Please pray the Lord’s Prayer before beginning today’s study. If you have it memorized you may pray it without opening God’s Word but if you need a little assistance, open God’s Word to Matthew 6:9-13.
- You can pray it while you are doing laundry.
- You can pray it while you are washing dishes, ironing or scrubbing potties.
- To pray it once, takes 21 seconds.
- Pray it. Don’t say it.
- As you are doing your home duties, offer up this amazing prayer to the One who has blessed you with those clothes to wash, dry, fold and iron.
- Praise your Father in heaven, for those potties to scrub.
- Pray it while you do your chores.
- You will be amazed at how the time will fly and you will have communed with your Father.
“Give us this day our daily bread.” Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. Lead us not into temptation.” These last three verses in our Lord’s prayer covers our daily needs: food, forgiveness and struggling sin. These are all needs in our daily lives. In the first three verses, our eyes were focused on Him, God-ward. The last three are focused man- ward.
Forgive us our debts immediately follows, give us this day our daily bread. Why do you think God placed these petitions in this particular order? Daily bread expresses our daily needs. We need our food daily but we need forgiveness as much as we need our daily bread, especially in our families.
There is much un-forgiveness in families today, bringing division and disallowing God’s Holy Spirit to accomplish what He will in our lives individually, as well as in the family unit.
1. Bold prayers can and will be answered through a unified family.
The Bible states in Ephesians 4:1-5 “I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with long suffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.”
To try and be a witness to our lost family members with un-forgiveness in our hearts, is counterproductive. We must dwell together in unity in order to be the family God intended. When we hold grudges, rehearse hurtful things said to us, we cannot move forward accomplishing His great plans for us. He longs for the family to operate in unity, so the world will know we are Christians by our love.
2. Family members need to practice forgiveness.
In Ephesians 1:7-8,10b we find: “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence…that He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth- in Him.
When Christ said, “Forgive us our debts; as we forgive our debtors;” He meant, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” Matthew 7:12 We want to readily be forgiven but then find it difficult to give out forgiveness. This is also why Jesus said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” Acts 20:35 “To whom much is given, much is required.” Luke 12:48
Without true forgiveness, bitterness will inevitably tear our relationships apart. No relationship or family will hold together for long if the people involved are unwilling to grant forgiveness.
Our flesh has a hard time forgiving. We get angry, hold grudges and become bitter. It’s a progression that leads to a downward spiral. Anger, grudges and bitterness makes our minds and our bodies sick. They steal our time because our mind refuses to dwell on, “whatsoever is lovely, whatsoever is pure and whatsoever is of good report.” Philippians 4:8 When you pray; “forgive us our debts;” earnestly seek to forgive family members who are indebted to you. It might be an unkind word, action or deed that you have been unable to release to your Father in heaven.
When you offer forgiveness, peace will come in your heart like a flood and healing will restore your soul. Do an act of kindness or say kind words in return to the one who has offended you.
3. The family needs to stand boldly against temptation.
This part of the Lord’s prayer begs God to, “Lead us not into temptation.” James 1: 13 tells us “Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone.” When we are tempted, God has made a way for escape. We cannot be tempted beyond what we are able to overcome. “God is for the family, not against it.” Romans 8:31 Do not watch television shows or movies that regularly depict dysfunctional families. Example: The mother disrespecting the father. The kids dishonoring their parents. It subtly sets a tone for how we treat one another.
4. The family needs to petition God to deliver us from evil.
We need to get back to the basics of what the family unit really means. The world is trying hard to destroy the definition of family. Christian families are supposed to be the world’s standard. A dad, a mom and their children. Home is to be sacred, not severed by evil.
God’s family needs revival and purification.
Our Father is the best of Fathers and He knows what is best for the family unit. We offer up our prayers to the Father, from hearts filled with pure love and gratitude to the One who is forever. There is nothing or no one on earth that is forever, other than our triune God. His kingdom is forever. We pray His kingdom come and His will be done on earth as it is in heaven. He is rich without limit and can provide for every need your family may have, physical or spiritual. He is blessed without a boundary to His blessing. For all these reasons we can pray, “Our Father who art in heaven.”
