PRAYER AND ITS PURPOSE
The premier message of the Messiah and of his disciples was always, “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.” Now, when the disciples asked the Master to teach them how to pray, he taught them: “Our Father, which art in Heaven; hallowed be thy name. They kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.” We have already examined in previous posts that this prayer is not about the one praying for the pronouns are all plural. It begins with “Our.” This is in keeping with the Sermon on the Mount. We don’t need to concern ourselves with ourselves. In fact, if you are praying on behalf of others; and they are doing the same; then all of them are praying for you.
We have also seen in prior posts, that the first request of this model prayer is for the Father’s kingdom to come and His will to be done on earth. That means, the premier message (Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.) remains the premier focus of our lives; and that includes our prayer.
Our opening verse congeals this focus and summarizes the entire sermon in a single sentence.
Matthew 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of Elohim, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
A few verses later, the Master
mentions this “seeking;” but, unfortunately, because of the chapter break, it
is rarely seen in context with this verse.
Matthew 7:7 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find;
knock, and it shall be opened unto you:
8 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.
Everyone is familiar with “ask, seek and knock” in the Sermon on the Mount; but if put into the context of the sermon, we will see Yahushua, who was ever focused on His Father’s Kingdom; and who just taught his disciples to seek first the Kingdom of Elohim, is telling his followers that if we are seeking first the Kingdom then our asking will be about the Kingdom. Our seeking will be about the Kingdom; and our knocking will be about the Kingdom. It was the primary message and the primary focus of the Master and of his disciples.
This is not a trite revelation. It isn’t a clever “find” in the Scriptures to tout to others to show off your insights into Scripture. It is a clearly defined path for the disciple of the Master Messiah Yahushua to walk out in life in such a way that the fruit of it is evident to all. We live for the Kingdom and its advancement in the earth.
So, when we read verses in the Scripture like this one (Ask and it shall be given you.), we should never mistake this for asking for anything other than that which advances the Kingdom and secures the will of IAUE being performed in the earth.
John 14:13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that
will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
14 If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.
When we read these verses outside of the context of the heart of Yahushua revealed in the Gospels, we contort the words and render them as though they are wishes being granted by a genie to fulfill all our selfish desires; and yet James tells us:
James 4:3 Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.
Can you see the commentary this provides to Matthew 7 which says if we ask we receive? We do NOT receive if our asking is out of focus with the advancement of the Kingdom…if our asking is for our self-interests.
We also see in John’s first epistle, this dedication to the model prayer.
1 John 5:14 And this is the
confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his
will, he heareth us:
15 And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.
Our confidence in receiving that for which we ask is entirely based upon the alignment of our prayer with the advancement of the Kingdom and the performance of IAUE’s will in the earth.
Our Master demonstrated what our lives should be like when he was yet a young boy.
Luke 2:49 And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business?
What about this is difficult to
understand? There isn’t anything,
really. The problem begins with our not having embraced the premier message: Repent.
Remember, we are dead, and our lives are hidden with Messiah in Elohim; and
since we reckon Messiah died for all, we which live should live for him who
died for us. (Colossians
3:1-3; 2 Corinthians 5:14-15) Our lives are
no longer about us; and our prayer should not be about us. Focus. Prayer is not for sissies. It is for those committed to the advancement
of the Kingdom of IAUE and the performance of His will in the earth.
