“This, then, is how you should pray: “ ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. ’
Matthew 6:9-13 NIV
On earth as it is in Heaven.
Not in Heaven as it is on earth. And oh my gosh, thank goodness for that!
Now, let’s take a look at a longer passage of scripture that is commonly used in conjunction with the teaching of prayer, and unfortunately, it is also often taken out of context.
“If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector. “Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. “Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”
Matthew 18:15-20 NIV
I urge you to prayerfully consider this regarding these scriptures:
1. Those verses were penned as part of the same book as the scriptures deemed the Lord’s prayer. That’s important because it means audience and authorship did not change.
2. The context of that scripture is regarding the sheep that went astray, sin in the church, and the order of corrective authority. Which makes sense when you see that…
3. “In usage, to bind and to loose simply means to forbid by an indisputable authority and to permit by an indisputable authority.” – Encyclopedia Biblica
YAHWEH IS THE ONLY INDISPUTABLE AUTHORITY, and He has given it to them that believe. I pray we be INCREDIBLY GOOD stewards of it.
And last, but most certainly not least!
4. Verse 20 addresses that it is in HIS NAME and because of His presence in the midst of us that what we ask for is performed by the Father. In Christ alone, we gain access to the Father!
Let’s take a look at another time in the scriptures where we know Jesus cried out for Himself personally in prayer.
Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”
Matthew 26:39 NIV
Not as I WILL, but as YOU WILL.
Christ was only out to serve the Father’s will, not His own! He even cries out “if it is possible!”
Oh my goodness, how we love to quote, “I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength!” to people who are SUFFERING. Would you indeed have corrected Christ’s prayer when He proclaims IF it is possible? Which by the way, it was not. He served the Father’s will and not His own.
Again, let’s look at this scripture in context.
I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.
Philippians 4:12-13 NIV
I am afraid the devil has long been in the business since the days of the garden of having us question the truth or as he did in the wilderness with Jesus…
Presenting the Truth out of context.
Oh, how we must draw close to the One who can help us discern the FULLNESS of Gods Truth!
When Christ deflects the first temptation with the Word of God, Satan’s second tactic is to use then the Word of God to invite Jesus into the same temptation as the first time – proving who He was!
How often do we fall into the snare of trying to PROVE WHO WE ARE IN GOD??
When presented with the Word of God by Satan, Christ responds with “it also says…”!
IT ALSO SAYS CHURCH.
I am afraid we have made the greivious error of forgetting what the Word of God ALSO SAYS and have created entire doctrines, religions, theologies, and philosophies on the parts and pieces of God’s Word that we like.
How impossible it becomes to pray anything effectively within the Will of God when we do not know the Word of God! We become easily led astray, prone to wander right within the four walls of the church we have made that Christ may very well be wanting to rebuke!
Correction from the Lord is always a sign of His GREAT LOVE for His church! How gracious He is to offer us correction so that we can correctly pray the Truth of the Word of God and so live a life in true service to the Lord!
When we realize it is a HONOR to serve the Lord Jesus Christ, we will be freed from an attitude of entitlement!
I’m not here to build a life for me!
I’m here to advance The Kingdom for YOU!
SO WHERE EVER YOU PUT ME
WHATEVER THE CIRCUMSTANCES
ALL OF ME FOR ALL OF YOU JESUS!!!
If it’s not YOU, of YOU, from YOU or for YOU – I DONT WANT IT!
Not our will, but YOURS BE DONE on earth as it is in Heaven!
So let us make sure we know what HIS will is over any situation as the entire Bible instructs us.
Declaring what you want and claiming its yours by the Name of God…I’m sorry church.
That’s the sin of witchcraft.
I was told not to hold my tongue any longer on this one.
If you don’t have a Word from the Lord and scripture to back it up you have gone wrong.
So Father, I cry out to you today! Help us! Teach us again how to pray and help us to remove the stumbling block of error, false doctrine, and witchcraft out of Your Church!
At the Lord’s instruction, I will end this blog with a passage out of Revelation to the church of Laodicea. I urge you to prayerfully consider our Lord’s Words to the Church and ask Him to show you in your heart how it might apply to you in this very hour of your need.
“To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation. I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see. Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent. Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me. To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat down with my Father on his throne. Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”
Revelation 3:14-22 NIV