Lord’s Day, Vol. 14 No. 40

Teach Us to Pray

Luke 11:1-4 (KJV) And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples. 2 And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth. 3Give us day by day our daily bread. 4 And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.

The precepts of prayer are taught here by our Lord Jesus Christ. Prayer is communion with God. 

The Lord’s Prayer provides seven pertinent elements of prayer. Our Lord is giving us the principles of

prayer. The believer is to express his prayer based on these principles. This is a simple and yet most profound outline on the doctrine of prayer.

(1) Preface (v2a): Our Father which art in heaven,

(2) Praise (v2b): Hallowed be thy name.

(3) Preach (v2c): Thy kingdom come.

(4) Power (v 2d): Thy will be done as in heaven, so in earth.

(5) Provision (v3): Give us this day our daily bread.

(6) Pardon (v4a): And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us.

(7) Protection (v4b): And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

It begins with addressing God the Father and acknowledging His abode enthroned in heaven. It begins with Praise – Hallowed be thy name. Heaven is “Paradise” where God dwells. It is the eternal refuge promised to the dying thief on the cross who called upon Jesus, “Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43). The word “hallowed” comes from the root word “holy.” It means “to honour as holy.” It proclaims the holiness and sacredness of God’s Name which is worthy of our greatest fear and reverence. Because He has made us holy! He has set us apart for Himself as His sons and daughters. He has sanctified us, and given to us this familial relationship through His Son. Here is the connection and the rightful development of this prayer. Why is the Father worthy of praise? It is the Father who so loved us that He sent His Son to save us. We have so much to thank God for. So this first petition is “Praise.”  The praise of God proclaims God’s merit or worth. It is man’s most worthy and reverential acknowledgement of God.

Preach (v2a) – The fact that we can be made holy must cause us to want to share this good news with others. It is ushering the Father’s eternal blessing upon the believers that causes us to pray that He will send us forth as His ambassadors in obedience to Jesus’ first commandment to the church, “… All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen” (Matt 28:18-20).

Power (v2d) – This third petition acknowledges the sovereignty of God that He rules over all in heaven

and on earth and is in charge. There are no powers that are not subjected to the Almighty power of God. The will of God cannot be thwarted by men. This is a prayer of submission to the divine rule of God in our lives.

Provision (v3) – Give to us the bread of our necessity, the bread that suffices for each day. This is a prayer to God to take care of our physical needs. May our heavenly Father supply and furnish our needs. The bread that we need, do give to us today, and day after day. This is a prayer acknowledging that God is the Sustainer of our physical well-being. The emphasis is on the action of God supplying. Notice the order of priority in the mind of God. We must always acknowledge Him first. It is a rightful attitude because we are creatures of God’s creation.

Pardon (4a) – The word “forgive” emphasizes the nullifying of our debts. It is an entreaty to God to write off our debts. What is the meaning of “debts”? It refers to “that which we owe” to God. What are these? These are the sins of omission, the things that we ought to do but we do not! How is it measured? It is measured by God’s Holy Laws as summarized in the Ten Commandments.

Protection (v4b) – “And lead us not” expresses a negative command or prohibition forbidding the occurrence of an action, giving a warning, an exhortation against yielding to temptation. Temptation

is that which brings us down and causes us to fall; while testing or trial is that which builds us up! 1 Corinthians 10:13 tells us that for every temptation, God will provide us a way of escape. Luke 11:4

is a prayer for spiritual strength to overcome temptation. It is a prayer for God’s protection. The word “deliver” is a plea for God Himself to deliver us from evil. “Evil” in Greek has a definite article attached to it. It refers to the evil one, Satan himself. Only God can deliver us from Satan. Satan is the tempter. We pray in this petition that God would guard and keep us, so that the devil, the world and our flesh may not deceive us, nor seduce us into mischief, despair, and other great shame and vice. Though we are assailed by them, we can still overcome and obtain the victory. (Martin Luther’s Small Catechism).

The 7am Service

We have concluded The 7am Service this year on 29 September 2026. Praise the Lord for His marvellous grace. Amen. 

Yours lovingly,

Pastor Lek Aik Wee