The Lord's Prayer contains three amazing declarations and three profound petitions.
1. Our Father, which art in Heaven,. hallowed be Thy Name. Declaration
2. Thy Kingdom come, Thy Will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven. Declaration
3. Give us this day our daily bread. Petition
1. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. Petition
2. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Petition
3. For Thine is the Kingdom and the Power and the Glory forever. Declarion
Amen. Agreement with all who have ever said this prayer, starting with the Lord Jesus.
Jesus says “Our Father which art in heaven" This is where all prayer begins = Faith in God. In Mark 11:22 Jesus says, "Have faith in God!" That is where prayer starts, with faith in God. This faith statement, this declaration of God's truth, aligns with the Bible truth. Jesus says we should relate to God, as Father, as part of His family, as children of the living God. And "which art in heaven" speaks of his sovereignty, of being more than earthly, of being over the earth. It speaks of another spiritual reality: heaven, where God is and where we will go.
Then comes a praise portion to the declaration of God's truth -- "Hallowed be thy name!" Holy is your name. This is true. And it is also a praise. God inhabits the praises of His people (Psalm 22).
Then the great declaration comes of what will happen = we believe we will receive it. "Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.” This states what is to come in God's ppart of the prayer represents adoration. This is the part of prayer where one would show his or her high esteem, honor, and admiration for the Lord through exaltation and glorification. As Jesus demonstrates, adoration can be short and to the point. In the Lord’s prayer, there are only two short (yet sincere) statements of adoration.
We have the petition" “Give us this day, our daily bread.” This section of the prayer is the supplication section, in which a request or plea is made. Here, the request is for the day and the daily bread. According to Strong’s Hebrew and Greek Dictionaries, the request for daily bread is literally a request for daily subsistence, or daily needs. This is a material request, yet it is not an extravagant one. This request is indicative of the promises of the Lord throughout scripture that state that the Lord will provide the basic needs of the believer. Where God guides, He will provide.
Forgiveness is a key part of Christianity. We are saved by God's forgiveness. And we are to forgive others. “And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debts, as we forgive our debtors.’’ Jesus is instructing the disciples to ask God for forgiveness of sin through confession. According to Strong’s Hebrew ad Greek Dictionaries, the word forgive in this verse means to lay aside, or to forsake. By the same token, believers are also expected to forgive those who have sinned against them in the same manner. When a believer prays, they are therefore to ask for forgiveness from the Lord, and to also have a heart open to forgiving those who have wronged them.
Then Jesus asks God the father to “lead us not into temptation, but to deliver us from all evil: Once again, Jesus presents a request before the Father. However, the request is a spiritual request rather than a material request. Christ asks the father to deliver him and his disciples from all evil. According to Strong’s, this evil refers to anything hurtful, including calamity, illness, malice, and from the devil. This model instructs the believer to not only petition the Lord for material needs , but also for spiritual blessings.
"For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.” The prayer ends with a great declaration of Who God is and what is God's. It has an element of praise and adoration, but it also calls the future God has promised to come to pass. Amen is an agreement with everyone else in all the ages who have said or who will say this prayer. It means -- SO BE IT! The word "amen" by itself is a declaration of God's power and goodness.
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