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TEEN SOUL POWER
Our Father, who art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy Name.
Thy Kingdom come,
Thy will be done,
on earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
As we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
But deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
The power, and the glory,
For ever and ever.
Amen.
Jesus taught this prayer twice in the bible. Once after He had finished praying, one of His “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples”, to which Jesus said, "This is how you should pray…"
And the second time was when he was on the mountainside, after he spoke the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus taught the Lord's Prayer. But first he said that man should not pray just in public for everyone to see and admire for that is hypocrisy - but should pray when alone where others do not see, but God sees and rewards.
Here Jesus also taught about forgiveness. "For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins."
And Jesus taught about fasting. “When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 17 But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, 18 so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you."
And the second time was when he was on the mountainside, after he spoke the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus taught the Lord's Prayer. But first he said that man should not pray just in public for everyone to see and admire for that is hypocrisy - but should pray when alone where others do not see, but God sees and rewards.
Here Jesus also taught about forgiveness. "For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins."
And Jesus taught about fasting. “When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 17 But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, 18 so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you."
The Lord's Prayer -- the "Our Father" -- is one of the most powerful and widely known prayers of our time. It is a prayer of adoration and praise, blessing and hope, and love and forgiveness.
The prayer is a powerful one because it addresses all four categories of prayer - it is:
-- a prayer of adoration and praise;
-- a prayer of petition;
-- a prayer of thanksgiving;
-- and a prayer of intercession.
The Lord's Prayer has many spiritual blessings. One of which is that it is not a personal prayer, it is a prayer for everyone. There really is no way to pray this prayer for one person or just one family. When we say “Our Father,” we include everybody…. family, friends, strangers, and even our "enemies." And isn't that the real intent of Jesus? To pray for all our brothers and sisters, our neighbors - and all His children on earth.
The prayer is a powerful one because it addresses all four categories of prayer - it is:
-- a prayer of adoration and praise;
-- a prayer of petition;
-- a prayer of thanksgiving;
-- and a prayer of intercession.
The Lord's Prayer has many spiritual blessings. One of which is that it is not a personal prayer, it is a prayer for everyone. There really is no way to pray this prayer for one person or just one family. When we say “Our Father,” we include everybody…. family, friends, strangers, and even our "enemies." And isn't that the real intent of Jesus? To pray for all our brothers and sisters, our neighbors - and all His children on earth.
- The different parts of the Lord’s Prayer are meant
to teach us about God, about prayer, and about God's Blessings for our
needs through prayer.
- -- Inclusiveness: "Our Father…"
- -- Faith: "Who art in Heaven…"
- -- Praise and Blessing: "Hallowed be Thy name…"
- -- Hope: "Thy Kingdom Come…"
- -- Authority of God: Jesus reflects on the authority of God… "Thy Will be
- done…"
- -- Trust: "Give us this day our daily bread…"
- -- Forgiveness: "Forgive our Trespasses…"
- -- Charity: "As we forgive others…"
- -- Virtue: "Lead us not into temptation…"
- -- Repentance and Protection: "Deliver us from evil…"
- -- Profession of Adoration: "For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the
glory, for ever and ever…."(*)
So Be It: “Amen” is the expression that means “So be it” or “Make it so.” When we finish our prayers with “Amen,” we are making a declaration that we truly believe that God has heard everything we have said and we exercise faith that He will do it.
Many people do not realize, however, that Jesus continued His teaching about prayer. He said, in essence, "be persistent in prayer", continue to pray, and live a life of prayer, "For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened." And then he spoke of God's Goodness and Holiness, and that as a Father he will provide for His children….and will give much more the Holy Spirit to those who ask him.
(*) Technically, "For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, for ever and ever…." isn’t in the Lord’s Prayer in the bible, so some religions do not say this when they recite the Lord’s Prayer. But this is simply a way of ending the prayer, while, again declaring God’s holiness, power, authority and sovereignty. We pray in gratitude for God’s power and glory and in thanks for his kingdom and the promise of entrance into that kingdom for all eternity.
The Lord's Prayer is one of the best known and loved prayers in the world. It is estimated that well over 2 billion people worldwide know and recite this prayer in church services, schools, in small prayer groups and in many individual private times with God.
