forgive our debtors.

  And lead us not into creation

  But deliver us from weevils.

We usually ask an expert to give us the best he or she has to offer. When we're with a successful banker, we ask how to invest our money wisely. Jesus' disciples asked Him, "Teach us to pray" (Luke 11:1).

Because prayer was central to Jesus' ministry, He wanted it to be vital in theirs. So He responded by giving them what Christians call "The Lord's Prayer." Actually, the prayer is misnamed, for Jesus Himself could not have prayed it. As the Son of God, without sin, He could not join in the petition, "Forgive us our debts". The prayer should be labeled "The Disciples' Prayer." It can serve us in the same way that an outline serves a minister when he preaches a sermon. It guides us as we pray.

According to statistics I have seen, practically everybody prays.  Ninety-eight percent of all church people say they pray.  Seventy-six percent of those who do not have any church affiliation say they pray too!  Eighty-seven percent of teenagers say they pray daily.  Seventy percent of all those who pray say their prayers are answered.  Sixty percent say that they could be said to live lives of constant prayer.

If we believe the statistics, everybody seems to pray.  So, what can we learn about this prayer.  Tonight I would like us to consider the four dimensions of the Lord’s prayer.