Catechism – Week 25 – Prayer

What is the Role of Prayer in the Life of the Christian?

Jesus taught his disciples to pray with the following prayer from Matthew 6:9b-13 (ESV):

Our Father in heaven,

To whom do we pray?
We pray to God the Father to show his loving care for us, but also his greatness.

hallowed be your name.

What does hallowed mean and why does it begin the prayer?
When we pray “hallowed be your name” we pray that in all things God’s name is honored and glorified. Jesus teaches us that God’s glory should be our chief concern.

Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven

Why do we pray “your kingdom come…?”
Because our chief concern is God being glorified we pray for his kingdom to come and will to be done. In this way, we join God in the work he desires to do in this world to make it new.

Give us this day our daily bread

What is our “daily bread?”
Our “daily bread” stands for all of our needs. We pray with confidence to our caring Father to provide them.

Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors

Why do we pray for forgiveness?
As we pray for God to be glorified and for his kingdom to come, we realize that we haven’t lived this way often, so we pray that God would forgive us. Our forgiveness is limited to how we forgive others.

And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from [the evil one]

Why do we pray that God would not lead us into temptation but deliver us?
Since our desires are shaped by God’s kingdom, sin is our most hated enemy. We desire that in our own lives we would participate in God’s kingdom, which is shown in resisting sin.

Scripture Memory Verse:

Matthew 6:9b-13 – Our Father who is in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. (NASB)

What is the role of prayer in the Christian’s life?
While prayer does many things, its primary purpose is to draw us to fully participate in what God desires to do in this world and our lives.

Adults and older students are encouraged to receive a fuller explanation from Dr. Tim Tennent (President of Asbury Theological Seminary) by clicking this link.