Study 2: The Lord's Prayer

9 “This, then, is how you should pray:

“Our Father in heaven,

hallowed be your name,

10 your kingdom come,

your will be done,

    on earth as it is in heaven.”

– Matthew 6:9-10

For the rest of the week we will be looking at the Lord’s Prayer to guide our own. 

“In chapter 4 (of Revelation) God’s sovereignty is seen as it is already fully acknowledged in heaven. This establishes it as the true reality which must in the end also prevail on earth. On earth the powers of evil challenge God’s role and even masquerade as the ultimate power of all things, claiming divinity. But heaven in the sphere of ultimate reality: what is true in heaven must become true on earth. 

– Richard Bauckham

Westminster Larger Catechism Q. 190. For what do we pray in the first request?

In the first request (hallowed be your name), we acknowledge that we and all human beings are completely incapable of honoring God properly and are even disinclined to do so. We pray then that he would by his grace enable and incline us and others to know, to acknowledge, and to esteem him highly, his titles, attributes, regulations, word, works, and everything else by which he is pleased to reveal himself, and to glorify him in thought, word, and deed, to the effect that he would thwart and do away with atheism, spiritual ignorance, idolatry or any kind of desecration, and whatever else dishonors him, and that by his invincible providence, he would direct and regulate everything to his own glory.

Head

1. How do we address God in prayer? 

2. What is the significance of this?

3. What does it mean to “hallow” a name?

4. What is God’s kingdom?  

Heart

1. When you address God as your father, do you really believe that? Why or why not? 

2. Do you find it difficult to hallow God’s name?

3. Are your prayers more concerned with your will being done or God’s?

4. Where do you find it hardest to trust in God’s will?

Hands

1. All Christian churches are part of God’s kingdom. Take a few minutes to pray for some of the other churches we have a relationship  with. Pray for God to use them in growing his kingdom. Consider reaching out to one or two of these churches to let them know you are praying for them and see if they have specific ways you can pray.

   1. Copper Hills Church, Herriman

   2. Corner Canyon Church, Draper

   3. Salt Lake Chin Church (uses our building for worship on Sunday evenings)

   4. The Mission Church, South Jordan

   5. Crossroads Church, Sandy

   6. River Community Church, West Jordan

   7. Crosstower Church, West Jordan

2. Take some of the areas it’s hardest for you to trust God’s will and pray for him to help you trust him more.