LORD'S PRAYER OR DISCIPLES' PRAYER?

 The Lord's Prayer or the Disciples' Prayer?

Well, I am referring to the famous prayer that the Lord Jesus taught his disciples. It begins with the words, "Our Father in heaven.....". This prayer teaches us a lot about what prayer is all about. For many, prayer is approaching God with a 'shopping list'! But Jesus teaches us that prayer is markedly different. 

1. Who is God?

 'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name'

God is addressed as 'Father'. The Aramaic word that Jesus would have used is 'Abba'. A Jewish child calls his father 'Abba'. God is not seen as a king or a judge but primarily as a father. A father is someone who lives with us in our home. He is so close to us. He loves us, understands us, and cares for us. God is our father. He is an immanent God. The opening pronoun is plural. God is addressed Our Father. This is not a prayer for our individual needs, it is a prayer for all the disciples. 

     Yet, God is a Father who is 'in heaven'. He is a heavenly being, distinct from us, different from us. He is almighty. He can do anything. He is omniscient. He knows everything. He is eternal. He has no beginning or end. We cannot understand anything about him unless He reveals himself to us. He is a transcendent God.

So, as we pray, we acknowledge who God is.

The first request is, 'hallowed be your name'. It means God's name will be treated holy. God will have the honor and glory that He deserves. So, before telling about any other need, we need to express our desire to see God's name honored in our lives as well as in the world.