PART 2 - The Lord's Prayer (Christian Heritage)

Apr 11

6 min read

If you could have an audience with God, what questions would you ask? The Disciples, realizing they were in the company of the Creator, Christ, and King,[1] inquired, “Lord, will you teach us how to pray?” (Luke 11:1-2)[2] What better person to ask about prayer than God—especially, since He’s the Receiver and Answerer of all prayers?

Like the Disciples, I had questions about prayer—but specifically the Lord’s Prayer due to the New Covenant benefits I witnessed in my life and in my clients. I allude to some of these testimonies in the previous blogs—from abundant peace to answered prayers plus the mysterious ending of sleep paralysis and nightmares. Specific examples are found in chapter 3 of my book “When Demons Surface.”

Curiosity led me to study ancient Jewish prayer. Here are the 7 key points from my last blog about the Old Covenant Lord’s Prayer (Amidah, Isaiah 56:7). It's:

(1) prescribed,[3]

(2) commanded,[4]

(3) corporate [us/our],

(4) considered the main prayer,[5]

(5) rooted in self-examination,[6]

(6) includes the “Kiddush HaShem” [Hebrew “sanctification of the Name”], and

(7) recited 3-times per day per historical and biblical practice [Psa 55:17; Dan 6:10].

By comparison, the New Covenant Lord’s Prayer (taught by Jesus) maintains the same 7 elements: (1) Jesus also prescribes it; and (2) Jesus also commands it. Let’s analyze the 2 occasions Jesus teaches it:

(a) Matthew 6:9a,

oὕτως οὖν προσεύχεσθε ὑμεῖς

"Thus, then you pray, yourselves”

(b) Luke 11:2,

ὅταν προσεύχησθε λέγετε

"When you are praying, say"

(d) The emphatic use of “you… yourselves” indicates Jesus intends it to be the prayer of His followers;

(e) The verbs “pray” and “say” are Present Imperatives (continuous commands) in Greek—the opposite of temporary and suggestive;

(f) Here are 5 other examples of Jesus using the same Greek verb form:

1) Go be reconciled with the person you wronged (Mat 5:23-24);

2) Love your enemy and pray for those who persecute you (Mat 5:44);

3) Don’t do good deeds to be admired (Mat 6:1);

4) Do this in remembrance of me (Luke 22:19);

5) Feed and shephard my sheep (John 21:17).

Again, they are in the same Greek verb form (continuous commands) as Jesus’ instruction to “pray” and “say” the Lord’s Prayer. Thus, Jesus’ directive to recite the Lord’s Prayer should be obeyed like His other directives listed above, because the Greek precisely renders them as continuous commands—not temporary suggestions.

(3) Also, it’s corporate—Jesus still desires a believer to pray on behalf of the covenant community of whom s/he is a member;

(4) Also, it’s now the main prayer—the phrase “The Prayer” (Hebrew “HaTefillah”) is now rendered 26 times in the Greek New Testament. The significance of the article is the difference between Jesus being:

CORRECT: “the way, the truth, and the life” or

INCORRECT: “a way, a truth, and a life.”

For clarity, Jesus completes the verse confirming His exclusivity, “No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). In the same way, the Bible uses the phrase “The Prayer” to indicate the Lord’s Prayer as the New Covenant’s main prayer.

EXAMPLE #1/2 - Colossians 4:2:

Τῇ προσευχῇ προσκαρτερεῖτε

"To the prayer devote yourselves"

EXAMPLE #2/2 - Philippians 4:6:

μηδὲν μεριμνᾶτε, ἀλλ᾽ ἐν παντὶ τῇ προσευχῇ καὶ τῇ δεήσει μετὰ εὐχαριστίας τὰ αἰτήματα ὑμῶν γνωριζέσθω πρὸς τὸν θεόν.

“Do not be anxious, but in everything by the prayer and the supplication[8] with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God;”[9]

BOTH are continuous commands.[7]

(5) Also, it continues the role of fostering self-examination:

(a) 1 Corinthians 11:28 ESV, “Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup”;

(b) 2 Corinthians 13:5 LSB, “Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize about yourselves that Jesus Christ is in you—unless indeed you fail the test?”

(d) Absent in both verses are the specific ways you are to examine yourself; historical context indicates “The Lord’s Prayer” serves as the means for self-examination—especially since it’s the believer’s most frequent spiritual activity. NOTE: We’ll explore this in the next blog “Part 3 – The Lord’s Prayer (Biblical Meaning).”

(6) Also, it includes the “Kiddush HaShem” (Hebrew “sanctification of the Name”):

(a) "Hallowed be Your Name” became popular with the 1611 King James Version;

(b) "Let Your Name be sanctified” is the accurate and historical rendering; and

(c) The New Testament reiterates that God expects a believer’s conduct to reflect His holiness, “Your souls having been sanctified by obedience to the truth” (1Pe 1:22a Greek).

(7) Also, it’s still taught to be recited 3-times per day per historical biblical practice:

(a) by Jesus (Mat 14:23; Mark 1:35; Luke 11:1);[11]

(b) by Apostles (Acts 2:1-4; 3:1; 10:9; Eph 1:16);[12] and

“Neither pray as the hypocrites do, but as the Lord commanded in His Gospel, thus you are to pray, ‘Our Father, who is in Heaven, let Your Name be sanctified; let Your Kingdom come; let Your Will be done on earth as it is in Heaven; give us today our daily bread; and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the Evil One; for Yours is the power and the glory forever.’ Thus, pray three times a day” (Author’s translation from Greek).

As a recap, I contend it’s impossible to understand the Lord’s Prayer apart from Jewish heritage. Coupled with analyzing the Greek New Testament, we confirm the Lord’s Prayer maintains the 7 key elements of ancient Jewish prayer. It’s:

(1) prescribed,

(2) commanded,

(3) corporately rendered,

(4) considered the main prayer,

(5) continues the role of self-examination,

(6) requires godly behavior, and

(7) recited 3-times a day.

Lastly, ponder these 3 facts: (1) God prescribed prayers, so He endorses you reciting prayers; (2) God doesn’t need prayer—we do—so you must heed that ancient believers considered it spiritually vital to pray 3-times a day; and (3) Jesus commands us to recite His Prayer daily—if you disregard this, you're likely forgoing untold New Covenant benefits.

FILLING-IN THE BLANKS:

(a) "Reciting the Lord’s Prayer is an action of covenant renewal expressing submission to and dependence on God" (My Definition).

(b) "God considers this covenant renewal action to be vital, because it reinforces a ______________ of _______________."

We’ll fill-in the blanks in the next blog.

Please share!

NEXT BLOG:

Part 3 - The Lord’s Prayer (Biblical Meaning)

[1] Jesus was Creator (Eph 1:15-16), the Christ (John 1:17), and King (Rev 17:14).

[2] Although Jesus was approached by one of the disciples, he responded to all of them. They would’ve been familiar with the Amidah mentioned in the previous blog. However, the rabbis taught variations of it—especially shortened versions. See Mishnah Berakhot 4:3 and 29a.

[3] The first phrase of Isa 56:7 reads in Hebrew “house of my prayer.” This is confirmed by the Septuagint.

[4] Jacob Neusner, An Introduction to Judaism. (Louisville: Westminster/John Knox Press, 1991, 39: “The recitation of public prayers, obligatory on the community (as well as on the individual) encompasses three important matters: recitation of the creed, petition for the needs and welfare of the community and the individual, and the situation or identification of the community in its larger setting.”

[5] Hebrew: התפילה (HaTefillah) “The Prayer.”

[6] Hebrew: פלל (palal) means “to examine” (Exo 21:22; Deu 32:31; Job 31:11).

[7] Greek: Present Active Imperative.

[8] For clarity, the NT lists several types of prayer:

1Ti 2:1 ESV, “I urge… that supplications, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people.”
Heb 5:7 Greek, "In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up supplications and pleadings, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence."

[9] In Greek, these are Present Imperatives (continuous commands) “do not be anxious” (Present Active Imperative) and “let your requests be made known to God” through “the prayer.” In the wholestic (vs. dichotomistic) worldview of ancient Judaism, this can be applied 3 ways—(1) the segment of dependance [needs, forgiveness, protection] can be seen as the supplicational element itself; (2) supplication can be offered during each segment of dependence [needs, forgiveness, protection]; or (3) supplication can be offered after reciting The Prayer.

[10] Greek: δοκιμάζω (dokimazō) “to examine.”

[11] The hours before Jesus was arrested and crucified, He kept repeating in prayer, “Not my will, but Your Will be done” (Mat 26:39-44). This is an element of the Lord’s Prayer. While the Bible doesn’t state Jesus recited His own prayer in full each day, it would be biblical for him to do so even by example (John 13:15; 1Pe 2:21; 1Jo 2:6). Also, it appears He kept the biblical-historical practice of praying 3-times per day: evening (Mat 14:23); morning (Mark 1:35), and midday (Luke 11:1).

[12] These scriptures use the phrase “the prayer.”

Spiritual Warfare