Sermon On The Mount: The Model Prayer

In this manner, therefore, 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 forgive our debtors.
And do not lead us into temptation,
But deliver us from the evil one.
For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

Matthew 6:9-14 (NKJV)

The Lord's Prayer* is simple and profound. It’s a reflection of Jesus Himself: humble and bold, loving and limitless. It’s a triumph in a handful of Words. It invites the coming of God’s Kingdom--within us, His church and the Earth itself.

Called 'The Model Prayer,' It molds our hearts into willing vessels, fit for a King:

  • Personal, corporate, kingdom-minded,

  • Considerate of God’s full creation,

  • Submissive to the Lord’s sovereignty,

  • Hungry for Jesus, contrite, merciful,

  • Asking and Receiving His forgiveness,

  • Following His fool-proof guidance system,

  • Dependent on His protection and strength,

  • Fully aware that all glory is God’s.

When The Model Prayer is said with full hearts, we begin to resemble the Model Who created It:

'And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord's glory, are being transformed into His Image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, Who is the Spirit' (2 Corinthians 3:18).

Before Jesus came, God gave us a different role model: King David, a man after His 'Own Heart' (Acts 13:22).

He prayed a lot, too. In his Psalms, we find many examples:

  • Prayers of praise, anguish, and confession,

  • Prayers of repentance and pleadings to God,

  • Prayers of trust in Him for deliverance.**

'I will exalt You, Lord, for You lifted me out of the depths and did not let my enemies gloat over me. Lord my God, I called to You for help and You healed me' (Psalm 30:1-2).

True prayer comes from your heart--not your head. Surely, humility is essential.

  • For hearts like mine (before I met Jesus),

  • For hearts that are proud, hard and unyielding…

  • Brokenness is a glorious blessing: 'The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart--These, O God, You will not despise' (Psalm 51:17).

So… put your heart fully into prayer and watch in wonder--as God puts His gracious gifts into you: to transform your life, and by your witness-- to transform countless other lives as well.

Sermon On The Mount: The Model Prayer (Part 17)

* http://revmjm.hubpages.com/hub/The-Lords-Prayer-Every-Word-Explained

** 'Praying the Psalms': http://www.persevering.org/psa_pray.html

NOTE: This is a 2023 update of a 2013 Carey Lewis Devotion. You may see notes to 'Actors, Models & Talent for Christ.' If you think you're not in show business, think again. Shakespeare said, 'All the world's a stage and all its men and women merely players. Mostly true. But you're not merely players. You are messengers and ambassadors for the King of kings.

Carey Arban