I Introduction
Explain the place of prayer in the Christian life. Why do we talk with God? What is the basis of our relationship/confidence in speaking to God as Father? What has Christ done so that we can be sure of God’s favour?
II Prayers of pagans and hypocrites
A. Explain: What does it mean to pray for the sake of reputation?
B. Explain/Apply: What do reputation prayers show about someone’s relationship with God?
C. Explain/Apply: How should we pray when there has been a disaster?
D. Explain/Apply: What does it mean to use prayer as a form of magic?
E. Explain/Apply: How do some Christians also fall into this temptation?
F. Explain/Apply: Are we right to pray in Jesus’ name? How do we do so with reverence?
III Prayers of children
A. Explain: Why can Jesus teach us how to pray? Who is he?
B. Explain/Apply: What is the family aspect of the Lord’s Prayer? How is this radically different from all other religions?
C. Explain: Whose agenda is first and foremost in the Lord’s Prayer?
D. Explain/Apply: Are we right to pray the Lord’s Prayer verbatim? Should we pray the Lord’s Prayer regularly?
E. Explain: What does it mean for the Lord’s Prayer to be a prayer for children? How is this seen in the petition for forgiveness?
F. Explain/Apply: Does God’s forgiveness of the Christian depend on the Christian’s forgiveness of others?
G. Explain/Apply: How does the Lord’s Prayer encourage us to have pure motives in our worship of God?
IV Concluding prayer[1]
Our Father,
Awaken in us at the very beginning of our prayers what should be basic to our prayer, a childlike reverence and trust that through Christ you have become our Father, and will much less refuse to give us what was ask in faith than what our parents refuse us the things of this life.
You are our Father in heaven. Please teach us by these words to not think of your heavenly majesty in an earthly way, and teach us also to expect from your almighty power everything we need both for body and soul.
And we pray, dear Father, that your name will be hallowed. Help us to truly know you, to honour glorify and praise you for all of your works and all that shines forth from them, your almighty power, your wisdom, your kindness, your justice, your mercy and your truth; help us to direct all of our living, what we do, what we think and what we say, so that your name will never be blasphemed because of us but always honoured, always praised.
And Father, we pray for the coming and advancement of your kingdom. First, we pray that you would rule us by your Word and Spirit in such a way that we more and more submit to you and desire what your desire. We ask further that you would preserve and increase your church, that you would bless our efforts to proclaim the good news of your Son as well as the work of our brothers and sisters elsewhere. May you also destroy the devil’s work and every force that revolts against you, every conspiracy against your holy word. In particular, may the political regimes which prevent your people from worshipping in freedom come to an end. Do all of this until your kingdom fully comes when you will be all in all.
And may your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Help us and all peoples to renounce our own wills and without any backtalk to obey your will, for it alone is good. Help every one of us also to carry out our own offices and callings as willingly and faithfully as the angels do in heaven. Give strength to our mothers and fathers, give grace to our children.
And Father, give us this day our daily bread. Provide for all of our physical needs so that we may recognize you are the only source of everything good, and that neither our care and work nor your gifts can do us any good without your blessing. Therefore, may we withdraw our trust from all creatures and place it in you alone.
And Great Redeemer, forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. Because of Christ’s blood do not impute to us any of the transgressions we do or the evil that constantly clings to us. Forgive us just as we are fully determined as evidence of your grace to wholeheartedly forgive our neighbours.
And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. We are so weak we cannot stand on our own for a moment, and our sworn enemies the devil, the world and our own flesh never stop attacking us. And so, Lord, uphold us, make us strong by the power of your Holy Spirit, that we may not be defeated in the spiritual fight but may firmly resist our enemies until we finally win the complete victory in Christ.
For yours, our Father, yours is the kingdom, the power, and the glory for ever and ever. We make these petitions of you, because you are our all-powerful King, we trust you are both willing and able to give us all that is good, and also because not we ourselves, but your name alone, should receive all glory and praise for ever.
And when we say Amen, Father, we mean that we know this will surely be, for it is much more certain that you hear and answer our prayers than we even feel in our heart a desire to pray such things. And so we conclude by praying the prayer which our Lord Jesus Christ gave us to pray:
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come,
your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.
For yours is the kingdom
and the power,
forever and ever. Amen.
[1] This prayer is adapted from Heidelberg Catechism, Lord’s Days 46-52.
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.