Give us this day our daily bread. God is a giving God.

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.

James 1:17, ESV

Since God created Adam and Eve and placed them in the Garden of Eden, he has been a giving God. Even when his people were obstinate, as they left Egypt, God provided manna and quail. It is his nature to give. So when Jesus teaches us to pray, he instructs us to ask. It is significant that we are told to ask for daily bread. This hails back to the exodus, when Israel was instructed to gather enough manna for one day at a time. If they gathered more it would spoil. Why? They learned to depend on a God who could have piled a mountain of manna in their midst, but chose rather to give it one day at a time.

When we pray, “Give us this day” we’re acknowledging that God has all we need for today. And tomorrow he will provide all we need for tomorrow. We thus develop a daily dependency on the one who welcomes us to ask. Let Jesus’ words sink in:

“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you, “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

Matthew 6:25-34

What worries you? Ask him. Today. Trust him to provide.

This is a hefty ask. Praying for God’s will to be done on earth as it is in heaven is praying for heaven to bend low and touch earth. One of my favorite Old Testament passages gives us a glimpse into Heaven. Isaiah had a vision of God, whose glory was so immense that he could only describe seeing the hem of his garment.

In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called to another and said: Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory. And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. And I said: “Woe is me! for I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.

Isaiah 6:1-5, ESV

That’s how God’s will is done in Heaven. He is completely worshipped, totally adored. He is seated, high and lifted up. He is so grand that the train of his robe, the hem of his robe, fills the temple.

When we pray for God’s will to be done on earth as it is in heaven, this is both a personal and corporate prayer. It forces us to answer the question: what or who is on the throne room of our hearts? Does anything need to be unseated from your life so that God can have his proper place? What is high and lifted up? Higher than God?

Tim Keller, in is great work Counterfeit Gods, writes:

When anything in life is an absolute requirement for your happiness and self-worth, it is essentially an ‘idol,’ something you are actually worshiping. When such a thing is threatened, your anger is absolute. Your anger is actually the way the idol keeps you in its service, in its chains. Therefore if you find that, despite all the efforts to forgive, your anger and bitterness cannot subside, you may need to look deeper and ask, ‘What am I defending? What is so important that I cannot live without?’ It may be that, until some inordinate desire is identified and confronted, you will not be able to master your anger.

Tim Keller

On earth as it is in heaven requires that God reign supremely. When he does, we not only see him for who he is, we see ourselves for who we are. Before this vision, Isaiah had spent several chapters calling people out for their sin. Now he’s calling out to God because if his sin!

Again Keller:

If you want God’s grace, all you need is need, all you need is nothing. But that kind of spiritual humility is hard to muster. We come to God saying, “Look at all I’ve done,” or maybe “Look at all I’ve suffered.” God, however, wants us to look to him.

Tim Keller, counterfeit Gods

Here’s a great way to personalize the prayer. In my marriage, as it is in heaven. At my workplace, as it is in heaven. On my sports team, as it is in heaven. In my dating relationship as it is in heaven. In my family, as it is in heaven. At Grace Community Church as it is in heaven.

From the Valley of Vision

(I’ve updated it into American English)

Day and night are yours; they are also
        mine from you —
  the night to rid me of the cares of the day,
      to refresh my weary body,
      to renew my natural strength;
  the day to summon me to new activities,
      to give me opportunity to glorify you,
      to serve my generation,
      to acquire knowledge, holiness, eternal life.
But one day above all days is made especially
  for your honor and my improvement;
The sabbath reminds me
  of your rest from creation,
  of the resurrection of my Savior,
  of his entering into repose.
Your house is mine,
  but I am unworthy to meet you there,
    and am unfit for spiritual service.
When I enter it I come before you as a sinner,
  condemned by conscience and your Word,
For I am still in the body and in the wilderness,
  ignorant, weak, in danger,
  and in need of your aid.
But encouraged by your all-sufficient grace
  let me go to your house with a lively hope
    of meeting you,
  knowing that there you will come to me
    and give me peace.
My soul is drawn out to you in longing desires
  for your presence in the sanctuary, at the table,
  where all are entertained on a feast of
    good things;
Let me before the broken elements,
    emblems of your dying love,
  cry to you with broken heart for grace
    and forgiveness.
I long for that blissful communion of your people
  in your eternal house in the perfect kingdom;
These are they that follow the Lamb;
May I be of their company!

If we pray for his kingdom to come, then it follows that we will pray for his will to be done. Why is this prayer necessary? Because without even trying our will conflicts with God’s will. As many of you know we have an adorable grandson. He just turned nineteen months…and now has an opinion! His strong will often belies his sweet demeanor.

God has a will. God has plans. God’s will is both personal (for your life) and universal (for the entire cosmos). When we pray for his will to be done, we’re praying for his personal will for our lives and for his will for all of humanity.

We cannot fully pray this prayer unless we’re willing to die to ourselves. The most profound example of this is Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. Facing the daunting reality of a Roman beating, a Roman cross, and the sins of all of humanity, he asked God to let the cup pass from him. The cup that Jesus was to drink was filled with the wrath of God against our sin. When God didn’t renege on his plan, the prayer Jesus teaches here became the prayer he practiced there.

Not my will but yours be done.

Jesus

What are you wrestling with that you’re struggling to surrender to God’s will? You feel you can’t let it go, can’t let God speak into it? Could I encourage you to remember who you’re addressing? He’s both Father and King (see yesterday’s post). He loves you immensely and knows every detail of every situation of your life. He also sees the big picture better than you and I ever will. Can you trust that God?

Don’t keep this to yourself. Tell your spouse, your friend, your Life Group. Let others in on your struggle to trust God’s will over yours. And don’t pray this prayer because you feel it, pray it because you believe it’s best.

You may judge me for this, but when I hear the word kingdom, I think of one of our family’s favorite places: Disney World! And of course Magic Kingdom. There’s something about walking through the grand entrance and down Main Street that gets me every time! When you see the palace it feels like you’re in another world, a kingdom all its own.

We’re not accustomed to kingdom language because we’re not accustomed to kings. The definition of a kingdom is a country, state or territory ruled by a king or queen. When we pray for God’s kingdom to come, we’re addressing him as ruler, as sovereign. As a matter of fact, Revelation 19:16 declares:

On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.

Revelation 19:16

What we must recognize is that, early in the prayer, Jesus teaches us to pray to God who is both near (Father) and far (King). We can sit in his lap (Father), and we must bow at his feet (King). We need his guidance (Father) and we need his protection (King). He wakes us each morning (Father) and expects complete obeisance throughout the day (King).

Theologians refer to this as God’s immanence (his nearness) and his transcendence (his “far-ness”). To understand him as only near is to lose sight of his glory, his radiance, his sovereign rule over all of creation. To see him as only far is to lose the sense of his fatherly love, his tender care, his attention to the details of our lives.

He is wonderfully both.

Will you boldly pray for his kingdom to come in your life? Your workplace? Your marriage? Your singleness? Your career? Your neighborhood?

As we discussed yesterday, names matter. And God, how is One in Three and Three in One, has more than one name. Don’t let that confuse you. If you ever read through the Bible, you’ll discover that God’s names emerged when his people needed him in a certain way, or he chose to reveal himself in a certain way.

Yesterday I shared a link with the names of God. I know you’re busy, most likely reading this early in the morning before you head to work, and probably didn’t get to read the additional link. So here’s a concise list. Keep in mind that this is how God likes to show himself. These names are who our God is! When we pray hallowed be your name, we’re asking God to be who he already is…but to show up in our lives as that.

• El Elyon–God Most High
• El Shaddai–God Almighty
• El Olam–God Eternal
• Elohim–God, Creator
• Jehovah–The Lord, the I Am
• Jehovah Jireh–the Lord who Provides
• Jehovah Nissi–the Lord our Banner
• Jehovah Roi–the Lord who sees
• Jehovah Rapha–the Lord our healer
• Jehovah Sabaoth–the Lord of Hosts (who fights for us)
• Jehovah Tsidkenu–the Lord our righteousness

And I love this name of God. Jehovah-Shammah, the Lord who is there. We don’t know tomorrow. At all. The Lord not only knows it, but because he is not bound by time and space as we are, is already there. He is the present God!

Whatever you need, he is. Wherever you are, he is. Wherever you’re going, he is. Wherever you’ve been He is.

Rest in that today.

We can’t dismiss that, when the Ten Commandments were given, one of the Ten was that we must not take God’s name in vain. Why such emphasis on a name? Why would God instruct Moses that, tantamount to the prohibition to commit adultery, coveting, lying and stealing, is how we address God. Jesus followed suit, instructing us that God is not only Father, but a holy and hallowed Father. His name is to be hallowed.

Hallowed means to respect, to set apart, to sanctify. What’s surprising is that this is the first request in the prayer. We are praying that God (not we) hallow his own name! Obviously the implication is that we will hallow his name too.

When Jesus petitions God to hallow his name, he is asking that God act in such a way that he visibly demonstrates his holiness and his glory.

Albert Mohler

To ask God to hallow his name is to ask God to show up and show out, to be true to himself in our lives and in the world. I am writing this on Election Day in our state. How we need God to show up and show out in our country! Where do you need God to be God in your life, your family’s life, your workplace, your circle of leadership, your marriage, your friendship?

Ask him! Begin your prayers asking God to be God, asking God to be true to His name! Here’s a help, a list of some of the names of God in Scripture. God is all you need for all you face.

https://www.davidjeremiah.org/knowgod/the-names-of-god

Yesterday we began walking through the Lord’s Prayer. And I know there are modern translations, but some passages of Scripture are stuck in my head in the King James Version, and this is one of them.

Our Father which art in heaven. God is in heaven. Let that sink in. Psalm 115:3 gives us the implications of that reality:

Our God is in the heavens, he does all that he pleases.

Psalm 115:3, ESV

God’s position has significant import. When Jesus prayed to our Father in Heaven, Jesus was on earth, not in Heaven as he had always been before the incarnation. Again Psalm 115 gives us insight into the impact of God’s position. In verse two, the nations ask Israel where their God is? In verse three, Israel answers, “In the heavens.” Verses 4-8 are a mantra of the futility of idols: they are made of silver and gold, the work of human hands, have mouths that do not speak, eyes that do not see, ears that do not hear, noses that do not smell, hands that do not feel and feet that do not walk.

Again, listen to the Psalmist.

O Israel, trust in the Lord! He is their help and their shield. O house of Aaron, trust in the Lord! He is their help and their shield. You who fear the Lord, trust in the Lord! He is their help and their shield.

Psalm 115:9-11, ESV

The natural response to where God is leads us to trust! We can trust a God who is in the heavens! Jesus (of course) knew what he was doing when he taught us to pray. We pray to God, who is in the heavens, who does as he pleases. And Jesus is that God with eyes, ears, a nose, a mouth, hands and feet. Our God sees, hears, smells, speaks, touches and walks around. If you belong to Jesus, he is with you today. He is as close as the mention of his name. Yes, he is seated in Heaven at the right hand of the Father, but through the Spirit (remember yesterday?), he is present with you, and even living inside you!

The Psalmist ends Psalm 115 with promises. What a faithful God we serve!

The Lord has remembered us; he will bless us; he will bless the house of Israel; he will bless the house of Aaron; he will bless those who fear the Lord, both the small and the great.

May the Lord give you increase, you and your children! May you be blessed by the Lord, who made heaven and earth!

The heavens are the Lord’s heavens, but the earth he has given to the children of man. The dead do not praise the Lord, nor do any who go down into silence. But we will bless the Lord, from this time forth and forevermore. Praise the Lord!

Psalm 115:12-18

Want to personalize this Psalm? (And I strongly encourage you to!) Pray it, changing the pronouns and the names. For example: Oh Lord, you have remembered me, you will bless me, you will bless my house, you will bless me because I fear you, as you bless both the small and the great. You get the point.

Our God is in the heavens. Aren’t you glad!

Yes, you’ve been keeping (hopefully) your Lent commitments for nineteen days! Way to go! By now hopefully you’re not craving what you gave up near as much as you were two weeks ago, and maybe a new habit is emerging.

Today we will begin a two-week journey through the Lord’s Prayer. Phrase by phrase we will look at how Jesus taught us to pray and discover, not a prayer to be memorized and repeated (though there’s nothing wrong about that0, but a pattern to follow when coming to the Father. Let’s jump in.

Our Father.

I don’t know if you’ve ever thought about this. Before the earth existed as you and I know it, a family lived happily and contentedly with one another. A Father loved his Son, a Son loved his Father. Together they loved the Spirit. They never disagreed. Ever. Never argued. Never worked against one another, only with each other.

Because God is One and yet three, the three Persons of the trinity neither clamored for priority or place, never sought to “one-up” one another, never tried to position oneself over the other. No insecurity. No confusion. No bewildering days. Perfectly happy. Perfectly holy.

Jesus spoke often of the Father’s love for him and his love for the Father. And when teaching us to pray instructed us to address his Father the same way he does. Our Father.

Here’s where the rub comes. If you’ve had a difficult home life, an absentee or abusive father, Jesus’ instructions are hard to swallow. Could I encourage you to do some things?

• Observe a good dad with his son or daughter. Let that image saturate your thinking, inform your feelings.
• Ask God to change your heart to Him as your Father.
• Read the Gospels where Jesus addresses his Father. Note the intimacy. The love. The trust. How real their relationship was (and is).
• Deliberately begin every prayer with an adjective before Father. Our ________________ (loving) Father. Our constant Father. Our faithful Father.

Our Father is waiting to spend time with you.

From the Valley of Vision

O Lord,
We commune with you every day,
but week days are worldly days,
and secular concerns reduce heavenly impressions.
We bless you therefore for the day sacred to our souls
when we can wait upon you and be refreshed.
We thank you for the institutions of the faith
by which we draw near to you and you to us.
We rejoice in another Lord’s Day
when we call off our minds from the cares of the world
and attend upon you without distraction.
Let our retreat to you be devout,
our conversation edifying,
our reading holy,
our hearing profitable,
that our souls may be renewed and lifted up.
We are going to the house of prayer,
pour on us the spirit of grace and supplication.
We are going to the house of praise,
awaken in us every grateful and cheerful emotion.
We are going to the house of instruction,
give testimony to the Word preached,
and glorify it in the hearts of all who hear;
may it enlighten the ignorant,
awaken the careless, reclaim the wandering,
establish the weak, comfort the feeble-minded,
and make ready a people for their Lord.

Be a sanctuary to all who cannot come.
Forget not those who never come.
And do bestow on us
benevolence toward our dependents,
forgiveness toward our enemies,
peaceableness toward our neighbors,
and openness toward our fellow-Christians.