Besides the Lord’s Prayer, there are hundreds of examples of prayer in the Bible. There are many people from different periods of Biblical history, in different circumstances, who prayed different prayers with different results. There are even examples of people who prayed to false gods.
The first prayer recorded in the Bible occurred in Genesis 18:16-19, when Abraham prayed to God, asking Almighty not to destroy the people of Sodom, where his nephew Lot lived.
But, not considering the Book of Psalms, probably Moses is the one who prayed the most numbers of prayers in the Bible. And indeed, he spoke with God face-to-face, sort of speak.
10 Prayers from the Bible
Here is the list of some prayers from the Bible 11:
- Moses’ prayer that God would forgive Israel for worshiping the Golden Calf (Exodus 32:11-14, 31);
- Moses’ prayer that God’s glory would continue to guide and protect the children of Israel (Numbers 10:35-36);
- Samson’s prayer for supernatural strength that he might destroy his enemies (Judges 16:28);
- Solomon’s prayer asking God for wisdom (1 Kings 3:9);
- David’s prayer that God will not destroy Jerusalem by a plague (1 Chronicles 21:17);
- Manasseh’s prayer for forgiveness regarding his many wicked acts (2 Chronicles 33);
- Job’s two-fold prayer after hearing and seeing God: about Job’s worthlessness and God’s sovereignty (Job 42:1-6);
- Here is the prayer by some frightened pagan sailors in Jonah 1:14;
- Habakkuk’s prayer thanking God for His mercy, power, and salvation (Habakkuk 3);
- And of course, the High Priestly Prayer where Jesus Christ prays for Himself, His disciples, and all believers (John 17).
I encourage you to devote some time and go through these prayers, not just for spiritual growth and wisdom but also to see the glorious character of God. Nevertheless, let us discover the Lord Jesus’ teachings regarding the prayer.
Bible Study
In today’s Bible Study, we continue The Sermon on the Mount, and we are going to study the passage from Matthew 6:9-13 about The Lord’s Prayer – Part 2. Please, check the previous studies on this topic:
- The Beatitudes – Jesus’ guidelines for Believers
- The Similitudes of Beatitudes
- Jesus Christ Fulfills the Law
- Angry Enough to Murder
- Lustful Mind is Corrupted Heart
- Divorce – Matthew 5:31-32
- Vows, Oaths And Foreswearing – Matthew 5:33-37
- Vengeance And Love – Matthew 5:38-48
- Giving of Alms – Matthew 6:1-4
- The Lord’s Prayer – Matthew 6:5-8 – Part 1
The Lord’s Prayer
Jesus’ disciples had seen Him pray many times. They must have made the connection between His intense prayer life and the power He showed in every aspect of life. Finally, one disciple asked Jesus to teach them how to pray. The Lord Jesus gave them a simple, yet powerful, prayer pattern that has come to be known as The Lord’s Prayer 11.
After this manner, therefore, pray (Matthew 6:9). This foreword from Jesus indicates that this prayer provides a pattern to follow rather than a prayer to recite 7. However, it is still a perfect prayer and many people around the globe praying daily. The Lord’s Prayer is the first prayer that my mom (Ukrainian Orthodox Christian) taught me to pray, and I even did not know how to read yet.
The Lord’s Prayer reveals God’s attributes and includes seven petitions. The two main sections of the prayer are divided with the words “thy” and “us” (KJV). The first part centers on God. Only by focusing on the patient, loving Father can we find the attitude that puts our own needs in perspective. The second part focuses on our needs – body, soul, and spirit – and the needs of others 11.
The Pattern of The Lord’s Prayer
The first two words “Our Father” destroy the doctrine of false humility that teaches that in prayer the suppliant should take up a position as far from God as possible, addressing Him by many august titles and that only after a very lengthened prayer the term “Father” may be used with much timidity. But to be timid when God commands boldness is to be disobedient (Hebrews 4:16) 6.
These two words in the Lord’s Prayer “Our Father” present God as a loving, compassionate Father who gives life, provides for and protects those who trust Him.
The Seven Petitions of The Lord’s Prayer
And now, let us see what are these seven petitions on the Lord’s Prayer 11:
The Seven Petitions – God’s matters:
- Hallowed be thy name – shows God’s attribute of holiness. It means to make holy. To hallow God’s name means to honour it as consecrated and sacred. It is not a call to worship but is an imperative of request or entreaty for God to cause His name (“fame”) to be revered 7.
- Thy kingdom come – reveals God’s sovereignty. God has supreme power and authority over everything on earth and in heaven. Also, it presents manifestations (see Matthew 13) and the future cataclysmic coming events (Matthew 22:1-14, 25:31-46). It calls believers to pray for more people to experience God’s grace (salvation), as well as full deployment of the eschatological events.
- Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven – approves God’s authority. God’s perfect will is always being done in heaven. But on earth, human free will results in evil. Thus, we have to ask that God’s will would take place here on earth.
The Seven Petitions – our needs:
- Give us this day our daily bread – shows the attribute of God’s providence. God is able to provide for all our daily needs. Here the Greek word for bread means not just food but every physical thing we need.
- And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors – explains God’s mercy. We often ask God to forgive the sins we have committed. But God will forgive (1 John 1:7,9) us only as much as we forgive those who have wronged us. Since God is merciful He expects us to be His followers. Jesus explains this particular verse further in Matthew 6:14-15.
- And lead us not into temptation – presents the attribute of God’s protection. Thus, we pray for protection from all things that push us to sin. Though the Holy Spirit gives us the strength to withstand the temptations. Also, it is Devil, not God (James 1:13), who initiates the temptation.
- But deliver us from evil – assures us with God’s deliverance. God’s deliverance from enemies is a legitimate concern. We can be confident in our prayer for deliverance because God rescues us from Satan’s evil designs (Psalm 19:13; 1 Corinthians 10:13).
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. (KJV)
The Lord’s Prayer – Forgiveness
Further in Matthew 6:14-15, Jesus expands on the theme of forgiveness. The foundation of forgiveness is that of Ephesians 4:32. Its super-structure is that of verses 14 and 15. If the super-structure is not visible its invisibility declares the absence of the foundation, for those who have truly experienced the forgiveness of their sins for Christ’s sake do forgive those who sin against them 6.
It is possible that the Lord means “if you do not forgive others, God will not forgive you”. But this runs contrary to the very idea of forgiveness, which by definition cannot be earned. It is better to see it as indicating that one’s capacity for forgiving others is tied to the receipt of forgiveness from God 7.
The capacity to forgive others is evidence of one’s forgiveness before God.
Related Posts
- How To Know When A Teaching Is False
- What Is The Desire Of Jesus For You?
- How To Understand The Mercies Of God?
- Give us a Perseverance Heart
- David’s prayer
If you have not yet accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior, why not now!? Please, do not wait until it is too late! Embrace God’s Grace, Mercy and Love now – Accept Jesus Now!
Study Materials Used:
- The Henry Morris Study Bible – KJV
- The Matthew Henry Study Bible – KJV
- The MacArthur Study Bible – ESV
- ESV Study Bible
- Hebrew-Greek Key Word Study Bible KJV
- The Complete Bible Commentary – George Williams
- The Moody Bible Commentary – a one-volume commentary
- Studies in the Sermon on the Mount by D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
- NASB Zondervan Study Bible
- Chronological Life Application Study Bible – NLT
- Rose Book of Bible Charts, Maps, and Time Lines
