Corona Chronicles - The Lord's Prayer

Well, welcome again to corona chronicles. This is a special for November. We're looking at the what is often called the Lord's prayer, but it really is a prayer for for the disciples, isn't it -- Yeah. -- that Jesus is teaching his disciples, and what a what a treasure it is. And then we just feel like we're just splashing around in the shallows.

But It's still very very beautiful. So let me just read the the well, just read the the first verse again, I think. So, Jesus says, when you pray, pray like this, our father in heaven hallowed be your name. Well, we had a thought yesterday about lot or last time about our father in heaven. Hello, be your name.

What's this bit? Well, I think the first thing to say about it is that it is a it is a request and not just a statement. So it's not just saying hallowed is your name. It's hallowed be your name. So this this is a This is the first of the quests that are going to litter this this prayer really.

And it's it's interesting just to see again the contrast between kind of fake prayer and true prayer. Because what was interesting in verse 5 about the hypocrites is that they they pray to be seen by others. So their main concern is that their own name would be hallowed. They they want people to hear them and think. That's a that's a glorious person.

That's a great person. But but Christian prayer is is designed really to take the attention away from ourselves and to see to see God's name lifted up and honored. And wherever you turn in the bible, old testament and new testament, you will never find yourself far from that theme. God is always doing things, both for our good but primarily for for sake of his name. So he says that to Israel in the old testament, I did not choose you because you were more great or more numerous than the other nation.

I chose you to set my love on you for my own sake. It's 1 of the things the prophets pray, Lord, do not wipe out your people Otherwise, the nations will say, he wasn't strong enough to, so the Lord even relents for the sake of his own name. So everything that he does is is for his own glory. And the disciples, Christians, followers of Jesus, have gotta have gotta get on board with that agenda, basically. And to to ask that our fathers name would be would be honored in the world.

And it's it is interesting, isn't it? Because this is a helpful structure to prayer. Mhmm. Because I think Jesus wants us not just to parrot these words because he's already said in the introduction. Don't just -- Yeah.

-- you know, our father and child in heaven, hello, be the name of our kingdom come, though, will be We're not going to just say it like sort of that, like a prayer wheel. I think this is a sort of structure to prayer. And what is really helpful before we come onto ourselves is to is to get the big picture, isn't it? And so he is our father, and we can bring all things to him. He is in heaven and all the things we've learned.

But actually, a good structure in prayer is to say, hold it. I want his name to be -- Yeah. -- hallowed to be honored where it isn't honored. Because, you know, we know in our nation God is a swear word, isn't it? The the word oh, God -- Mhmm.

-- and for Christ's sake and and and they're they're they're they're they're used to swear words and it's quite cutting for us when we hear that. And so, this is really good because sometimes, you know, you're at a meeting or a home group or something say, you've got anything for prayer and no no no no no. Yeah. And and really, it should be yes. Yes.

Yes. Yes. Yeah. That in my situation in my circumstances, at my work, in my play, at the football, you know, whatever, we need to pray that God's name is hallowed, he's honored. Yeah.

And I think both for our nation and for ourselves, isn't it? And and this is I mean, it's just This request is really so important, isn't it? Because if you think about the 10 commandments, you know, the third commandment is do not take the lord's name in vain. So, you know, the first 2 were all about worshiping God exclusively and giving him the honor that he's due. And then and then in light of that, it's lord, you know, we mustn't take name in vain.

We mustn't wear your name in such a way that we bring dishonor to you by the way that we live. Yeah. And so, we want we want our lives to to reflect God's greatness and kindness and to be a signpost to him and to to Not that he needs us to do this, but we want to make knowing father attractive, don't we? By the way that we live and and that's that's I mean, that is that is right, isn't it? So I thought I thought it was really helpful what you said.

Because because it's it's not just his name. It's just not like God or father or God. Yeah. It it is this whole character. Yeah.

And if we are in the family, then we represent the family. Mhmm. I mean, it was always when you were at school, wasn't it? You know, the t should you say, you're wearing the school badge. The uniform.

Yeah. The uniform -- Yeah. -- that even when you're not at school and you're in the in the town you know, you represent You're saying something about school. Yeah. And so we would smash things up in purpose.

With with with the with the school name on -- Yeah. -- because we didn't like it. But but there is a truth, isn't it? So as Christians, I want to go into this day as a representative as a family member of of the father, God. Yeah.

So how I deal with that person, how I deal with, you know, how you know, my integrity and and all of that is I'm honoring his name, aren't I? And I and I need help with that. We do. Yeah. And there there's there is a real liberation in this, I think, as well.

I I mean, because it it just frees us from from an unhealthy obsession about ourselves, doesn't it? And I think, you know, some old writers used to describe us as like the autumn leaf which is always curling inwards on itself. And that is our natural inclination, isn't to just curve in on ourselves and to think about our own plans and our own kingdoms and our own wills. And, you know, if we could have a have a graph of the amount of time we spend thinking about ourselves every day. I think most of us would be embarrassed to see it.

And the and and with that comes all kinds of problems, you know, mental problems and physical problems because we're not designed to curve in. We're designed to be taken up with a bigger story and to find our place in a bigger story. And that's what Jesus is inviting us to here in this prayer. Just, you know, before before, you know, you just go in on yourself. Remember you're part of a bigger story and you will find your happiness in that story.

Yes. Those things are not at odds. You know, they do go together, your happiness and pursuing God's glory are are 1 and the same thing. Yeah. And and and and yet, it is absolutely.

I mean, it's quite hard to trying to think how to express that really, but that it is this family thing. So you are included. Mhmm. So it's it's not to sort of I'm honoring the name of the score. I couldn't care 2 hoots about this -- No.

-- really. No. No. I'm just gonna get beaten up. Because it's an impersonal staff team, isn't it?

That you don't really I am actually in this family. Yeah. And and so my emotions and my my my life is wrapped up in the honor of his name. Mhmm. So it's not just a sort of duty I have to do.

When I when the Lord is dishonored, you know. But then that makes life again amazing because, you know, you could be sitting in front of the boss who's saying I'm going to have to let you go. You could say, well praise God. I mean, I'm not saying you do say this. Yeah.

And I'm not trying to be trite with this. No. No. But but you could say, Well, praise God, because if this is gonna honor his name for me losing my job, then I'm sure he's got something sorted for me. Better store.

Yeah. Yeah. So, you know, in 1 sense, there is that liberation in that, isn't there? I don't I don't mean that rightly because we do suffer in this world. And those sufferings are real pains that we can bring to the father.

But actually, if everything's about honoring his name, then in 1 sense, I can chill, can't I? Yeah. Yeah. I think we can. And it's just it's just a it's just such a There's such wisdom in prayer isn't there, hallowed be your name.

And it's 1 of those, you know, there's a sense in which the Lord always answers our prayers in some way. But there's we know God is gonna answer this prayer. That's the that's the joy of it, isn't it? Because his own his own heart is tied up in this request as well. So when we pray we're praying into something that God is 100 percent committed to doing.

And that's a great thing. Yeah. We know he's gonna be answered in some way or an other. So we wanna pray for the world -- Yeah. -- that his name be hallowed where it isn't.

So when you hear it not, being hallowed or honored, then we need to pray that. We need to pray for our own hearts and our life. Mhmm. In our talk, the way we talk about God, that he may be honored, in our church, you know, that that his name would be honored that we won't do dishonorable things and no 1 will bring dishonor to the name of Christ So this is a fantastic prayer request.