God
Speaks to Us
We live in a world
full of problems. All around the world,
we see wars and disease and poverty and many other types of suffering. Some
people blame God for their troubles, others see the world’s problems as proof
that there is no God. Here in our
country, we see our freedoms being used by some to promote lifestyles we know
are immoral. We see our politicians, in
whom we put our trust to govern our country, looking out for themselves rather
than for us. Scientists tell us there is
no Creator -- we are all a result of chance -- and that we are our only savior
from the problems of this world.
How do we answer
these ideas? How do we cope in a world
full of problems? Is God far away from
us, leaving us to fend for ourselves in this life – or is he near, offering his
help in our times of troubles? The Bible
assures us that our Lord is near to us, in fact he lives in us and we live in
him (1 Jn 4:12-15). He speaks to us and
we speak to him. God speaks to us
through what is written in the Bible.
Whenever the message of the Bible is shared with us or with others, God
is speaking. Through his Word he teaches
us, corrects our errors, and trains us for holy living.
Although we may find
it hard to understand why God allows this world to continue the way it is going,
if we dig into Scripture, we find that God has the answers to our
questions. God has the answer to all the
really big questions. The answers
to these questions allow us to deal with the many smaller, day-to-day problems
which bother us.
I.
God tells us why we have troubles in this life.
Read Genesis 1:10,
12, 18, 21, 25, 31. What does God tell
us about how he made the earth?
Genesis 3 tells us why
the world is no longer perfect – we have sinned. So what is and what isn't the cause of all
the problems we see around us today?
Tell the specific
consequence mentioned in each of the following verses which result from our
rebellion against God, then tell how this consequence is really a blessing to
us.
Gen 3:16
Gen 3:17,18
Gen 3:19
Gen 3:21
Gen 3:23
Because of our
rebellion, what are we by nature? Eph
2:3
What does God say of
the human race? Rom 3:9-18 Are there any exceptions to
this? Rom 3:23
When does God first
consider a child sinful? Ps 51:5; 58:3
Many Christian
groups teach that God does not recognize guilt in a child until an ‘age of
accountability’. Where does this
teaching come from?
What results when
our sinful nature governs our behavior?
Gal 5:19-21
Furthermore, what
can we expect as time marches on? Matt
24:4-14
Job asked God why he
was suffering so, when he could think of no reason for his suffering. How did God answer him? Job 38:3-18 and 40:7-14
Summarize what God
tells us about why this world has so many problems:
II.
God comes with a solution to our problems.
The prophet Daniel
recognized the only solution to our sinful rebellion, and he reminded God of
the solution when he
prayed (Dan
9:9). The solution, simply put, is that
God _______________________ us.
Why does God come to
rescue us from our sinfulness? Lam 3:22,
Jn 3:16
The problem of sin
is a much bigger problem than we can solve.
How has God solved this problem for us?
Rom 3:21-26
Rom 4:25
How do we grab on to
this righteousness and forgiveness from God?
Rom 3:22; 4:24
How does this work
of Jesus help us with the day-to-day sufferings we experience in this
life? Rom 5:1-11
Think of an example
of something in your life which causes you to suffer. Think about how this suffering has benefited
you by producing perseverance, character, and hope in your life.
In spite of the fact
that there are many things which cause us to suffer in this world, God comes to
us with comfort in the middle of our suffering.
God allowed the
apostle Paul to suffer with an unnamed problem throughout his ministry, which
Paul called “a thorn in my flesh.” What
good did Paul say this suffering produced?
2 Cor 12:7
Although Paul prayed
to God to have this suffering removed, what was God’s answer? 2 Cor 12:8-10
God promises many
things to us in Scripture. But one thing
that he does not promise, is that when we have troubles and we pray to him for
help, that he will take the troubles away from us. Rather, he promises to help us grow as we
experience the troubles and hardships.
Our status as
forgiven children of God puts us under an obligation, however. What does Paul say will follow as we believe
and take comfort in what God has done for us?
Rom 6:1-14, esp vv 12-14
What do we call this
change in our behavior?
What does God say is
necessary for each person in order to be saved?
Ez 18:30-32, Luke 13:5, Acts 17:30
Discuss: Do we repent in order to be forgiven, or do
we repent because we are forgiven?
Is repenting a
one-time act on our part, or a continual part of our lives?
God wants more than
just simple repentance, however. What
does God mention that he wants as part of a repentant life? 2 Cor 5:18-20, Matt
28:18-20
What is a very
effective way to tell others how God has changed our lives? 1 Pet 2:12
III. How God Speaks to Us
In the Bible, we
have many examples of God speaking his Will directly to human beings. Abraham, Moses, Samuel, David, and the
prophets who wrote the Old Testament all heard God speaking ( 2 Pet 1:21). In the New Testament, Peter, Paul and John
are recorded as having received words from God.
Some Christians today teach that God still speaks directly to his people,
and encourage them to speak in tongues, which are supposed to be messages from
God.
But what does
Scripture tell us is the way God speaks to us?
2 Tim 3:16a
Is there enough in Scripture
for us to stand up to the troubles and temptations of this life? 2 Tim 3:16b-17
Since not everyone
reads the Scripture, how does God speak to those who do not read the Bible? 2 Cor 5:20
How can we speak to
others even if we do not know the right words to say to them? 1 Pet 2:12
What phrase
summarizes what God wants communicated to all people? Luke 24:47, Acts 2:38, 5:31
IV.
Properly Sharing what God has told us
Paul wrote to young
pastor Timothy with words of advice on how to conduct the ministry of the
Church properly. Two passages can be
mentioned which summarize God's directive to pastors. Tell why each of these is so important:
1 Tim 4:16
2 Tim 2:15
The history of the
Christian church is not one where the lifestyles of the leaders were good
examples to the average person, nor was the doctrine watched closely. Over the centuries the message God had spoken
was obscured by ideas of sinful men.
Although many voices tried to reform the church over the years, it was
not until Martin Luther that proper biblical preaching was restored. Luther summarized God's message as the 'Law'
and the 'Gospel.' The reformers recognized
three ways the Law is used:
A) Rom 2:14-15 All people have a basic knowledge of right
and wrong. 1 Tim 1:8-10 This basic knowledge speaks to all people,
telling them that certain behaviors are always wrong. This protects society as a whole from
outbreaks of evil.
(See Rom 13:5) In this way the Law functions as a ___________.
B) Rom 3:20; 7:7 The Law makes people aware that they fall
short of what God expects of them. In
this way the Law
functions as a
______________.
C) Rom 12:2 As Christians, we ought to live by the
desires of the 'New Man' who lives in us.
As we do, we use God's
Law to tell us what
is God's Will in day-to-day circumstances.
In this way the Law functions as a _____________.
The reformers
recognized two parts to the Gospel. Each
part comes only to those who believe.
A) The first, that
Jesus took on our sins and we take his righteousness (2 Cor 5:21), means (Rom
3:21) we are freely
_______________________
in God's eyes. This part is called
____________________________.
B) The second part is a
motivation that begins the moment we believe, and continues throughout our
entire lives. Where does the motivation
begin? Rom 12:1,2; Phil 3:7,8;
Col 3:2
We do not just
believe what God has done for us, we respond with a change in our behavior
(James 1:22ff), and we try
to conform more and
more to God's Will (Eph 4:24). This part
of the Gospel is called ________________________.
Both justification
and sanctification become ours the moment we believe the Gospel. Although God tells us that we are dead in our
sins at birth, what does he say occurs the moment we believe? John 5:24
Sanctification and
Justification
God's act of justification is
supernatural -- it was done totally by God for us. God's act of sanctification is natural -- it
is done through us, using our sinful nature, our weak emotions, and our
limited talents and abilities to break our rebellious will. God's act of justification was a one time
act, accomplished 2000 years ago by the sinless life of Jesus, and by his death
on the cross. His life and death was all
that was needed to completely secure forgiveness for all the world (Heb
7:27; 2 Co 5:17-21). But sanctification is an ongoing process,
worked in us daily to a greater or lesser degree as we cooperate with or resist
the work of the Holy Spirit in us.
Jesus mentions these two parts
to the gospel in his Great Commission to us (Mt 28:19-20). He says, "Go and make disciples of all
nations, baptizing them .... and teaching them to obey...." Through baptism, God comes to us with the
comfort that he has justified us and made us his children. Through teachings of obedience, the Holy
Spirit leads believers into lives of service to God.
God speaks through
Paul in 2 Tim 2:19, with two statements called the 'solid foundation' of the
Church. The first: "The Lord knows those who are his"
brings us comfort as we remember that he has forgiven us all our sins,
and he will provide for us with everything we need. This statement summarizes our justification.
The second: "Everyone who confesses the name of the
Lord must turn away from wickedness" commits us to live our lives
for our Lord. This statement summarizes
our sanctification.
Summary:
As we share God’s
Word with others, we remember to share both law and gospel – this is the
message of repentance and forgiveness.
The Law, functioning as a mirror, makes people realize their sin and
their need for a savior. The Gospel brings
them comfort, showing them that God has forgiven them because of Jesus’ perfect
life and innocent death in our place. As
people believe this message, they have a new life – eternal life.
When we share the
Gospel, we also share the commitment Christians make to living the new life
given to us. We speak of daily
repentance, or our life of sanctification to describe this commitment. We use the Law as a guide to living our lives
according to the Will of the God who saved us.
Prayer is an
important part of living the new life in Christ. In prayer, we take time to carry the desires
of our heart to God. Jesus himself
taught us to pray. In the rest of this
study, we will examine what Jesus taught about praying to our heavenly Father,
by considering that special prayer we call The Lord’s Prayer. We will especially consider how each section
of the prayer reminds us of the comfort
God has for his people, and their commitment
to living for him.
We
Speak to God
Part 1:
An Overview of the Lord's Prayer
The Lord's Prayer is recorded
only twice in the Bible, at Matthew 6:9-13 and at Luke 11:2-4. Matthew records the prayer with seven
petitions, Luke with only five. No doubt
our Savior taught his followers how to pray on many occasions, this prayer
serving only as a model as to what they should request from their
Heavenly Father. As a model prayer, we
notice its shortness. Each of the
petitions is short and concise, making the entire prayer very short.
Why are short
prayers sufficient? Matt 6:8; Ps 139:4
1 Sam 16:7; Ps 37:4
As a model prayer,
we also notice that it is a corporate prayer, that is, a prayer in which
we pray together with other children of God.
"Our Father...", "give us today our
daily bread, forgive us our debts," etc. What does this teach us?
Mention should also
be made of the types of petitions in this model prayer. Only one petition asks for earthly needs to
be fulfilled, all the others deal with spiritual needs. Which petition is this?
Let us emphasize
spiritual needs as we pray, and let God take care of our earthly needs!
1. Read Matthew 6:5-8 Discuss the main issues Jesus teaches about
prayer in:
a) verses 5 and 6
b) verses 7 and 8
2. If God knows what we need before we ask him,
and if he promises to give us everything we need (Mt 6:33; Ps 145:19), why is
it necessary to pray for these things?
(Considering Mt 7:12 in the context of Mt 7:7-12 contains one possible
answer.)
3. As we teach our own children to pray, what
things can we do to teach them that:
a) we are to pray as part of the
larger body of believers
b) we are to emphasize our
spiritual needs, and let God take care of our material needs
4. Can we conclude that God does not want us to
pray about a personal, material concern?
(see Eph 6:18)
5. Although we are given a model prayer to
emulate, should we worry that our prayers might not be accepted if they do not
follow the model? (see Rom 8:26,27)
6. List some of the needs of the larger body of
believers – both WELS and nonWELS -- that we should pray for.
Part 2: The Address -- "Our Father in
Heaven"
In his use of the
word translated "Father," Jesus departs from traditional Jewish thought. The Aramaic term, "Abba," which
corresponds more closely to our word "Daddy," is used. In no literature of Judaism is this term for
God found.[1]
What is Jesus
teaching us by using this term? That is,
how is addressing God as 'Daddy' different from addressing him as 'Father'?
What kind of Father
does God assure us he is? Ps 103:13
Actually, what kind
of children are we really? Eph 1:5; Rom
8:23
What comfort this
brings to Christian hearts! For we have
a God who adopted us out of Satan's care and who cares to regard us as his own
dear children!
But these words are
more than just comfort, they are a commission.
As God's children, like all children, we have what obligation?
Eph 6:1; Col 3:20
What command sums up
all that the gospel commits us to do? Jn
15:17; 1 Jn 4:21
What example did the
Old Testament believers have to illustrate God's care for them? Deut 1:29-31, esp. v 31
Read Luke
11:5-8. What does Jesus teach us here
about the way we can pray to our Father in heaven?
What can we learn
from Jesus' words in Luke 11:11-13?
Fathers who care
about their children want to train them to stand on their own two feet in this
difficult world. Read Hebrews 12:7-11
and Romans 5:3-5. What comfort do
Christians have to strengthen them during their times of suffering?
Our natural parents
are not always the best examples to us.
But what comfort do we have regarding our relationship with our Heavenly
Father? See Ps 27:10
God desires that
children obey their parents, as seen by the strict punishment which was part of
the Old Testament law (Deut 21:18-21).
Discuss how these passages relate to the lifestyle we commit ourselves
to because we call God our Father:
a) Prov 13:1 and 15:5
b) 1 Jn 2:3-6 and 3:21-24
7. How important is the matter of
obedience? After all, we have the sure
comfort that all our sins, past and future, are forgiven in Christ. We are justified by faith, not by works. Look up each of these passages which speak of
obedience and answer each question or finish each sentence.
a) Ro 1:5 What comes from faith?
b) 2 Co 9:13 What accompanies our confession?
c) 1 Pet 1:2 To what purpose
were we chosen to be saved?
d) 1 Jn 5:3, 2 Jn 6; How do we show love to our Heavenly
Father?
e) Ez 36:24-32 is a promise
about our New Testament era. Where do we
get the power to obey our Father's commands? (v 27)
Summary: As we pray 'Our Father in heaven', what is
our comfort, and what is our commission?
Part 3: The First Petition --
"Hallowed be your name"
God revealed his
name to Moses as Jehovah, or Yahweh.
This is written in the NIV Bible as LORD. What meanings do these passages give to the
name Yahweh?
Ex 3:14
Ex 34:6,7
God's actions toward
mankind, throughout history, are repeatedly said to be performed "for his
name's sake", that is, for the sake of his reputation. Read these passages, what does God do for his
name's sake?
Ps 79:9
Ps 23:3; 31:3
Ps 106:7,8; Ez 20:5-10
Is 48:9-11
How is the meaning
of God's name, and the things he does for his name's sake, a comfort to us?
God's name, although
holy in and of itself, is made holy among men whenever, wherever, and however
his name is confessed before them. As
Christians, we realize that we bear the name of Christ, our God (see Jer 15:16),
and our actions either hallow or dishonor that name.
As parents, what
should we commit ourselves to doing in order to hallow God's name?
As members of our
congregation, what should we do to hallow God's name among ourselves?
As members of
society, how can we hallow God's name among the people we live and work with?
Conversely, we
desecrate God's name whenever our words or actions proclaim that we, not
Christ, are the lords of our lives. When
we pray the words "Hallowed be your name," we are committing
ourselves to avoiding what kinds of behaviors? Titus 2:12
Let us never forget
how our attitudes and actions are seen by our friends, coworkers, and
neighbors. The attitude we express to
others about the functions in our local congregation is often interpreted as
the attitude we have toward our Lord.
Wherever we go, as Christians, we stand in an invisible pulpit which
preaches more loudly than the words we speak.
Read these passages, to what actions are we committed to as bearers of
God's name?
a) Ex 20:7 -- i) Lv 19:12
ii)
Mt 5:33-37; Ja 5:12
iii)
Ro 2:21-24
b) Mt 5:14-16
Summarize: What is our comfort, and what is our
commission as we pray this petition?
Part 4: The Second Petition --
"Your kingdom come"
Perhaps many Christians,
as they pray this petition, think of the coming of Christ at the end of time,
or of going to heaven when they die. We
all take comfort that our Lord will preserve us through the troubles of this
life and someday take us to our heavenly kingdom (as in 2 Ti 4:18; and in Mt
25:34). And certainly we pray that our
Lord will come quickly and make that kingdom our reality (Rev 22:20). It is not wrong to remind ourselves of these
aspects of God’s kingdom, but this is not the primary intent of this petition. God's kingdom is present on the earth
already, although it is not a kingdom "of this world." He rules through his Son in the hearts of all
his faithful.
In a very real way,
whose kingdom is this present evil world?
2 Co 4:4; Eph 2:2
What did Jesus
announce at the start of his ministry?
Mk 1:15
What has God the
Father done through Christ? Col 1:12-14
God's kingdom has
come to each one of us who believes.
What comfort do we get from knowing this?
a) Jn 5:24,25
b) 1 Co 6:11
We pray that God's
kingdom will come to all people. What
are some specific things we should be praying for?
a) Mt 9:38
b) 2 Th 1:11,12
c) 2 Th 3:1,2
d) Lk 6:27,28
e) Ps 122:6,7
f) Col 4:3,4
What other actions
besides prayer do we commit ourselves to do to help the kingdom come to others?
a) 1 Pt 2:12
b) Heb 10:24,25
c) 1 Pet 3:15
Summarize: What comfort do we remember as we pray this
petition, and what do we commit ourselves to doing?
Part 5:
The Third Petition -- "Your will be done on earth as it is in
heaven"
The will of God is
clearly given to us in Scripture. Tell
what is specifically mentioned as being God's will in these passages:
1 Tim 2:4
John 6:40
We realize as we
pray this petition that God's will is in direct conflict with our natural will,
and that some of the greatest obstacles to fulfilling God's will on earth lie
in our innate unwillingness to carry it out.
(Rom 8:5-8; Gal 5:17) We take
comfort, then, that not our will, but our Father's, is being done. And we pray that this continue.
As we pray,
"your will be done," we are also committing ourselves to living
according to his will. What do these
passages teach us about our ability to live in line with God's will?
Phil 2:13
Rom 12:2
What other specific
things does God teach us are his will?
a) 1 Pt 2:15
b) 1 Th 4:3
e) 1 Th 5:16-18
What is true of
unbelievers? Whose will do they do? 2 Tim 2:26
When we plan
things--anything--how should we plan?
James 4:13-15
What comforting
promises should we be reminded of as we pray this petition?
a) Mt 10:29-31
b) Mt 12:50
c) Heb 13:20,21
What do we commit
ourselves to doing?
b) Ps 143:10
c) Ep 5:17
d) 1 Pt 3:17
e) 1 Pt 4:1,2
Summarize: What comforting truths do we remember as we
pray this petition, and to what do we commit ourselves?
Part 6: The Fourth Petition --
"Give us today our daily bread."
In this petition we
ask God for enough food for today. How
many other petitions of the Lord's Prayer are prayers that our material needs
will be met?
Since the prayer
Jesus taught has this balance between material and spiritual requests, what
does this balance teach us about our priorities between feeding our bodies and
feeding our souls?
Why do we pray only
for the bread for TODAY?
a) Mt 6:25-34
b) Ja 4:13-15
What comforting
promises should we think of as we pray this petition?
a) Ps 37:25,26
b) Phil 4:19
What should we
commit ourselves to doing, since we look to God for everything?
a) 1 Tim 6:6-8
b) 1 Tim 2:1,2
c) Mt 6:33
d) 1 Pt 5:7
e) Ja 2:15,16
Summary: What are the comforts and commission of this
petition?
Part 7:
The Fifth Petition -- "Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who
sin against us."
Forgiveness is the
core of the gospel, and God describes it to us in many ways. Tell the particular phrase God uses in each
of these passages to describe the way he forgives us our sins.
Ps 32:2
Ps 51:7; Is 1:18
Ps 103:12
Is 43:25
Is 44:22
What familiar
parable of Jesus illustrates God's forgiveness?
God's forgiveness is
total. There is no such thing as
partial forgiveness, a forgiveness of some sins but not others. On Judgment Day, when we all appear before
the judgment seat of Christ (2 Co 5:10), we will stand there either with all
our sins covered and hidden by the blood of Christ, or we will stand there with
all our sins condemning us. This is
explained in Ez 18:19-32.
Forgiveness is not
only our comfort against the Law of God, it is also at the center of our
commitment to the gospel. For unless we
forgive others their offenses, we have no forgiveness for ourselves, as Jesus
emphasized a second time after teaching his followers this prayer (Mt 6:14,15),
and as he also taught using the parable of the unmerciful servant (Mt
18:21-35). List the two main points of
this parable:
v 33
v 35
Using God's
forgiveness of us as the example of how we need to forgive others, who should
try to 'mend fences' first, you, or the person who offended you?
How does this
compare to what Paul says in Romans 5:8?
Knowing that God has
forgiven all our sins against him means that we must also forgive ourselves
for the things we have done in the past.
Surely each of us has sinned against God, either intentionally or in
ignorance, in ways we admit to no one.
Do we harbor thoughts that haunt us about our past or present sins? How many Christians, although believing and acknowledging
Christ's complete forgiveness, cannot seem to forgive themselves? One of the fruits of faith in Christ is to be
able to put out of our minds the mistakes we’ve made in the past, and to live without
feelings of guilt about those mistakes.
Cf Phil 3:13,14
What were some
things in Paul’s past that he had to put behind him?
Can any of our past
sins be as bad as that?
QUESTIONS FOR
DISCUSSION:
1. What moved God to forgive us?
a) Titus 3:5
b) 2 Tim 1:9
c) Eph 1:7
2. As you share God's love with others, you may
find it useful to have a ready list of passages which describe the comfort of
God's forgiveness in various ways. One
useful tool is to write such a list onto a blank page in your study Bible. Here is the start of such a list. Write each reference, followed by a phrase
which summarizes the comfort this passage brings.
Ps 103 Ps 130:3,4,7 Ps 86:5
Ps 32:1,2 Ex 34:6 Ez 18:21-23
Is 1:18 Is 44:22 Mic 7:18-19
Ro 4:7,8
3. What actions on our part accompany the
forgiveness we receive from God?
a) Prov 28:13
b) Ac 5:31; Ez 18:30-32
c) Mt 18:3,4
4. Being forgiven places us under an
obligation. What responses are told to
us in these passages?
a) Eph 4:32
b) Col 3:12-14
5. Agree or disagree: forgiving = forgetting
Summarize once again
what we should be thinking about as we pray this petition: What is our comfort and what all do we commit
ourselves to doing when we pray “forgive us our sins”?
Part 8:
The Sixth Petition -- "And lead us not into Temptation"
"Temptation is
always present when we place our own well-being higher than God's Will."[2] And since our own natural will is at odds
with God's will, temptation is often the more attractive of any two choices
before us.
We may often think
of the apostle Paul as a 'super-Christian.'
Yet what does he confess about his day-to-day living? Rom 7:14-25
We are told that
Jesus learned obedience to his Father as he suffered through and resisted
temptations (Heb 5:8; 2:18). What
specific lessons might God have been teaching Jesus through each of the
temptations in the desert (Matt 4:1-11)?
“tell these stones to become
bread”
“throw yourself down” from the
temple
“all this I will give you”
What examples do we
have in our own lives where temptations come to us which are similar to the
three that Satan brought to Jesus in the desert?
What two things do
we learn from James about temptations?
a) Ja 1:2-4
b) Ja 1:13-15
What specific
lessons do you think was God trying to teach individuals through each of the testings
listed in these passages?
a) Gen 3:1-6
b) Num 11:4-9
c) Job 1 & 2
d) 2 Co 11:3,4
Temptations come
from many places. List the type and
source of temptation named in each of these passages.
a) Num 12:1-12
b) Prov 30:7-9
c) Matt 14:31
d) 1 Tim 6:9-10
e) 2 Thess 3:6-13
f ) 1 Jn 2:16-17
g) 1 Jn 4:1-3
What advice did
Jesus give to his disciples to help them withstand temptations? Luke 22:46
What comforting
thoughts does Scripture give us on temptation?
a) 1 Co 10:13
b) Heb 4:15
c) Heb 2:18
d) Ja 1:2,3,12
e) 2 Pt 2:9
To what do we commit
ourselves to doing?
a) Mt 6:25-34
b) Mt 26:41
c) 1 Co 10:12
d) Gal 6:1-5
e) Heb 12:1
f) 1 Cor 6:18; 10:14
g) Ep 6:13-18
h) 2 Pt 3:17
Summarize the
comforts we should have in mind, and what we commit ourselves to as we pray
this petition.
Part 9: The Seventh Petition -- "But deliver us
from the evil one"
This petition continues the
thought begun by the sixth petition. Not
only do we pray for strength to resist temptations that spring from desires
within us, or from the enticements of the world, but now we pray for
deliverance from Satan himself. What
does Scripture tell us about Satan? (1
Pt 5:8)
But what assurance
do we have regarding God’s love for us? (Ro 8:37,38)
We pray this
petition with the utmost comfort because of what Christ has done for us. He has conquered the evil one and freed us
from the slavery and fear of death (Heb 2:14,15)! Oh, the wonderful works of God! Though we are rebellious sinners, Christ has
died to rescue us (Ro 5:8)! Though we
were children of the evil one at birth (Eph 2:1,2), God has adopted us as his
very own (Eph 1:5) and prepared for us an inheritance which will never perish
(1 Pt 1:4). As parents, let us pass on
that comfort to our children, that they may respond with lives which are led by
the Spirit and are victorious over Satan.
QUESTIONS FOR
DISCUSSION:
1. What does it mean to deliver someone from
something?
a) Ps 7:1,2
b) 2 Pt 2:7-9
2. What are we praying to be delivered from?
a) Gal 1:4
b) 1 Jn 5:19
3. What comforting stories can we be reminded of
as we pray this petition?
a) Daniel 3
b) Daniel 6
c) Ac 12:1-10
4. Psalms which speak of deliverance: Ps 34
Ps 37 Ps 46 Ps 69
Ps 116
5. What is our responsibility to do as we pray
this petition?
a) Eph 6:10-18
b) 1 Co 14:20
c) 2 Th 3:1-5
Summarize: What comforting promises do we think of when
we pray this petition, and to what do we commit ourselves?
The Doxology: For yours is the kingdom and the power and
the glory, forever. Amen.
Although this doxology is not
given in the oldest copies of Matthew or Luke that have been found, it appeared
as part of the Lord's Prayer very soon after Jesus' death. The Didache, an early Christian
instruction manual written in the first century, is the oldest known document
to contain the Lord's Prayer with the doxology.[3] In the Jewish prayer tradition, it would have
been impossible to end a prayer without a conclusion such as this.[4]
With this doxology,
we – like Jesus praying in the Garden of Gethsemane (Luke 22:42) -- acknowledge
to our Father that our desire is not the fulfillment of our wishes here
in time, but his wishes. We take comfort
in knowing that, despite how at times it may seem as if Satan has the upper
hand, this is always God's kingdom and nothing occurs without his permission
(Mt 10:29,30). And we commit ourselves
to attaining the frame of mind that accepts trying times without complaining,
trusting that all is in our Father's hands.
Heavenly Father, grant that
through this prayer, we may proclaim to our children the comfort of Christ
working for us and the commitment to Christ working in us. Search our hearts, test our thoughts, and
remember our shortcomings, so that by your grace we may be kept on the narrow
way to life everlasting (Ps 139:23,24).
Bibliography:
Jeremias, Joachim, The
Lord's Prayer, Fortress Press,
Philadelphia, PA, c. 1964
Vicedom, Georg F., A
Prayer for the World, Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis, MO, c 1967
This entire Bible
study can be found on the internet at https://beaberean.tripod.com/godspeakswespeak.doc