The Life of Christ

Your kingdom come”

• “Father, show me how the kingdom of God is to be lived out in in my life today?”

• This segment can include requests for wisdom, to be led of the Spirit, and strength to live out kingdom principles while advancing the kingdom.

Give us this day our daily bread”:

• A careful study of “daily bread” equates to a daily encounter with God’s word — written or spoken. Jesus did not live by bread alone, but by every word of God (Mt. 4:4).

Forgive us our debts”:

• Every day we commit sin; so, every day we need to request forgiveness of those sins.

As we have forgiven our debtors”:

• We must regularly extend forgiveness to those who offend us.

• This is of such importance that it is the only phrase Jesus will then isolate and add commentary at the end of the prayer.

And do not lead us into temptation”:

• Give us the strength to resist temptation when it later unexpectantly rears its head before us.”

• One reason Peter denied the Lord is because he failed to pray in Gethsemane for strength to resist the temptations that shortly followed.

For Yours is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen!”

• Sadly, this final instruction from the Lord’s Prayer doesn’t even appear in the NIV translation — both here and in Lk. 11.

• We are to exit our prayer time with worship — the same way we began!

Mt. 6:14-15 “For if you forgive men for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive men, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.”

1 John 1:9 promises, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive our sins."

• The only way to nullify this promise of 1 Jn. 1:9 is to refuse to forgive our brother or sister.

Mt. 6:16 “And whenever you fast, do not put on a gloomy face as the hypocrites do, for they neglect their appearance in order to be seen fasting by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full.” While the Day of Atonement was the only day required to fast during the dispensation known as “the Law,” according to the New Testament, Christians are called to fast regularly —“ Whenever you fast…”

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