Bible Study on the Lord's Prayer

FACTS ABOUT THE LORD'S PRAYER FROM CONSERVAPEDIA.COM


The Lord's Prayer, known also as the Our Father or Pater noster[1], is a form of prayer specifically established by Jesus Himself. Its most familiar English form, in the King James translation of the Bible, is as follows.
Our Father Who art in heaven, Hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen

(Matthew 6:9-13 KJV)

The Lord's Prayer is by far the best known prayer among Christians worldwide, and has been translated into hundreds of different languages. It is worth remarking, however, that while Jesus Himself specifically instructs His followers to pray in private, this prayer is frequently recited in public, and has been incorporated into the services and liturgy of many Christian denominations:
"And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. "But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly."

(Matthew 6:5-7 KJV)


A parallel account at Luke 11:2-4 follows a similar pattern. The fact that it is not identical indicates that Christ's intention was not to provide a static prayer that would be repeated verbatim but rather a model, or outline, of appropriate topics to be prayed for. This is supported by Christ's admonition to his listeners:
"And whenever you pray, you must not keep on repeating set phrases, as the heathen do, for they suppose that they will be heard in accordance with the length of their prayers." (Matthew 6:7 The New Testament in the Language of the People Charles B. Williams)

Both prayers include the following elements:

    * Request for God's name to be hallowed, or sanctified
    * Request for God's Kingdom to come
    * Request for personal needs to be met
    * Request for forgiveness of sins
    * Request for avoiding temptation, falling prey to Satan

This prayer would not have been innovative or revolutionary to Christ's listeners as these would have been things they should have already been praying for, each element being solidly based on the Scriptures then available to the Jews.

According to Harper's Bible Dictionary, the doxology at the end of the prayer is missing the oldest and best manuscripts and is not original to the Lord's prayer. Translations that do not add the doxology include:

    * The Holy Bible - Douay-Rheims
    * The New Testament in the Language of the People
    * The Oxford Annotated Bible - Revised Standard Edition
    * The New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures
    * Good News Bible - Today's English Version
    * Holy Bible - American Standard Version
    * The Emphatic Diaglott Interlinear Translation of Vatican Manuscript #1209
    * The Complete Bible - An American Translation

--------------------

READ ABOUT THE LORD'S PRAYER FROM CONSERVAPEDIA.COM

The Lord's Prayer - Today's Version
By Tammy Johnson
My Heavenly Father,

Your name is so holy! Power and authority come with the mere mention of your name.
May your kingdom work be done in my life today. May I walk in submission to your will. Please help me bring your perfect plans to this earth even as they are carried out every day in heaven.

Give me the wisdom I need today to make eternal choices. Give me just what I need to be fed physically, spiritually, and emotionally for this day. Forgive me for all the times I hold your name and character in light esteem through my actions or words. Forgive me for my selfish actions and living for myself rather than for your heavenly glory and kingdom. Help me to extend that same forgiveness and grace to those around me who may hurt my feelings or esteem me too lightly. Remind me it is not about me.
Show me the way to victory over temptation. Lead me to you when temptation crosses my path. Help me still harsh words that form on my tongue. Help me choose to rise to the diligence of keeping my home in order rather than spending time on selfish things. Help me put the dish towel aside to marvel at my child's picture. Help me put my book down to snuggle with my sleepy child and tell them how much I adore them. Help me pick-up the phone or run an errand to show someone outside my family that they are important and that I care.

Protect me and my family from the evil intent of the enemy. Surround us so that the arrows are extinguished.

Father, your kingdom is all that matters. Thank you that there is no power greater than yours and that you have chosen to grant me access to it at all times. Your glory and name are what will last forever and ever. Help me walk in that.

I say all this in the power of your name,

Amen!
Tammy Johnson is a pastor's wife and mother of two darlings. When she is not folding laundry, washing dishes, or scrubbing toilets you can find her typing away on the keyboard, rounding up bits of stories written on napkins and gum wrappers, or snuggling with her family and a good book.

Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com-CHRISTIAN WRITERS-MAKE A WEBSITE

Lord, Teach Me to Pray in 28 Days : Author: Kay Arthur; Buy New: $9.99
Also: Check out << The Lord's Prayer For My Daily Life The Lord's Prayer was given to us by Jesus as an outline to prayer. In this article I have attempted to take each section of the prayer and personalize it for my daily life.>>