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Praying The Lord’s Prayer

September 15, 2012 by

“When you pray…pray like this…”

The pattern of prayer that Jesus taught His disciples in Matthew 6:9-13 contains eight specific areas of focus.  These could be summarized as:

  1. Sonship
  2. Worship
  3. Evangelism
  4. Mercy & Justice
  5. Provision
  6. Reconciliation
  7. Spiritual Warfare
  8. Recognition of God’s Domain

Using the Lord’s pattern of prayer has the advantage of:

  1. Keeping us focused so that our minds do not wander
  2. Keeping us “other-centered” rather that “self-centered”
  3. Keeping us “Kingdom centered” on the things of God

Our Father which art in heaven – Sonship – draw near to God with all holy reverence and confidence as children to a father able and ready to help us

  • Thank God for revealing Himself as our Father and
  • Adopting us into His family through faith in Christ
  • Jesus Christ who died for us and rose from the dead to give us eternal life.

Hallowed be thy name – Worship – pray that God would enable us to glorify him and that he would work out all things for his own glory

  • Pray that our lives would reflect an attitude of worship in all our ways
  • That Grace & Peace Presbyterian Church (G&PPC) would glorify God in its worship services by:
    • Having hearts submitted to Christ and one another
    • Behavior that honors Christ,
    • Music that praises God for who He is
    • Preaching that proclaims Christ and is faithful to Scripture

Thy kingdom come – Evangelism – pray that Satan’s kingdom may be destroyed and that the kingdom of grace may be advanced through the salvation of the lost and the perseverance of the saints and that the kingdom of glory may be hastened.

  • Pray that God gives us the courage and opportunities to witness the gospel to unbelievers
  • For the salvation of unbelieving family members, friends and acquaintances (pray for them by name)
  • For the various outreach and evangelism ministries of G&PPC
  • That the gospel would be faithfully proclaimed at G&PPC
  • That God would do a work of awakening people to their need for Christ in our local communities
  • That God would destroy the work of false religions, cults and ungodliness that seeks to blind people from Christ                                                                              

Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven – Mercy & Justice – pray that God, by his grace, would make us able and willing to know, obey, and submit to his will in all things

  • Pray that we would be made more like Christ thereby loving God and our neighbor
  • That the congregation of G&PPC would show mercy to each other and to those outside of our assembly
  • That our federal, state and local governments would pass just laws that promote the betterment of society and the protection of the innocent

Give us this day our daily bread –  Provision – pray that of God’s free gift we may receive a competent portion of the good things of this life, and enjoy his blessing with them and that we would be generous to others that are in need

  • Pray that God would provide for our personal and family needs
  • That we would see the needs of others and be generous toward them
  • That G&PPC would have its financial needs and support met, using these gifts for the advance of the gospel
  • That viable employment would be available for members of society
  • For the health and welfare of others

And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors – Reconciliation – pray that God, for Christ’s sake, would freely pardon all our sins and that by his grace we are enabled from the heart to forgive others.

  • Pray that God would graciously forgive all that we owe for our sins, enabling us to forgive those that have hurt us throughout our lives
  • That our families would be places where forgiveness is understood and practiced, that children would be taught the forgiveness of God and learn gratitude for Christ
  • That G&PPC would be so moved by God’s forgiveness that it would be a refuge of grace to those that have sinned and are in need of God’s love

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil – Spiritual Warfare – pray that God would both keep us from being tempted to sin or support and deliver us when we are tempted and that we would be protected from evil in all its expressions.

  • Pray that we would be kept away from temptation in thought word and deed or that we would see God’s way of escaping temptation when it comes
  • For God’s protection of our children, marriages and family relations
  • That G&PPC would be safe from the temptation of power-struggles, heresy, immorality, legalism and pride.
  • That God would protect us from the attack of Satan who seeks to undermine and divide the body of Christ
  • That God would destroy those forces (social, political, ethical and moral) that seek to turn people away from Jesus Christ. 

For yours is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen – Recognition of God’s Domain – take our encouragement in prayer from God only, ascribing kingdom, power, and glory to him and, in testimony of our desire, and assurance to be heard, we say, Amen.

* Focus points are from unpublished material by Rev. John Smed

* Some material is contained in the Westminster Shorter Catechism

Written by Pastor Bill Mayk

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Bill Mayk
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About Bill Mayk

Bill is the founding pastor of Grace & Peace Presbyterian Church (PCA) Prior to beginning this church planting work in the Pottstown area, Bill served as a hospice chaplain and a missionary to Mexico and Jordan. Bill earned his MDiv from Biblical Theological Seminary.

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