Matt 6:9-13
Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.

10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

11 Give us this day our daily bread.

12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil:

For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.   -KJV

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The Greek Text:

Ἐλθέτω* ἡ βασιλεία σου· (elthetō hē basileia sou)

Come the Kingdom of yours

What is the Kingdom?

For years when I have prayed- “Thy Kingdom come,” I only a vague idea about what I was praying for. Usually my focus was on the end of history when Jesus comes back and sets up his Kingdom and rules the World. Other times I viewed the Kingdom as merely another word for the church.

However when you look at the original Greek word used here for ‘Kingdom’ it seems to offer so much more that could apply to this life. The Greek word is: ‘Basileia’. It doesn’t necessarily refer to a geographical location like a country, but means: ‘rule’. So wherever God rules, there is his Kingdom. So when we pray for his Kingdom to come, we are really praying for an extension of his rule and authority. Continue reading →

Matt 6:9-13
Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.

10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

11 Give us this day our daily bread.

12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil:

For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.   -KJV

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-“Hallowed be thy name”

The “Hallowed” part is something I glossed over quickly for years without understanding that it was really a declaration of worship. I knew it meant that God was ‘holy’ but never gave it much thought. I was always in a hurry to get to the “give us” part.

Greek Text:

Ἁγιασθήτω τὸ ὄνομά σου· (Hagiasthētō to onoma sou)

Hallowed be the name of You or

“Let it be hallowed- the- name- of thee”

It really is a statement of praise and worship of God. What it literally means is- ‘God let your name be known and consecrated and set apart as holy or sacred.’

The Point is—we really do need to take the time daily to worship God—he is God and we are not.

Continue reading →

Matt 6:9-13
Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.

10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

11 Give us this day our daily bread.

12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.   -KJV

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-“Our Father…which art in Heaven”

Greek: Πάτερ ἡμῶν ὁ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς· (Pater hēmōn ho en tois ouranois)

Literally: “Father of us who in the heavens”

Notice, Jesus didn’t say “my” father or “the” father, though most of the time we look upon God as being ‘The’ Almighty God and Father of creation. But Jesus specifically said “Father of us”–“our” Father and included his disciples as part of his family—the family of God.

Continue reading →

Matt 6:9-13:
Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.

10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

11 Give us this day our daily bread.

12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil:

For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.   -KJV

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It was a cold rainy winter’s evening in January 2010 (Cold for Southern California).

I was running later than I planned to be, rushing to be on time for a Prophetic/Marketplace Conference at church (Vineyard Community Church, Laguna Niguel CA). I was part of the Ministry team that was supposed to be available for praying for folks during and at the end of each session. We were expecting a full house and had seats reserved for us at the front. But if I got there late, after the start of the service, I would probably have to sit way out in the back rows.

Still half a mile away I impatiently waited for the light to change and then took off for the next. Before I got half a block ahead to the next light, The Lord had downloaded to me a better understanding of the Lord’s Prayer. After that I was no longer in a hurry. My priorities had changed and all I wanted to do is get into a seat and write down what I had been given.

In essence the Lord told me:

“You have been praying the Lord’s Prayer all of your life…now it’s time to live it!”

The Lord told me that within the prayer itself is a summary for victorious ‘Kingdom living.’—that it contained keys for revival and for walking in the Kingdom daily.

Since then I have not only used the Prayer as an outline to direct my daily prayers but also as a reminder of how I need to live daily.

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This is the Introduction and first article in a series on the Lord’s Prayer: ”Victory in ‘Living’ The Lord’s Prayer”

In this series, I hope to share some of the insights given to me about how to incorporate the prayer in our daily lives.

Also we will look at the use of the Lord’s Prayer in early Christian history and explore the meaning of the words themselves and the implications for us in daily living and maintaining a closer relationship with the Lord. Continue reading →