"Let God be true and every man a liar," states Romans 3:4. This simple statement has a lot of applications, especially when we try to put human wisdom, which 1 Corinthians calls foolishness, against God's revealed truth. Today we will apply this principle to instruct us how God tells His people to pray.
In Luke 11, the disciples asked Jesus to teach them how to pray. He replied, "Pray in this manner," and then proceeded to give them what we often call the Lord's Prayer. Rather than just a recognized, formal recitation, there is divine revelation in the infinite heart desires that He longs for those created in His mage to receive and to express. Two Scriptural truths come to mind. The Father desires us to worship Him in spirit and truth (John 4:23). And how can two walk together unless they be agreed (Amos 3;3). Clearly God gave us these requests so we would allow them in our hearts and declare them with our lips. There is great humbleness and strength in opening our hearts to cry out to God the very issues that are on His heart.
What are these simple petitions? Let's take time to consider these 7 prayer principles: 1) our relationship with God, 2) acknowledging how great He is through His name(s), 3) calling forth His kingdom to come and His will to be done, 4) trusting Him and thanking Him for our daily provision, 5) setting our hearts to walk in forgiveness in the same way we receive His forgiveness, 6) depending on God's deliverance and standing in authority over the evil one, and 7) finally, declaring His infinite and eternal praise. "Holy Spirit, we ask You to open up to our hearts and understanding these powerful requests so we can learn to pray as Jesus taught."
We will consider the first two petitions in this post, and continue this subject in the following.
First, "Our Father" suggests we know our relationship with God. Because through Jesus we are born again into His family, we can come as His loving, grateful children (1 John 3:1) who trust their "Daddy" God. All prayer starts and works because He is a Father who cares for His children.
Secondly, we acknowledge how great He is through His name, or through the names that God has given through His Word to describe His nature. A name reveals the reality of what the individual actually is. For example, several names of God share how He has dealt with sin. Jehovah tsidkenu, the Lord is righteous, which informs me that with awesome gratitude I may declare He is my righteousness. Did He not become sin so I could become the righteousness of God? (2 Corinthians 5:21) Jehovah M'Kaddesh is the Lord is my sanctifier, so my only honest response is, thank you, Jesus, for sanctifying me, transforming me from fallen nature that deserves death, into a new creation that now is a temple of God and can be Your light to the world. To be sanctified means to be set apart for a definite higher purpose. A person might "sanctify" a nest egg savings account so that he could build that special dream house.
Our second area of names reveal how close and intimate God is and what He always wants us to know. Jehovah Shammah, the Lord is here. At this point when I pray, I imagine myself bowing before the very presence of God, totally satisfied and awed by His love and glory. A testimony of a 23 year old Atlanta man who died and came back to life was that when he was brought before the Lord Jesus, he was totally satisfied, every thought and need was completely met, and he just wanted to be there forever and give all he had to Him. That is the attitude and awareness I choose in taking a few moments to be still before Him. This name reminds me that even though my flesh can't see it, He is actually here and through whatever happens I can know the reality of His presence. He is with me. Likewise in His presence, Jehovah Shalom, He is peace and wholeness. Philippians 4:7 reminds me that when rather than be anxious, I simply am to pray with thanksgiving and He will keep my mind and heart at peace in Christ Jesus.
The next set of names demonstrate God's concern over the challenges and practical needs of life. Clearly Jesus has overcome sin, death, and sickness, or in other words, everything that has fallen due to the sin of man. Jehovah Rapha, the Lord is healer, reveals His taking our sickness and His nature and power to make us whole. 1 Peter 2:24 reminds us that by His stripes we were healed. Then Jehovah Jireh, the Lord is provider, shows that He sees what we need before we even realize it and has made provision so our needs are met. Paul reminded the Philippians that their needs were met according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. Or 2 Peter 1:3-4 declares that His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness.
Jehovah Nissi, the Lord our victor or banner, allows us to enter into His victory over sin, death, and the devil. He has not only won through His death and resurrection, but He declares that all those who believe in Jesus also overcome (1 John 5:4). This is a good place to put on the armor of God: gird your loins with truth, put on the breastplate of righteousness, shod your feet with the preparation of the Gospel of peace, above all take up the shield of faith, put on the helmet of salvation, and take up the sword of the Spirit by declaring His Word. Having put on the armor, it is time to stand. Take authority over abortion, deception, violence, or whatever the Spirit leads you to exercise your victory and authority over. God's plan is to crush Satan under your feet (Romans 16:20). Using the name and authority of Jesus, every knee must bow.
Finally, Jehovah Rohi, the Lord is my shepherd, gives a beautiful picture of God taking care of us completely and forever. It summarizes all these names. My needs are met: I shall not want. I fear no evil because He is with me. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness. He sets a table before me, anoints my head with oil (the Holy Spirit), my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy will follow me. I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
Hallowed by Thy Name. Truly, He is love, our hope, our strength, our joy, and desires to be our "all in all." We praise Him through the specific names that reveal how great He is and allow this truth to renew our mind and to open our heart to love and adore the great I Am. Be still and know I am God.
