The Shepherd’s Voice

Readings for Sunday, July 25^th

Gen 18:20-32
Ps 85:13
Col 2:6-19
Lk 11:1-13

Over the past few months I have been talking to folks individually and in committee meetings about the importance and need for us to be a praying church. Lutherans, in a very general sense, seem to want pastors who are prayers-in-chief, however, from our gospel lesson today (Luke 11:1-13) we see that the disciples, although they admired Jesus gift of praying they wanted to learn how to pray as Jesus did.

On this one occasion after Jesus had finished praying in a certain place they asked him, “Lord, teach us to pray.” Let us pray as we begin this morning.

Lord God, you have shown us that your Son Jesus was called to be the way, the truth, and the life. Abraham prayed for the people of Sodom, Moses prayed for the people of Israel, and Jesus prayed for deliverance at Gethsemane, however, Jesus said, “Not my will, but thine be done.” We ask this morning individually and collectively, not my will, but thine be done so that the words of my mouth and the meditation of our hearts be acceptable to you O Lord, our rock and our redeemer. Amen

In a book by Leonard Griffith called Barriers to Christian Belief he brings to the forefront what he called real obstacles and stumbling blocks for people of faith. One of the more significant ones was unanswered prayer. Part of the problem he discovered is that people become discouraged and feel a great sense of failure in their prayer life. How about you, do you really have a tremendous prayer life? Mine varies a lot, one day good another day not so good.

Naturally, this experience leads to other questions about prayer. “How does one pray?”, “When does one pray?”, “What should one pray for?”, “Is there a special formula for prayer?” These are all important questions for us to explore, but first let me tell you about some misconceptions, misunderstandings in regards to prayer.

There was a Peanuts cartoon some years ago where Charlie Brown is kneeling beside his bed with Lucy for prayer. He suddenly stops praying and turns to Lucy, “I think I’ve just made a significant theological discovery, yes, a breakthrough. If you hold your hands upside down when you pray, you get the opposite of what you pray for.”

Yes, there are some real misunderstandings about prayer:

• A clergy person’s prayer is not better than a lay person’s prayer (Matt 6:6-9)
• Church is not the only place to pray – pray continually ( I Thess 5:16-18)
• Flowery words and phrases are not required – Spirit intercedes (Rom 8:26)
• Prayer to God is not like rubbing a magic lamp to get what you want (Matt 6:8)
• God answers all prayers, but the answer may be NO – pray for God’s will

By Jesus’ example and by the hundred’s of stories in scripture we know that God desires us to pray, and the disciples asked Jesus specifically to learn how to pray. The Lord’s Prayer is in two gospels, Matt 6:7-13 and in Luke 11:1-4. Jesus uses this prayer, which of course we now call the Lord’s Prayer to teach his followers how to pray.

What we are hearing today comes from God’s mouth, Jesus, to our ears. Jesus gave his disciples, and he gives us this example, this gift that shows us a great deal about God and God’s desire for each of us in this world.

In confirmation, through the study of Luther’s Small Catechism we see that the Lord’s Prayer is broken down into an introduction and seven petitions. Follow along with me as we look at each section so we can better understand prayer as Jesus taught it.

In our gospel text this morning Jesus starts off with, “Father, hallowed be your name.” However, in the Matt 6:9 text we see the more familiar beginning, “Our Father who art in heaven.”

Some of us in this life may not have had father’s that we can look up to, or admire, or appreciate so for some folks the use of the word father here gets in the way. In the context of the way Jesus used this term πατήρ, pater, the term means parent/s, or ancestor, leader so if that’s helpful think of it in that way. Jesus sometimes uses the term Abba in scripture, which is more of a term of endearment; however in Luke this is more a term of reverence, of respect than a term like daddy, which is more familial.

Part of that comes through with the very next word, hallowed in the Luke text. In the Matthew text Jesus uses a frame of reference, – “who art in heaven.” Either way Jesus tenderly invites us to be in connection with God. When you pray do you sense that connection?

Jesus wants us to know that we are true children of God so that we can act with confidence and boldness as we come before God. (1 John 3:1) See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are. The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.

Sometimes we can feel like outsiders, even in church, but here, especially when we pray we are to feel like a child of God, someone called into the faith by God for a reason. Paul told the Roman church (Rom 8:15-16) that when God called them they received a Spirit of sonship, the Spirit of God testifies with our spirit that we are truly God’s children.

Every time you begin the Lord’s pray, or any prayer for that matter, know that prayer is a reverent act because as we come before the God of all creation as a child. Look at verse 11-13 in the gospel text – Jesus emphasizes that God gives good gifts to his children.

The first petition, “Hallowed be thy name,” we’ve touch on it partly already, but when we hallow God we declare that God is holy, the name of God is holy. When we come to worship we hear God’s name being taught in truth and purity as we read scripture.

Living a life that reflects or mirrors Jesus life is also an act of hallowing God. Luther’s Small Catechism says that anyone who lives contrary to God’s Word profanes God. When we are sarcastic, mean spirited, ill-tempered, or act in ways to demean others we also profane God, we don’t hallow God. In (Psalm 103:1) it says we must Praise the Lord….

Hallowed be thy name is a call to action, a call to praise God in word and deed. A call to remind us as we pray we should acknowledge that we are speaking/listening to a holy God.

The Second Petition: “Thy/Your kingdom come” v2
Only a few words here, but they are packed with power. While on vacation Sharon and I would often stop to get cold coffee drinks, frappes. Now McDonald’s has frappes, however, the boldness of frappes in terms of coffee flavor varies dramatically from a Starbucks. In Minnesota they have Caribou Coffee and there frappes are much bolder than Starbucks. Thy kingdom come is a very bold statement.

Of course God’s kingdom will come without our petition, without our prayer, but we pray this so that God’s kingdom can boldly come to us also. We need that stiff frappe in this world because the world is a very tough place. (P183-185 Luther’s Small Catechism)

God’s kingdom is one of power, one of God’s ultimate will, but God wants us to receive it through the grace that’s offered. Grace comes to us through God’s Word, through the church, through Word and Sacrament, through friends and family, but we have to accept it. We pray for it to come.

The Third Petition: “Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.” (Matt 6:10)
This line is missing from the Luke text, but it is in Matt 6:10. Again I have to say the good and gracious will of God will come without our prayers, but again we pray this so that God’s will may sweep over our lives like a rainstorm that covers everything in it’s path. (Essential point)

God’s will; some say it hard to know God’s will. I couldn’t disagree more. God’s will is often talked about in scripture. (Deut 4:2, John 6:40, I Tim 2:4, 1 Thess 4:3) God wants all people to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth. God wants everyone to believe in Him. God’s will is that you be sanctified in truth.

Ok, maybe you are saying to yourself that’s too general, however I would say to you if you are truly committed to the truth of God, to learn God’s ways, the way that Jesus taught in scripture most decisions in life become a lot easier.

If you are in God’s will than every motive, every action will glorify God. Let’s see, should I sell drugs to kids as a way to make a living? Pretty easy. Should I take a job that pays a lot, but takes me away from the family much of the time or should I take a job where I’m home a lot, but it pays less? A tougher question, but God’s Word can still help answer the question.

God’s will is revealed in scripture; if you really want to follow it, do whatever gives glory to God and what doesn’t, don’t do. As a human you have many personal decisions you can make where both of them or all of them can be God’s will playing out in your life.

Thy will be done – it’s a pray we need to pray everyday, every hour, every second.

The Fourth Petition: “Give us this day our daily bread.” (Luke 11:3)
God cares for us; God fulfills our needs each and every day. When George Johnson was here he talked about Bread for the World and I think he gave out bread for everyone. God gets it and certainly gives us food even when we don’t pray for it or give thanks for it. Rain falls on the evil and the good in this world so we know God provides everything. (Matt 5:45)

Some people if they have been born and raised only in the city I think lack an appreciation for how God provides daily bread. Farmers, people who live off the land have a whole different sense of how god provides because they are so dependent on God for everything.

Just take bread as an example. Where does bread come from, the store, but how did the bread get there. It came from a bakery where the wheat and other ingredients came together to be baked into bread. Where did the wheat come from, well it was grown on land, harvested and sent to the bakery. How did the wheat become wheat, well it was planted as seed, likely watered by God and owns it’s very germination process to God’s Spirit of life. Everything comes from God, we must be thankful for that.

The Fifth Petition: “Forgive us our debts/trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.”
This is all about asking for forgiveness and then passing that forgiveness forward to others. We don’t deserve to be forgiven, we know that we all sin and fall short of the glory of God. (Rom 3:23) We also know (Ps 28:13) anyone who conceals their sins does not prosper. (David in 2 Sam 7:4-16)

The Sixth/Seventh Petition: “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” (Matt 6:13) the Luke version – “And do not bring us to the time of trial.” We know from scripture that God temps no one. (James 1:13-14) We are tempted by our own evil desires, our own know it all attitude about life and what we should and should not do.

In this phrase we are asking God to guard us from the deceit in the world, from evil, and from trials that would bring us to despair and great shame. We know that tests come in this world, but God has promised us that no temptation has seized us that was not common to others.

Remember that God is faithful and he will not let us be tempted beyond what we can bear. (1 Cor 10:12-13)

In this petition God assures us that He is faithful and protects us even when we are weak, because even then when we are weak god is strong.

So now let’s quickly go through the prayer and what we have learned from each petition so you can see what you have gained this morning.

Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name – We are children of a holy God
Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven – the bold Caribou frappe
Give us this day our daily bread – God blesses us so we can bless others and praise him
And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors – We don’t deserve forgiveness, but ask
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil – God does not temp us, count on it
For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever, Amen

Live life to the fullest, from God’s mouth to our ears, God empowers us, blesses us, feeds us, and forgives us.

Glorify God in all that you do, Amen.