| The Model Prayer (Part One): Introduction (Copyright) by Richard T. Ritenbaugh (Charlotte, North Carolina) |
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 Prayer is an intrinsic part of the religion revealed in the pages of Scripture. The Old Testament records many instances of faithful men and women humbly requesting mercy and aid from the God of heaven and earth, whether it is Daniel beseeching God to forgive Israel for her many sins (Daniel 9) or Hannah requesting a son, whom she would dedicate to God for His use (I Samuel 2). A study of the Old Testament prayers reveals a wide range of subjects, attitudes, circumstances, and styles in which God’s people have communicated with the Lord of all. In Jesus’ time, the act of prayer had devolved mainly into hypocritical public prayers and memorized rote prayers. Because Jesus had shown Himself to be so different from other teachers of God’s way of life, His disciples were understandably confused about how they should pray. When they ask Him to teach them how to pray (Luke 11:1), Jesus responds with what has often been called—mistakenly— “the Lord’s Prayer” (see Matthew 6:9-13; Luke 11:2-4; the real “Lord’s Prayer” appears in John 17). He does not intend us to recite this prayer mindlessly but offers an outline for our own far longer, deeper, and more personal prayers to the Father in heaven. 1. Does Jesus set an example of frequent prayer? Luke 5:16; Mark 1:35. Comment: The apostle John provides a primary principle of living for those who follow Christ: “He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked” (I John 2:6). In terms of prayer, our Savior spoke to His Father often. He would often send His disciples away or go on His own into the wilderness to find a private place to pray. It seems to have been a habit for Him to rise early, well before dawn, to pray. Before significant decisions, He would pray all night (Luke 6:12)! He instructs His disciples to pray always (Luke 21:36), that is, to make it a consistent and regular part of our worship of God. Throughout His long conversation with the Twelve on His final Passover, knowing He would be separated from them later that night, He counsels them to ask the Father in His name for the things they need (John 14:13-14; 15:7, 16; 16:23-24, 26-27). Through prayer, they, too, had direct access to the Father, and He would respond to them in love as He had to Christ Himself. As Jesus says, “Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full” (John 16:24). 2. What additional advice does Jesus give His disciples about prayer? Matthew 6:5-8. Comment: Jesus’ disciples had grown up in Judaism, which was dominated at the time by the Pharisees, pious laymen who observed and taught strict adherence to the law. However, as Jesus pointed out, the Pharisees put their traditions (their Oral Law, restrictions to keep them from sinning and becoming ritually impure) above the law of God. Their instruction on prayer, then, proved to be insincere, as they prayed publicly to receive the approbation of men rather than to honor God. Thus, Jesus instructs His disciples to shun the example of these hypocrites. He teaches them to find a private place to pray, away from an audience, so that they could have genuine, one-on-one conversations with God. He also tells them to avoid going to the opposite extreme of using “vain repetitions,” rote prayers repeated endlessly. God is a real Person who desires a real relationship with those He calls. We should speak reverently and respectfully to Him, certainly, but we should not yammer at Him like an unhearing block of wood, stone, or metal, as the heathens treat their idols . 3. What broad principles appear in His model prayer? Matthew 6:9-13; Luke 11:2-4. Comment: Jesus’ simple introduction, “In this manner, therefore, pray,” indicates that He intends the prayer to guide His disciples in their everyday prayers. (In fact, the verb “pray” is present tense, imperative mood in Greek, suggesting habitual performance.) It is a kind of outline or model on which they can hang their own words as their circumstances warrant. Generally, the outline provides a primary focal point of prayer: the Father Himself. Praise and honor of God begins and ends the prayer, forcing us to acknowledge the Eternal God’s holiness and power. We should never forget that the One listening to our words is the Almighty, Ever-living Sovereign of the universe and that we live and act by His grace. After this, Jesus points to every Christian’s goal: the Kingdom of God. It is God’s goal, too, the height and culmination of His purpose for humanity. For millennia, the Father and Son have been working (John 5:17) to bring it to pass, first on earth during the Millennium and Great White Throne Judgment, then for eternity throughout the universe. It is God’s will that we cooperate in making it happen, so we must ensure it is top of mind as we pray. Christ places our personal needs in the middle of the prayer, covering daily needs, forgiveness, and help with trials and Satan’s opposition. God realizes that we are still fleshly beings who need constant physical and spiritual maintenance and frequently fail to live up to His standards. We can take our needs to Him in prayer to receive the help we need, whether food for the table or a respite from the Devil’s attacks. Jesus never intended His model prayer to cover every situation or problem. For instance, He leaves out praying for the church or the healing of the sick. But it does give us our priorities: God Himself, His Kingdom, and doing His will. If we keep those things in mind, our prayers will grow in spiritual maturity, and our lives will better represent our Savior before the world. ———————————————————————————- Reprinted with permission from: Church of the Great God https://www.cgg.org/ ———————————————————————————- |
| The Model Prayer (Part Two): Our Father in Heaven (Copyright) by Richard T. Ritenbaugh (Charlotte, North Carolina) |
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 Prayer is a form of communication from subject to Sovereign, suggesting the former requesting aid from the latter, just as in ancient times supplicants would approach the king’s throne for a boon. The English word pray—“to entreat, implore, plead, or request”—finds its source through French in the Latin word prex, which means “a request, supplication, petition, or prayer.” It is very much in line with Paul’s exhortation in Philippians 4:6, “. . . let your requests be made known to God.” Opening His instruction to His disciples on how to pray, Jesus highlights the Recipient of our requests, God the Father, who resides in heaven (Matthew 6:9). Listed first, as the salutation of the prayer, this instruction may be the most important for multiple reasons. Not only does it identify the Father as the Receiver of our petitions, but it also addresses Him in a reverential manner, stipulating the nature of the conversation: of a humble beseecher, hat in hand, asking for help from the Most High God. The prayer’s brief salutation, “Our Father in heaven,” contains at least three elements critical to establishing the requester’s proper frame of mind as he begins his prayer. It is always beneficial for a supplicant to know just Who he is asking to supply the answers to his requests. 1. Is God the Father of all? Ephesians 4:6. Comment: In Scripture, each word is critical (see Deuteronomy 8:3; Matthew 4:4). The model prayer begins with the possessive pronoun “our,” which provides a small detail that a praying person should heed. “Our” presupposes that others can claim the Father as the great God. Jesus, the Son of God, frequently calls Him “My Father” (see Matthew 20:23; Luke 10:22; John 8:38; 20:17; etc.), and in fact, He came to reveal the Father to us (John 1:18). Angels are sometimes called “sons of God” (Job 1:6; 2:1; 38:7; Psalm 29:1; 89:6), so they can claim Him as Father too. Editor’s Note: Job 1:6, Job 2:1, Job 38:7, Psalm 29:1 and Psalm 89:6 do not say that angels are sons of God. Heb 1:5 For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son? (Laura Lee) In Luke 3:38, the first man, Adam, is described as “the son of God.” By being descended from him, all humanity is likewise children of God through creation. As God Himself says in Jeremiah 32:27, “Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh.” A distinctive sub-group of all human sons of God are those, Paul writes, who “are led by the Spirit of God” (Romans 8:14). These elect sons of God are the people who can legitimately call the Sovereign of the universe “our Father in heaven,” because God has specifically chosen them to become His spiritual children and bear His Spirit. By this shared Spirit, effective communication between earth and heaven can occur (see John 16:13-15; Romans 8:15-16; I Corinthians 2:10-16; Galatians 4:6; Ephesians 6:18). In Matthew 6:9, “our” reminds us that converted Christians are a special people to God (I Peter 2:9-10). He has opened the way for us to have a unique, personal relationship with Him, a Father-child relationship whom no others of His angelic or uncalled human children claim: to become His Firstfruits, the Bride of His beloved Son, and heirs of all things (James 1:18; Revelation 19:7-8; Galatians 4:7). He is our Father in an exclusive and wonderful way! 2. In what way is God a Father? John 1:12-13. Comment: A Christian’s relationship with God is rightly analogous to that of a human child with his human father. The Bible describes a process of spiritual growth from birth to maturity (and ultimately glorification) that the Father begins through a summons to His Son (John 6:44). Christ then works to bring us to belief and repentance to the point that we accept Him as our Savior and commit to a life of submission to God. God then gives us His Spirit. When this occurs, regeneration happens (see Titus 3:5); it is a new birth—a new man is created (see Colossians 3:10), born spiritually into true life (Romans 6:4; I Peter 3:18). The recent convert begins to learn and grow—just like a human baby—striving to mature “to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:13). The apostle John puts it slightly differently: “Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and . . . whatever is born of God overcomes the world” (I John 5:1, 4; see John 16:33). Like a human father, God the Father cares for His children, providing them the benefits they need to thrive in their new life (Psalm 103:1-14; see I Peter 5:7, 10; II Peter 1:2-4). Jesus promises, “Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you. . .. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full” (John 16:23-24). 3. Why is the distinction “in heaven” significant? Ephesians 2:4-6. Comment: Jesus’ instruction for us to address the Father as “our Father in heaven” does more than distinguish Him from our earthly fathers. For starters, it raises our sights from the earthly to the heavenly just by mentioning the place where God lives (see Revelation 4:1-11). In this way, it inspires us to focus our minds on godly, spiritual things rather than the material things and circumstances of this world. It should also remind us that our true position, even as we live within the confines of earth, is seated with Him “in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:6). While adding to the realization of our unique status with God, it points toward our responsibilities as God’s children: to live godly in this age (Titus 2:12) and be witnesses of Him and His way of life before the world (Matthew 5:16; Philippians 2:14-15; I Peter 2:12). The author of Hebrews explains that the faithful, whom Jesus says are not of this world (John 17:14, 16), “seek a homeland. . .. But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country” (Hebrews 11:14, 16). In seeking their heavenly homeland, they take on its characteristics and model them before the world. If we think on these things as we begin our prayers to our heavenly Father, we should be in the right frame of mind to communicate with Him effectively. ———————————————————————————- Reprinted with permission from: Church of the Great God https://www.cgg.org/ ———————————————————————————- |
| The Model Prayer (Part Three): Hallowed Be Your Name (Copyright) by Richard T. Ritenbaugh (Charlotte, North Carolina) |
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 Jesus’ Model Prayer begins with a salutation to the Father in heaven. It continues—as many ancient greetings to deities or royalty do—with a desire for His blessedness and reign to increase. In the ancient Middle East, petitioners of kings and emperors used exultant language to praise and honor their lords. For instance, when Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego addressed Nebuchadnezzar after he called them before him for refusing to bow before his golden image, they said: “O king, live forever!” (Daniel 3:9; see also Daniel 2:4; 5:10; 6:6, 21; I Kings 1:31; etc.). “Long live the king!” (I Samuel 10:24) conveys a similar sentiment. A related blessing or wish of well-being also appears in letters and royal decrees. Darius’ declaration lauding the God of Israel after pulling Daniel from the lion’s den expresses his wish, “Peace be multiplied to you,” to everyone in his empire (Daniel 6:25; see Ezra 4:17; 5:7; 7:12; etc.). Biblical writers, especially the apostle Paul, use this form in their epistles, praying for God’s blessing on the recipients: “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 1:7; I Corinthians 1:3; II Corinthians 1:2; Galatians 1:3; etc.). However, as a salutation, our Savior’s words in His instructive prayer, “Hallowed be Your name” (Matthew 6:9), stand alone in its request. It faintly echoes David’s address to God in Psalm 8:1, “O LORD, our Lord, how excellent is Your name in all the earth” (see also verse 9), but Jesus’ formula adds the elements of holiness and the desire for an increase in the true worship of God. Its memorable and concise phrasing demands further examination. 1. What does it mean to “hallow” something? Exodus 20:11; Jeremiah 17:24. Comment: “Hallow” or “hallowed” appears 31 times in Scripture and only twice in the New Testament, both in versions of this prayer (Matthew 6:9; Luke 11:2). The Greek word underlying it, used 28 times, is hagiazō, which means “to separate, consecrate; cleanse, purify, sanctify; regard or reverence as holy” (Mounce’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words). Many modern translations of Matthew 6:9 drop the traditional literal translation of Matthew 6:9 to explain the verse in simpler terms: “. . . may your name be treated as holy” (Lexham English Bible); “. . . your name be honored as holy” (Christian Standard Bible); “. . . may your name be kept holy” (New Living Translation). In the Old Testament, hallowing or sanctifying a thing appears most often in contexts dealing with God Himself or the Sabbath. In reality, only God can make something truly holy, as when He created and hallowed the Sabbath by resting on the seventh day (Genesis 2:1-3). The best sinful humans can do is to regard or treat a sanctified thing as holy, and so God commands in the fourth commandment, “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy” (Exodus 20:8). Jeremiah 17:24 illustrates that people can hallow the Sabbath—treat it as holy time—by doing no work on it. In other words, humans hallow something God has sanctified by obeying His instructions regarding it. 2. Why does God want people to treat His name as holy? Exodus 20:7. Comment: In our culture, one’s name means little, most often merely as a way of identifying and distinguishing people. We can glimpse how significant it was to people in biblical times when we realize that we link reputation or prestige to a person’s name. We use phrases like “he ruined the family name” or “his name is mud” to express that someone is of low repute or character. An individual’s name meant far more than that in ancient times. Then, a person and his or her name were bound together, the name representing the person’s essence. In the Old Testament, certain persons’ names defined them. For example, Jacob means “heel-catcher,” characterizing his underhanded, deceptive nature, but God renames him Israel, “one who prevails with God,” after his conversion. Christ Himself is named Jesus, “Savior.” God’s names likewise identify His character traits: He is Eternal, Creator, Almighty, our Banner, our Healer, our Sanctifier, our Peace, our Righteousness, our Shepherd, our Master, etc. Thus, the request in Matthew 6:9—and God’s command in the third commandment (Exodus 20:7)—means more than just how we use or pronounce God’s names. It implies that we revere what God’s names stand for. He desires that we regard His names and thus Him and His character reverently, taking the pursuit of Him and His way of life seriously as a matter of profound aspiration. 3. How can one hallow God’s name? Isaiah 29:22-24; Colossians 3:17. Comment: Recall that “hallow” (hagiazō) has the basic meaning of “to separate.” It pictures one thing separated from another or many things into groups. For instance, when growers reap their crops—say, apples—they divide the produce into various categories according to size and quality. Workers segregate the usable but less attractive apples for crushing into applesauce while packaging the high-quality fruit for sale at grocery stores. A similar idea is present in hallowing or sanctifying something: The best is put in its own category and treated with greater care. In the case of God, people are to put Him in His own exalted category, in which He has no rivals. As He says of Himself in Isaiah 46:9, “For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me.” The apostle Paul declares in Ephesians 3:14-15 that “the whole family in heaven and earth is named” from the Father, meaning that He is the ultimate Ruler over all things. Further, “God has highly exalted [Jesus Christ] and given Him the name which is above every name” (Philippians 2:9). These facts should establish that His excellent name is truly the highest in all the universe, and He is due all praise and honor and obedience for His sovereign position over all things in heaven and earth. The proper response of His people, then, is to come to a true understanding of God and learn to follow His teachings, as He prophesies Israel will do once He gives them His Spirit in the age to come. The elect are currently experiencing this process in this age, absorbing His teaching and through many trials figuring out how to practice His ways, continually keeping Him in the center of their lives. They hallow His name in their praise of Him and in their obedience to Him in every word and deed. In the end, “Hallowed be Your name” expresses the supplicant’s desire to please the Father in every facet of life and witness His glory to the world. ———————————————————————————- Reprinted with permission from: Church of the Great God https://www.cgg.org/ ———————————————————————————- |
| The Model Prayer (Part Four): Your Kingdom Come (Copyright) by Richard T. Ritenbaugh (Charlotte, North Carolina) |
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 In the salutation to His Model Prayer, Jesus draws immediate attention to the Father’s divine nature and holiness (Matthew 6:9). His intention is to fix the petitioner’s mind on the preeminence and purity of Almighty God so that the individual realizes his place within the relationship. The person who prays to the Father is a lowly supplicant seeking favor and help from the most high and holy God. Jesus’ words in Matthew 6:10 continue this theme of God’s superiority. In English, “Your kingdom come” sounds like a request or desire for a future, divine government to establish righteous rule over this world. While this prophetic interpretation is a correct view—and probably the most common one—it points to far more: God’s ultimate sovereignty. His rule is not limited to the future Kingdom that Jesus Christ will bring with Him at His return but is a present reality, especially for those He has called into it in this age. When added to the traits of divinity and holiness, God’s sovereignty completes a powerful triad that both humbles and assures a petitioner before His throne. He has brought his requests before One who has the right, the character, and the authority to grant them, which sparks and sustains confidence—faith—that God will decide in his favor. Every prayer reminds the child of God that he can trust his divine Sovereign to act in his best interests. 1. What does “the Kingdom of God” entail? Matthew 3:1-2; Mark 1:15. Comment: Even before Christ’s ministry began, the prophet John prepared the way for Jesus’ central message: “The kingdom of God is at hand!” Ironically, the idea of a “Kingdom of God” was not new. It is the Old Testament’s core idea, for Israel was God’s Kingdom on earth, the nation over which God ruled directly. John the Baptist’s cry in the wilderness signified a change in understanding that Jesus would explain throughout His ministry and inaugurate through His church. The Greek word underlying “kingdom” is basileia (Strong’s #932), which means “a kingdom” or “a realm,” that is, the area or country that a king governs. However, it can also denote “royal or kingly power, authority, dominion,” a king’s reign or rule, or even his royal dignity. So, it not only speaks of a king’s geographical domain, but it also refers to his authority and right to govern—in other words, his sovereignty. The idea of the Kingdom of God, then, is not limited to a specific place or even a particular time. It is the reign or rule of God wherever and whenever it is in effect. Thus, the apostle Paul can write in Colossians 1:13 that God’s converted people have already been “conveyed into the kingdom of the Son of His love.” Jesus’ ministry proclaimed the good news of the coming of that Kingdom, but not just its culmination in the dim mists of the future. He announced that the Father was opening an entrance into that Kingdom immediately for a chosen few (John 1:12-13; 6:35-40; see Matthew 22:1-14). Those who responded positively to His call would come under Christ’s rule in this life (Luke 12:32; John 4:23-24; Acts 2:39; I Thessalonians 2:12; Hebrews 12:28). 2. How extensive is God’s sovereignty? Psalm 145:13; Ephesians 1:18-23. Comment: There is no limit to the dominion and rule of God. Paul describes it in I Timothy 6:15-16: . . . He who is the blessed and only Potentate [margin, Sovereign], the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, who no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting power. Amen. The God we serve possesses all authority and power in the universe. No one stands above Him. Kings and other leaders of this world have their positions only at God’s leave (Daniel 4:17; Romans 13:1). While it may appear to an individual’s eyes that the world is in chaos and evil men have seized control of events, the great Sovereign of the universe maintains His dominion over all things. He is bringing His plan to fruition despite the machinations of men and the seeming hopelessness of present circumstances (Isaiah 46:10-11; 55:11; Ezekiel 12:25). We need never doubt His power and authority both to accomplish His grand purposes and provide for our relatively inconsequential needs. 3. If God’s Kingdom will be established through His inevitable sovereignty, why must we pray for it to come? Hebrews 10:22-23. Comment: When a converted person prays, “Your kingdom come,” he confesses his hope to God, voicing his desire for God’s direct rule, which he shares with the undisputed Lord over all things. In this way, he comes into a unity of purpose with Him and asks God to continue accomplishing His purpose, not only in him but also in others whom He will call and prepare for the same goal (see I Timothy 2:3-4; Romans 10:1). As the author of Hebrews suggests, this expression of solidarity with God’s purpose is founded on the sure reality of His faithfulness (see I Corinthians 1:7-9). This petition also requests that God move world events toward the return of Christ to establish His Kingdom on earth. In this way, the petitioner expresses his desire for the dissolution of this current, evil, anti-God system and the arrival of goodness and peace for all. This is the sense of the first-century Christian cry, “Maranatha!” an Aramaic term that means “O Lord, come!” (I Corinthians 16:22; see Revelation 22:20). It calls out for the end of humanity’s sins and miseries and the beginning of a new world where God dwells with men and all the faithful have entered the joy of the Lord (see Revelation 21:3-5; Matthew 25:21, 23). ———————————————————————————- Reprinted with permission from: Church of the Great God https://www.cgg.org/ ———————————————————————————- |
| The Model Prayer (Part Five): Your Will Be Done (Copyright) by Richard T. Ritenbaugh (Charlotte, North Carolina) |
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 Jesus Christ’s Model Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13) begins with three petitions that comprise a set: “Our Father who is in heaven, [1] may your name be treated as holy. [2] May your kingdom come, [3] may your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:9-10, Lexham English Bible). In short, one who prays is to ask for God to receive due reverence, His plan to come to fruition, and His instructions to be followed. These three requests concern spiritual matters, indicating that such things should be top-of-mind for those who approach God’s throne. The third of these petitions, asking for the Father’s will to be done on earth as in heaven, contrasts the obedience of God’s heavenly servants with the general disobedience and rebellion among earthly humans. When God commands an angel to do something for Him, the angel responds immediately and carries out his task thoroughly (Daniel 9:20-23; 10:10-14). However, in Romans 8:7, the apostle Paul describes human beings as at “enmity [hostile, hateful, having deep-seated ill-will] against God; for [the carnal mind] is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be.” Through David, speaking of “the children of men,” God says, “They have all turned aside, they have together become corrupt; there is none who does good, no, not one” (Psalm 14:2-3). The petition requests, not just help for the petitioner in obeying Him, but a sea-change in the attitude of humanity toward God and His instruction. God’s plan involves bringing all humanity into subjection to the Father (I Corinthians 15:23-28). Paul, quoting Isaiah 45:23, writes, “As I live, says the LORD, every knee shall bow to Me, and every tongue shall confess to God” (Romans 14:11). The prayer’s third petition looks forward to this day while reminding the Christian that he must himself imitate the Father’s angelic servants in carrying out God’s will with enthusiasm and devotion. 1. What is God’s will? Romans 12:2. Comment: Technically, discussion of personal will involves an individual’s volition: the ability to make conscious choices and decisions, including communicating intentions (wishes, desires, plans) and issuing commands to make his will known. God created human beings in His image and likeness, and since men and women have personal wills, we can be sure that God does as well. As He is the Supreme Being, His will prevails in the universe. He has revealed His will throughout His Word, the Bible, and it will be done (Isaiah 55:11; Matthew 5:18; Hebrews 6:17). His will, then, is what God wants to occur both in His overarching purpose (see Ephesians 1:11; Revelation 21:1-7) as well as in individual lives (see Jeremiah 28:11; I Timothy 2:4). The apostle Paul assures Christians that God’s will is “good and acceptable and perfect.” In one sense, our lives as servants of Christ, through a process of transformation of the mind from carnal to godly, are dedicated to discerning His will, realizing its wonders and benefits, and conforming to its demands until we share the mind and character of God (Hebrews 13:20-21). As Jesus says in John 7:17, “If anyone wills to do His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God or whether I speak on My own authority.” 2. How can a person know God’s will? Deuteronomy 29:29. Comment: God’s will can be known through revelation, which is the supernatural disclosure of God’s purposes and instructions through various means such as direct communication, inspiration, visions, dreams, and signs. As mentioned earlier, God has assembled these revelations in the sixty-six canonical books of the Bible, both the Old and New Testaments. Isaiah 8:16 prophesies that God’s testimony—the fullness of His revelation, which Paul calls “the whole counsel of God” (Acts 20:27)—would be bound and sealed among Christ’s disciples, establishing the biblical canon for all time. If this is the proper interpretation of this verse, it precludes any “new revelation.” We have in God’s Word all we need for salvation. 3. How can a person understand God’s will? I Corinthians 2:9-16. Comment: While the words of God’s revealed will have been read by millions or billions of people in the pages of the Bible, they cannot be understood except in the most basic way without the engagement of God’s Holy Spirit. As Paul writes, “Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God” (I Corinthians 2:11; see John 14:16-17, 26; 16:13-15). Without the anointing of the Holy Spirit given through the laying on of hands (Acts 8:17; 9:17; II Timothy 1:6), Scripture’s revelations are veiled in mystery. Yet, with it, an individual can “have the mind of Christ” (verse 16). In the context of His parables, Jesus tells His disciples in Matthew 13:11, 16, “[I]t has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them [the great multitudes] it has not been given. . . . But blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear.” This remarkable, unique gift of His Spirit puts all of God’s people under the obligation to seek His will in everything and practice it with understanding and diligence. In this way, the saints put on the new man day by day and make a proper witness of God’s grace and righteous way of life. ———————————————————————————- Reprinted with permission from: Church of the Great God https://www.cgg.org/ ———————————————————————————- |
| The Model Prayer (Part Six): Our Daily Bread (Copyright) by Richard T. Ritenbaugh (Charlotte, North Carolina) |
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 Depending on how we count its phrases, Jesus Christ’s Model Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13) can be said to contain eight of them. The first four cover addressing, praising, and harmonizing with God and His purposes, particularly the advancement of His Kingdom. The prayer does not turn to the supplicant’s physical needs until the fifth phrase, beginning with, “Give us this day our daily bread” (verse 11). Yet, even this phrase contains more than meets the eye. As the “staff of life,” bread is a well-known catchall term for food in general. In turn, the idea of God’s supplying food to His creatures stands for His wondrous providence of everything necessary to maintain human life. Humans also require water, air, shelter, clothing, temperate climates, and many other necessities of life. God provides all these things and more on a second-by-second basis. In our prayers, Jesus wants us both to acknowledge what God provides so freely and abundantly and to convey our extraordinary needs to Him as the Giver of all good and needed things. 1. What is “our daily bread”? Exodus 16:4-5, 14-24. Comment: In Matthew 6:11, Jesus is probably alluding to one of the great miracles of all time, God’s supplying of food to the Israelites in the wilderness every day for 38 years, except on the weekly Sabbath. In this daily miracle, a substance the Israelites called manna (meaning “What is it?”)—later poetically called “bread of heaven” and “angels’ food” (Psalm 78:23-25)—appeared on the ground each morning in quantities sufficient to feed millions of people. It lasted only one day; leaving it over for another day would cause it to breed worms and stink. So, the miracle of manna became a test for the Israelites to trust God to feed them adequately each day. Our Savior’s expression, “our daily bread,” is not an easy one to pin down because the Greek word for “daily,” epiousion (Strong’s #1967), appears in the New Testament only in Matthew 6:11 and nowhere else in Greek literature. Depending on the root word they link it to, scholars argue that the word can mean “necessary” or “essential”; “for this day” or “daily”; “for the following day”; or “for the future”! Early church fathers like Chrysostom understood it to mean “daily” or “for the coming day,” assuming that a Christian would pray in the morning upon awakening and ask for food sufficient for that day’s activity. In another context in His Sermon on the Mount—in fact, later in this same chapter—Jesus uses the phrase “sufficient for the day” (Matthew 6:34), and He may intend the same idea in the Model Prayer. The context in which it appears is a passage on not worrying about physical needs like breath, clothing, food, and drink (Matthew 6:25-34). He urges His disciples to exercise faith in God to supply their needs, which He already knows and readily fulfills for those whose primary priorities are seeking His Kingdom and righteousness. 2. Does physical bread have a spiritual counterpart? Deuteronomy 8:3; Matthew 4:4; Luke 4:4. Comment: In Deuteronomy 8:3, God draws a straight line between the Israelites eating bread He supplied from heaven and consuming and using His Word. The miracle of the manna was a daily lesson to impress on them that real living requires the individual to conduct his life in obedience to God’s instructions. He urges them in Deuteronomy 30:15-20 to “choose life,” which He defines as “to love the LORD your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments, His statutes, and His judgments, that you may live and multiply; and the LORD your God will bless you . . .” (verse 16). Jesus’ response to the Devil’s temptation in Matthew 4:4 and Luke 4:4, where He quotes Deuteronomy 8:3, strikes the same chord. He was famished, having fasted for forty days, and Satan suggested that He could save Himself the weakness and pain by turning stones into physical bread, something the Creator God could easily do. But Jesus understood the Adversary’s temptation: to put His physical life before His spiritual life. He would never do this, knowing that, as the apostle Paul would later put it in Romans 14:17, “the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” Our requests for daily bread, then, also cover instruction from God through His Word to enhance our walk on the path to His Kingdom. As Peter advises in II Peter 3:18, “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” Paul concurs, writing, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom” (Colossians 3:16), “increasing in the knowledge of God” (Colossians 1:10), and “rightly dividing the word of truth” (II Timothy 2:15). Scripture commends the Bereans of Acts 17:11 for “receiv[ing] the word with all readiness, and search[ing] the Scriptures daily,” just as the Model Prayer suggests. 3. Does bread have an even higher antitype? John 6:32-40, 48-58. Comment: Jesus Christ titles Himself “the Bread of Life”: “For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world” (John 6:33). Our Savior not only gave His life in sacrifice for the remission of sins, but He also says that He gives His flesh and blood to those who believe in Him so they can have eternal life. The metaphor Jesus uses in this chapter—which the Jews considered to be horrific and macabre—parallels others found in Scripture like “putting on Christ,” “putting on the new man,” and “walking in His steps.” Notice John 6:56: “He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him.” The verbs “eats” and “drinks” are active case present participles, suggesting ongoing activity. Those who continue to feed on or ingest Christ—symbolic of learning about Him, obeying Him, imitating His example, and growing spiritually—remain in an active relationship with Him. When we ask God to give us our daily bread, we ask for far more than food for our stomachs. It is a request for complete nourishment for our bodies, our minds, and our spiritual lives, for the only sure, life-giving sustenance comes from God Himself. ———————————————————————————- Reprinted with permission from: Church of the Great God https://www.cgg.org/ ———————————————————————————- |
| The Model Prayer (Part Seven): Forgive Us Our Debts (Copyright) by Richard T. Ritenbaugh (Charlotte, North Carolina) |
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 Among the three personal requests Jesus includes within His Model Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13)—for daily sustenance, forgiveness, and deliverance from evil—only the middle one receives additional comment. Jesus’ commentary appears in verses 14-15: For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. His instruction clarifies the second half of the request in verse 12 (see Luke 11:4): “And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors” (emphasis ours throughout). Our Savior wants to ensure that His disciples do not miss the severe implications of seeking forgiveness while withholding forgiveness from those who have wronged us. As God freely forgives those He calls—despite their horrendous sins against Him—He expects the elect to follow His example and show mercy to others. The verb tenses in this request, faithfully translated into English, are instructive. The petitioner asks God to forgive him as he has already forgiven those who have sinned against him. Luke’s version of the Model Prayer adds a slight twist, reading “for we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us,” which in Greek is in a continuous tense, perhaps better rendered, “as we keep forgiving.” These tenses suggest that God’s original forgiveness at justification is a singular act of grace on His part, but our ongoing forgiveness contains a condition: If we fail to reciprocate forgiveness toward others, God may withhold His mercy from us. 1. What does it mean to “forgive”? Mark 1:20; 5:37; 7:8; 11:25; 12:19; 14:6. Comment: The Greek word behind “forgive” in Matthew 6:12 is aphiēmi (Strong’s #863), which in classical Greek meant “to send off” in a variety of nuances: “to hurl [a spear],” “to release,” “to let go,” or “to let be.” In Scripture, it is often used in the sense of “to leave,” as in Mark 1:20, where Zebedee’s sons “left” their father to follow Christ. It can also mean “to set aside,” used in Mark 7:8 to describe the Pharisees “laying aside” God’s law in favor of their traditions. In Mark 12:19, the Sadducees try to entrap Jesus with a story about a man who dies and “leaves his [childless] wife behind.” When the woman anointed His feet with costly oil in Mark 14:3-9, Jesus uses aphiēmi in the phrase “let her alone” (verse 6). Sometimes, it can mean “to allow” or “to permit,” as in Mark 5:37, where Jesus allowed only Peter, James, and John to witness His transfiguration. The Greeks used aphiēmi to mean “to remit” or “to forgive or pardon” in both a secular (to forgive monetary debt) and religious (to forgive a fault or sin) sense. It describes a dismissal or release from obligation. As its many usages suggest, the spiritual sense not only implies absolving a sinner from paying what he owes (Mark 11:25), but it also retains the undertones of “laying aside,” “leaving behind,” “letting go,” and “leaving alone.” When God forgives someone, the debt is wholly removed, never to be revisited or reinstated; it is “laid aside,” “left behind,” “let go,” and “left alone.” It should be the same when people forgive others. 2. Is forgiveness just a legal transaction? Ephesians 4:32; Colossians 3:12-13. Comment: Notice how Jesus phrases this request: “And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.” It may seem insignificant, but in this way, Jesus emphasizes the human element of the process of forgiveness: We are to forgive the person, not just the infraction. If a person remits a debt on a purely business or legal level, the forgiveness is real, but it has a negligible impact on the relationship between the debtor and debtee. The transaction has been essentially faceless and emotionless, and while the debtor is undoubtedly grateful, there is scant guarantee of a continuing association. Instead, God desires not just forgiveness but also reconciliation. The debt, offense, or sin has caused a breach in the relationship, and forgiveness removes the hindering element so the involved parties may return to peaceful, positive, harmonious interactions. He has reconciled us to Him through the blood of Christ (Colossians 1:19-21), and He wants us to reconcile with others, especially those in the faith from whom we have become estranged by sin or offense. 3. Do we have any justification for withholding forgiveness from others? Matthew 18:21-35. Comment: Jesus illustrates His teaching on forgiveness in the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant. Peter asks in verse 21, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” He probably thought seven times was extremely magnanimous and merciful, as his figure was well beyond the three times rabbis taught was sufficient. Yet, Jesus demolishes His disciple’s reasoning, answering, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.” Effectively, He teaches there is no limit to how often we should forgive a brother for trespasses against us. The parable supplies the reason for Christ’s insistence that we always forgive: The Father, seen in the character of the king who remits the ten-thousand-talent debt, has shown us boundless compassion by forgiving us of our many egregious sins against Him. He asks the unforgiving servant, who would not pardon a coworker’s pittance of a debt, “Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?” (Verse 33). In the next verse, Jesus says the one who would not forgive was “delivered . . . to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him”—the entire ten thousand talents! Jesus grimly summarizes His point in verse 35: “So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses.” God is serious about His people forgiving one another. It is a necessary first step to restoring harmonious relationships and living in peace. It is an act of love toward our neighbor that reflects the outgoing concern of God Himself toward us, a necessary component of the godly character He is creating in us. ———————————————————————————- Reprinted with permission from: Church of the Great God https://www.cgg.org/ ———————————————————————————- |
| The Model Prayer (Part Eight): Testing and Deliverance (Copyright 2023) by Richard T. Ritenbaugh (Charlotte, North Carolina) |
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 Of all the requests to the Father in Jesus’ Model Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13), the opening couplet of verse 13 has stirred the most controversy. The traditional wording, “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil” (King James Version [KJV]), has come under fire by some modern translators, who argue that not only is this wording imprecise, but it also creates a biblical contradiction. In James 1:13, the apostle, Jesus’ half-brother James, writes, “Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am tempted by God’; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone.” In the next verse, James plainly states that our desires entice us into temptation. If we retain the traditional wording of the Model Prayer’s final request, it forces us to choose between opposing claims: Jesus’ intimation that God can lead a person into temptation versus James’ assertion that God does not tempt anyone. Here, the scholarly debates over the last request’s translation reveal an easy solution to this apparent contradiction. Evidently, the KJV translators sacrificed precision for poetic rhythm and easy memorization when rendering the Greek of Matthew 6:13 into early modern English. In fact, of the four primary words in the couplet— “lead,” “temptation,” “deliver,” and “evil”—only one of them, “deliver,” fits the context without causing theological complications. However, better word choices easily resolve these difficulties. 1. Does God sometimes lead us into temptation? Exodus 16:4; 20:20; Deuteronomy 8:2. Comment: The Greek verb translated as “lead” in Matthew 6:13 is eispherō, which literally means “to bring or carry into.” Many translators claim that “lead” is an acceptable rendering of this word in English, and many Greek lexicons list this definition. However, “bring” and “lead” differ in terms of intent: “Bring” tends to be neutral about motive, whereas “lead” implies the leader has a reason or intention for doing so. The basic Greek word for “lead” is agō and its various forms, which this context does not contain. (However, see Luke 4:9, which records that Satan “brought” [agō] Christ to the pinnacle of the Temple in Jerusalem to be tempted.) The use of “lead” suggests that God sometimes willfully directs us into temptations, and a believer must implore Him not to. The more egregious mistranslation is using the word “temptation” with “lead.” James 1:13 asserts that God never tempts anyone, a role the Devil gleefully fills to undermine believers’ faith (see Luke 4:13; Ephesians 6:16). The underlying Greek term, peirasmos, can indicate a temptation but more broadly implies a test or examination. God tests and examines His people “to know what [is] in [their] heart, whether [they] will keep His commandments or not” (Deuteronomy 8:2). Godly “testing” or a “test” that leads to stronger faith would seem to be Jesus’ intent in using peirasmos in Matthew 6:13. Thus, His words suggest, “Do not bring us to hard testing” (The Good News Translation), or more idiomatically, “. . . do not put us to the test” (The Revised English Bible). In this way, the request asks God to be merciful in testing and evaluating us. As David writes in Psalm 103:13-14, 17-18: As a father pities his children, so the LORD pities those who fear Him. For He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust. . .. But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him, and His righteousness to children’s children, to such as keep His covenant, and to those who remember His commandments to do them. 2. From what or whom does God deliver us? John 17:15; II Thessalonians 3:3; Hebrews 2:14; I John 5:18. Comment: The second half of the couplet, “but deliver us from the evil one,” begins with alla, a word commentators call a “strong adversative” or a “logical contrastive.” It indicates that what follows is rationally opposed to what has been previously stated. Like many such sayings in the Old Testament’s wisdom literature, the couplet is proverbial, expressing related ideas with contrasting clauses (see, for instance, Proverbs 10:1; 12:2; 14:4; etc.) . The deliverance (ryomai) that dominates this half of the couplet has the common sense of “rescue,” “save from harm,” or “deliver out of peril.” It pictures a vulnerable, even helpless person being dragged out of severe danger. Spiritually, it suggests rescue from a powerful opponent who overmatches the one under threat. The final word, usually translated as “evil” or “the evil one,” is Greek ho ponēros, meaning “that which harms.” Most modern translations render this phrase to indicate Satan the Devil, the Adversary of God and humanity (see also Matthew 5:37; 13:19, 38). In a first-century context, when the idea of a universal spiritual adversary was commonly held, referring to the personal source of evil would have given Jesus’ statement added force. The complete request, then, has the sense of, “Do not bring upon us sore testing, but rather rescue us from our mighty Adversary.” 3. How does God rescue us from Satan’s temptations? Job 1:6-12; 2:1-7; 42:1-6; Matthew 4:1-11; Luke 4:1-13. Comment: The story of Job is instructive in showing God’s people how He allows Satan to afflict them in various ways to test their faith. The narrative depicts the Adversary as impertinent toward God and eager to cause Job loss, heartache, and harm. However, he cannot touch him without God’s express permission, and He places boundaries on how much he could afflict the man. In contrast to Satan’s attitude, God defends Job’s righteousness and faithfulness, confident in his strength to withstand the Devil’s attacks. Job ultimately proves God right, not only refusing to “curse God and die” but also growing in understanding, faith, and appreciation for his God in the end. The narratives of Christ’s temptation in Matthew 4 and Luke 4 teach how the very Son of God overcame Satan’s enticements to sin. Most obviously, Jesus meets every potential trap with a quotation from God’s Word, providing Him with the knowledge and authority to counter Satan’s challenges. With such weapons and commitment to doing His Father’s will, He resists the Devil in faith, and he flees from Him (James 4:7; I Peter 5:8-9). Even with our comparatively weak faith, we can follow His example of resisting Satan’s temptations, and God will add His help to “deliver us from the evil one.” ———————————————————————————- Reprinted with permission from: Church of the Great God https://www.cgg.org/ ———————————————————————————- |
| The Model Prayer (Part Nine): Kingdom (Copyright 2023) by Richard T. Ritenbaugh (Charlotte, North Carolina) |
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 Most noticeably, Jesus’ Model Prayer in Matthew 6:9-13 differs from Luke’s version (Luke 11:2-4) in its ending, adding, “For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.” Some Bible translations note that this doxology (“a liturgical hymn or verse glorifying God”) is not present in the oldest manuscripts, and they either leave it out or relegate it to the margin. However, a majority of later manuscripts include it. Several early ancient documents, including the Didache (c. AD 100) and the Apostolic Constitutions (ad 375-380, composed of some earlier works) attest to its authenticity. Jews of Jesus’ day would not have ended a prayer without a doxology and “Amen.” Even if it did not appear in the original text of Matthew’s gospel, it is an appropriate and theologically sound way to end a prayer. As theologian William Hendriksen comments on this verse, “It would be difficult, indeed, to frame or devise a more fitting close.” After the three personal requests in verses 11-13, it returns the petitioner to acknowledging God’s ultimate sovereignty over all things, His tremendous power, and His eternal glory. The doxology leaves the praying individual with God on his mind as he returns to his responsibilities in the world. 1. Does the doxology in the Model Prayer parallel other New Testament doxologies? II Timothy 4:18. Comment: The apostle Paul ends his second letter to his protégé, Timothy, with a similar verse of praise that many consider to be based on the one in Matthew 6:13. Others believe it worked the other way around—that the church later interpolated a heightened form of Paul’s doxology into the Model Prayer. Whatever the case, both doxologies appear to be modeled on a much earlier Hebrew glorification of God given by King David: Yours, O LORD, is the greatness, the power and the glory, the victory and the majesty; for all that is in heaven and in earth is Yours; Yours is the kingdom, O LORD, and You are exalted as head over all. Both riches and honor come from You, and You reign over all. In Your hand is power and might; in Your hand it is to make great and to give strength to all. (I Chronicles 29:11-12) Another example of a New Testament doxology is Jude’s ending to his epistle: Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, to God our Savior, who alone is wise, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever. Amen. (Jude 24-25) The four living creatures, the twenty-four elders, and innumerable angels around God’s throne in heaven declare something similar: » You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and by Your will they exist and were created. (Revelation 4:11) » Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom, and strength and honor and glory and blessing! (Revelation 5:12) » Blessing and honor and glory and power be to Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, forever and ever! (Revelation 5:13) » Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom, thanksgiving and honor and power and might, be to our God forever and ever. Amen. (Revelation 7:12) A careful reader of Scripture will find such passages of praise repeatedly. Discovering a concluding doxology in Matthew 6 is not surprising and is, in fact, expected. We can be confident that “adding” it to the Model Prayer is appropriate and necessary to complete our reverential communication with the Most High God. 2. What is the import of saying, “Yours is the kingdom”? Luke 1:33. Comment: The English translation of Matthew 6:13 hides what may be the true meaning of this declaration. Underlying “kingdom” is the Greek word basileia, which indeed means “kingdom.” However, it also can mean “dominion,” “sovereignty,” “kingly power,” “authority,” “reign,” “rule,” and “royal dignity.” Here, used alongside “power” and “glory,” it most likely suggests the abstract ideas of dominion and sovereignty rather than a tangible kingdom. As it ends, then, the Model Prayer reminds the praying individual that God rules over everything. It is reminiscent of what Nebuchadnezzar heard from the angel during his second dream: “. . . the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, gives it to whomever He will, and sets over it the lowest of men” (Daniel 4:17). Nebuchadnezzar himself twice says, “For His dominion is an everlasting dominion, and His kingdom is from generation to generation” (Daniel 4:3, 34). God controls everything, and nothing happens in heaven or on earth without His oversight. It is a comforting reminder. 3. Why does Jesus want us to acknowledge God’s power? Revelation 1:8; 11:17. Comment: Power is a significant theme throughout the Bible, particularly God’s power compared to the power of Satan, men, kingdoms, etc. Its insertion in the Model Prayer reminds the petitioner not just of mere power but of God’s power, which is omnipotence. He is the Almighty God, the Old Testament’s El Shaddai (Genesis 17:1) and YHWH Sabaōth (“Lord of Hosts”; Psalm 24:10; Isaiah 2:12). He is “the Lord God Omnipotent [pantokratōr, “all powerful”],” as the heavenly host names Him in Revelation 19:6. Because all power resides in Him, He can perform and provide all that is necessary to fulfill His purpose and care for us. Nothing is too difficult for Him to accomplish. The apostle Paul makes God’s almighty power personal to us in Philippians 4:13: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens [empowers] me.” Remembering that the God who lives in us possesses all power and will use it for our benefit as He wills can give us great confidence. 4. What is the significance of “glory forever” in the doxology? II Corinthians 3:18. Comment: Jesus’ mention of “glory forever” in closing His Model Prayer ends His instruction with a reminder of our goal. Glorification is the final event of the sanctification process (see Romans 8:28-30) that God puts His elect through as He forms and shapes them for eternal rulership in His Kingdom. It is the completion or full realization of salvation. For His firstfruits, this event occurs at the return of Christ (see Matthew 24:29-31; I Corinthians 15:50-54; I Thessalonians 4:15-17; I John 3:1-2; Revelation 11:15-18). Note, however, Jesus’ wording in Matthew 6:13: “For Yours is . . . the glory forever.” While His thought includes our eventual glorification, He forces us to remember that God is the Source of all glory and that His entire plan and purpose is for His glory, not ours. As Paul writes in Ephesians 3:21, “. . . to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” As we end our prayers with such words, we praise Him for His awe-inspiring and eternal excellence and splendor while simultaneously humbling ourselves in His august presence. 5. What does “amen” mean? Psalm 106:48; Revelation 3:14. Comment: The Hebrew term amen comes from a verb meaning “to be firm” and is thus understood to mean “truly,” “surely,” or “let it be so.” In its frequent usage across the Bible (30x in the Old Testament and 129x in the New), it serves as a declaration of affirmation or agreement, usually to a prayer or doxology. We use it in the same way today. Jesus regularly employs it to mean “truly” or “assuredly” to stress the authority of a declaration He then makes. For instance, He frequently says, “Assuredly [often doubled for added emphasis in John’s gospel—translated as “Most assuredly”], I say to you . . .” (see Matthew 10:15; Mark 13:30; Luke 12:37; 21:3; John 3:3; etc.). In these cases, it sometimes marks a surprising statement, reversing what most hearers or readers would expect. The Bible also uses “Amen” as a name or description of Jesus Christ. In Revelation 3:14, He calls Himself “the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness.” By doing so, He confirms that He and His Word are trustworthy. We can have faith that His promises, counsel, and judgments are always good and reliable. ———————————————————————————- Reprinted with permission from: Church of the Great God https://www.cgg.org/ ———————————————————————————- |
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