There are many persons that use the Lord's prayer as a template for their prayers. This of course is fine if you take its structure as an example and start with affirmations and worship, then pray about your needs and ask for provision, protection, and strength in your daily walk. It is not a good idea to pray the prayer word for word however. Why not? It is because the words within this prayer example are connected to the Jewish Kingdom program and is not relevant for you and I today.
Let's first start by looking at the prayer example that Jesus taught his disciples,
Matthew 6:9-13 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.
Now let's take a look at just two parts that are glaring conflicts with the grace program today.
- Thy kingdom come: This is a call for the Lord to bring His Millennial Kingdom to earth. It would be great when this will happen, but it is not our hope today. Our hope, as members in the Body of Christ, is to wait for His shout*, which is our silent rapture into heaven. Our hope and inheritance is the heavens, not the earthly Millennial kingdom.
On the other hand, Old Testament saints were not promised an eternal home in heaven. Instead they were promised an everlasting kingdom on earth. In Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, believers are not looking for a promised home in heaven? No! They were promised a kingdom on earth. See Acts 1:6 and Acts 3:21. - Forgive us as we forgive others: This part of the prayer is a big conflict with the grace program! In Jesus day, this was 100% correct. Jews, according to the Mosaic Law, had to forgive others in order to be forgiven themselves. If they did not forgive others, God would not forgive them, Matthew 6:14-15! This is part of the conditional design that belongs with the law program.
In our grace dispensation, we are not under the law (Rom.6:14), but under grace, and what has changed is that we are ALREADY completely forgiven through the grace gospel and Christ's cross-work. Notice the past-tense in the following two verses. It is already done!
Ephesians 4:32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.
Colossians 3:13 Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.
So, with all this being said, the Lord's prayer is not to be prayed word for word. It is based on the Kingdom program and was relevant for the disciples in that program, but not for us today in the grace program today.
If you want to learn more on prayer in the grace program, read through this article for the necessary details.
1 Thessalonians 4:16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
For more info on the rapture event and its timing, see this study here.
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