warm-up

How do you usually introduce yourself to a stranger? What would you say?

Who of your family members or friends are you most comfortable with? How do you talk to him or her? Why?

Do you quickly apologize when something goes wrong, or are you the type to shy away from saying sorry? Why do you think so?

word

"Pray then like this: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.” Matthew 6:9

(Read Matthew 6:10-15.)

As Jesus continued the Sermon on the Mount, He began to teach the disciples to pray. The very first line of the Lord’s Prayer establishes our relationship with God. We are to approach and pray to Him with the confidence of children talking to their heavenly Father. He is our Father, and He is in control of everything. We pray because we trust Him, want to glorify Him with our lives, and to have a deeper relationship with Him. In this lesson, we will look at the three times Jesus mentions "our" in the Lord’s Prayer: in reference to the Father, provision, and forgiveness.

1
Our Father

⁹“Pray then like this: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. ¹⁰Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” Matthew 6:9,10

We pray to God the Father, and we honor Him. We acknowledge that He is our heavenly Father who sees and hears every prayer, and knows what we need before we ask Him. We also declare His sovereignty on earth when we ask for His kingdom to come, and His will to be done on earth as it is in heaven. Why should we only pray to the Father, and not anyone else?

2
Our Daily Bread

¹¹“Give us this day our daily bread . . . ¹³And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” Matthew 6:11,13

Our Father cares about our needs and He provides for us daily. We can ask Him for everything we need every day, including food, protection, and deliverance. He knows what we need before we ask Him, yet when we pray, we learn to depend on Him more. We also see how He grants us so much more than what we ask. Why do you think we should ask Him for our daily bread? Why should we pray every day?

3
Our Debts and Debtors

¹²“. . . forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. . . . ¹⁴For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, ¹⁵but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” Matthew 6:12,14,15

This part of the Lord’s Prayer, about forgiveness, is the only part with a promise and a condition—that God will forgive our sins when we ask, if we forgive others first. It is impossible to give glory to God and seek a deeper relationship with Him, but refuse to forgive others. Recall a time you had to forgive someone (even though you didn’t want to), because it is the Lord’s command. What happened?

application

Do you relate with God as a child would to his or her Father? How can you begin approaching Him that way, starting today?

In this lesson, what have you discovered about prayer? What’s one thing you need to do differently so you can have a thriving relationship with your Father in heaven?

Have you forgiven your debtors? How can you readily and graciously show forgiveness to others, as your Father has forgiven you?

prayer

Thank God for being your Father, and that you can approach Him at anytime. Thank Him for hearing your petitions and knowing what you need before you ask Him. Thank Him for the forgiveness He offers you, in spite of your sin.

Ask God for greater confidence to approach Him as your heavenly Father. Ask Him to reveal even more of Himself to you as you pray.

Pray that you will willingly, readily, and graciously forgive others. Pray that through this, you will preach the gospel to your family members and friends.

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© 2017 by VICTORY®
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Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®)
Copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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