Praying the Lord’s Prayer: Overpowering Countless Devils And Engulfing The Whole World With One Prayer
Immeasurably More Than All We Ask Or Imagine
The babies jostled each other within her, and she said, “Why is this happening to me?” So she went to inquire of the LORD. Genesis 25: 22
Rebekah’s prayer was for her own life and that of her babies. Yet her prayer resulted in giving birth to two great leaders and all their descendants. She asked God for only a penny but obtained a mountain of gold—something she hadn’t hoped for or dared to believe. She kept her prayer modest and reasonable, and she was willing to be satisfied with small favors.
We too are in the habit of praying for trivial and insignificant things. When we pray, we don’t take into account the great majesty of God. If God wanted to give us only petty and superficial things, he wouldn’t have given us such a magnificent model for prayer: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come . . .” God has plenty of resources, and he’s not a tightwad. He generously offers us the best gifts available in heaven and on earth. He expects that we will ask him for many things and that we will sincerely believe we will get what we request. When we receive what we ask for in the Lord’s Prayer, we are, in effect, receiving heaven and earth and everything they contain. For when we ask for God’s name to be kept holy, for his kingdom to come, and for his will to be done, we are overpowering countless devils and engulfing the whole world with one prayer.
Because we are so narrow-minded and have such weak faith, we should carefully note how God answered Rebekah’s prayer. God isn’t content to provide us with a small amount even if we only ask for a little. He prefers to give us “immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine” (Ephesians 3:20).
-Martin Luther, Faith Alone: A Daily Devotional, January 21, (p. 27). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.
What better prayer for the New Year than the overpowering and engulfing one that Jesus taught His disciples to pray?
The Lord’s Prayer:
Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name.
Your kingdom come.
Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors.
And do not lead us into temptation,
But deliver us from the evil one.
For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.Matthew 6:9-13, NKJV
Most liturgical versions read like this:
Our Father Who art in heaven, Hallowed be Your name.
Your kingdom come.
Your 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 the evil.
For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.Matthew 6:9-13
A Note To Readers:
PAGA encourages all readers to pray The Lord’s Prayer every day, in the morning, driving to work, before going to bed, etc. Determine a set time and do it daily.
Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen. Ephesians 3:20-21
