By Every Word

The Lord’s Prayer 08

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Jul 312010

Luke 11:3
Give us day by day our daily bread.
KJV

Alright I had to do some research on this part for a few days so this one took a little longer to gather everything on.

Bread is such an important thing in Jewish culture. This word can mean so many things- hence why we have used it in modern terminology for many things. Someone comes up to you and says “Throw me some bread man.” What are they talking about? Money! That’s why we also use the term “bread winner” which is the one who brings home most of the money.

But in the Lord’s prayer the word bread is referring to more than just food, dough, or money. It is sustenance. It’s what you need to sustain for that day. So when you pray for “our daily bread” you are praying for everything you need to sustain for that days needs. Everything that you need to suffice for the work the kingdom must do on earth.

In the Jewish culture bread is everything that you need to make bread. To make bread you need soil, water, grain, sun, nutrients, care, yeast, dough, hands, work, spices, heat, time… anything I’m forgetting you cooks out there?

You’re not just praying for bread- but for everything that you need to get the bread. This is an important part of the Lord’s prayer. All this time you thought you were praying for food. Noooo… we don’t even have to pray for food- Jesus taught us that the Father knows what we have need of… We’re praying for everything that day has need of to sustain for that days needs. Lord- give us our daily bread: opportunity, courage, strength, ability, skill, knowledge, wisdom, path, ideas, words, doors, patience, mercy, grace, guidance, necessities, friends, answers, results… for today!

Now once you pray for daily bread… expect it! Expect to receive it! Did you know that if you’re His people- you have a right to it? God made it that way for you! He taught us to pray this way because He wants you to ask Him for it! He was teaching us that it is something that is natural in the kingdom of God! It’s not a miracle to have your needs met! It’s natural in the kingdom of God to have your needs met- you just have to make sure you’re in His kingdom. His kingdom is naturally, supernatural. That’s why it wasn’t a big deal for Jesus to walk on the water, or to multiply the loaves and the fish, or to heal the sick, or to open blinded eyes. Are these miracles?… well yes! Of course they were! But Jesus was trying to show us something more important. That’s why you don’t see Jesus with the disciples afterward saying “Did you see that miracle? Did you see what I did? Wasn’t that awesome?” No, Jesus would calm the entire sea, then turn to the disciples and say “Oh ye of little faith?” He wanted us to look beyond the act and understand the way. He was teaching us that the kingdom of God brings these things… it’s normal in the kingdom.

Where we fight for gold and pearls and precious metals down here… Heaven is built with these things. Can you imagine if our highways were built out of gold? We build our highways with asphalt or cement- because gold is too precious. But in the kingdom, there is so much surplus, they build the streets out of gold! We struggle until we understand Who our Father is and His will for his children. He has surplus… so you know He has your needs. It’s normal in the kingdom to have everything you need… you just have to ask.

Give us Lord our daily bread.

The Lord’s Prayer 07

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Jul 242010

Luke 11:3
Give us day by day our daily bread.
KJV

Wow! Isn’t God’s word amazing? It took us 6 posts to get through verse 2! God has been revealing even more to me in my study of this subject and I am so blessed by it- I hope you are.

So here in verse 3 we see “Give us day by day”. Let’s look at another scripture which helps us to understand this part of the prayer.

Matthew 6:34
Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

What you need, is what you need today. We sometimes want more than what we actually need. We want surplus of our needs. But this is bad management of resources. Before I continue, I think it’s important to clarify that I am not speaking about your savings or retirement- all of that is great! After all it was Joseph’s management plan in storing the corn for the 7 good years so they would have food in the 7 years they would lack. What I am speaking of is your needs today.

We pray all of our needs are met today. Sometimes we put to much emphasis on next week, next month and we don’t thank God for all of our needs being supplied today. Trust He will supply all your needs today. Think about it… will you go hungry today? Will you go thirsty today? Will you have a place to lay down tonight? Do you have a house or apartment to go to tonight? Thank Him for that today. Thank Him the power will not be cut off today. Thank Him for everything the kingdom has supplied today. Then give surplus to those who don’t have. One of my favorite quotes is “If God can get it through us, He’ll always get it to us.”

Funny thing happened. I do these write-ups in spurts as I get free time to write. So sometimes I do a writing in one sitting while other times it can take a couple of days. This also gives me time in between writing to think on what God is showing me and He will give me revelation on the subject that I add to these posts. Well during this writing a storm hit and our power was knocked out for about 13 hours. I laid in the bed and had to practice what I teach. I began to pray

“Lord, I thank you I have a roof over my head keeping me out of the rain. I thank you for the technology we have to harness power and the benefits it brings us in life. I thank you for all the days I’ve had power. I thank you I’m saving money on my energy bill right now with the electricity being out.”

We can talk the talk sometimes, but do we walk the walk? We say “I will serve you Lord with my whole heart!” but when things are not going well do we still speak in faith and praise Him then?

Are we thankful because He’s God in our life… or because things are going well in our life? Does God’s place in your life change, depending on the season your life is in? He’s still God, He’s still Provider, Source, Sustainer… God will sometimes let tests come into our life to see if we really mean what we say- and to reveal to us where our heart really is.

Pray and thank Him for the needs that are met today… day by day.

The Lord’s Prayer 02

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Jul 152010

Luke 11
2) And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven…
KJV

So here is where Jesus began to teach the disciples how to pray. He says Our Father.

This is a corporate prayer. He’s not just my Father, or your Father- He’s our Father. Sometimes we get so caught up with prayer being about me, me, me- that we forget we are praying to the government of Heaven. We are sending up a petition from a member of the body of Christ. This word, “our”, builds unity into our prayer.

Acts 20
35) I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.
36) And when he had thus spoken, he kneeled down, and prayed with them all.
KJV

Our brothers and sisters sometimes are weak and our prayers help to lift them.

Romans 15
1) We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves.
KJV

Ought means- you should do this, I expect you to do this, you better do this.

Look at how much is in this one word- ‘Our’. When we begin prayer like this it’s no longer just me, I am praying as a citizen of the kingdom of Heaven and I am praying a corporate prayer that includes all of us, which builds all of us and strengthens all of us.

Next, remember who you are praying to. The Father. This is so many things in one word. The word Father in the Hebrew is ABBA which also means source and sustainer. He is Source, Sustainer, Government, ABBA! Why is this important? It’s important because we are recognizing who He is to us at the start of our prayer. We don’t make Him Father God, He’s Father God no matter what- so it’s important that we acknowledge Him as Our Father. That’s all we can do- acknowledge Him. So when we begin our prayers we’re recognizing Him and saying “Our Source, our Sustainer, our Father”.

Please don’t miss this… A source is this.

Source: anything or place from which something comes, arises, or is obtained.
Dictionary.com

When you call Him Father- you are recognizing Him as where everything that you need comes from. You are stating that everything that has been obtained, will be obtained, or can be obtained, can only come from Him.
When you call Him Father you are declaring Him your Sustainer- that means what keeps you and maintains you is Him alone! Praise God! That is a powerful statement!

I have to add this in here right now…

John 4
23) But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.

This use of spirit is very important. It is not capitalized so it’s not talking about the Holy Spirit, which is always capitalized. This word is lowercase and refers to “attitude and awareness”. You cannot worship God or pray effectively if your mind is not on what you’re doing. Your attitude has to be towards the thing, aware of what you are saying and who you are saying it to in order to do something in spirit.

So when you are calling on Him, Our Father, BE AWARE of what you are saying. When you understand these truths of these two short words, praying aware with an attitude of understanding- you’re calling upon the government of Heaven, Source and Sustainer of all things, in a corporate prayer from the body.

This is going to add so much to your prayer life- because we can only do something effectively, when we have understanding.

[Just as a side note: I am not teaching, to be so restrictive, that it’s wrong to say “My Father”. It’s just important for us to understand that we pray for others and that Jesus was showing it’s not just about us. What good is it, if I’m blessed and my friends and neighbors aren’t. Sure, they can pray- but we lift up the weak in faith in our prayers. We’re supposed to pray for one another. It’s not just about your blessing, your needs, your wants- it’s about the kingdom. It’s not about one citizen having all the wealth and all the health, it’s about His kingdom having wealth and being in good health. When we look at a country in the world and we see a few in power and living well, but most of the country is in poverty and sickness- there is something wrong. But when the entire nation thrives- wow how awesome. “What is it with those people, they are all in good health, all have their needs met, they all have joy, they all are blessed.”]

That’s Kingdom!

The Lord’s Prayer 01

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Jul 142010

Luke 11
1) And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.

Don’t read the bible too fast, otherwise you’ll miss important parts of God’s word. Look what His disciples asked Him.

‘Teach us how to pray’.

Now me personally, before learning this, I would have said “Teach me how to heal the sick, teach me how to open blinded eye, teach me how to make a pillar of fire come down from heaven, teach me how to walk on the water, teach me how to raise the dead…”

But no… they asked Him to teach them how to pray. This shows that prayer is something that needs to be taught. Do you know how to pray?

“Well, I just talk to God”

No, no, no… That’s not what Jesus taught. I will show you in the next few posts as we discuss the order of prayer. It was so important that the disciples asked Him- how to pray.