New Testament Bible Study by John Stanko

Matthew Study 15: 13:1-30

Dear Student of the Word,

Did you ever consider that the parable of the sower could have just as easily been called the parable of the soils?  This week we move into Matthew 13 where Jesus begins a series of lessons on the kingdom of God.  He began with the story of the sower who went out to sow seed, which had varying degrees of success in sprouting and taking root. What was the difference?  The difference was the condition of the soil, for there was nothing wrong with the seed.  Here is a sample of what I wrote in this week's lesson:

13:5-9 – Without the explanation to follow, we would have no idea what Jesus was talking about, or it would be left to our personal interpretation.  I want to have insight into God’s word, but I don’t want to be weird and force meanings that the Holy Spirit never intended.

One of the best ways to gain insight into God’s word is to seek the Lord through study.  This is something I have not done enough of the last few years.  I prepare these studies and I prepare for teaching and preaching.  Yet I am not satisfied with the depth of my understanding, so I have enrolled in a doctoral program at Reformed Theological Seminary.  I have completed twenty percent of the program and it has helped me focus and discipline myself for study.

Yet when I study, all I can do is position myself for God to open my eyes and ears to the truths in His word.  While I do my part, any insight I receive is grace, but I must position myself to receive the grace.  What work are you doing to be able to receive God’s grace?  The least you can do is pray for insight like the psalmist:

How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word. I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. Praise be to you, O Lord; teach me your decrees. With my lips I recount all the laws that come from your mouth. I rejoice in following your statutes as one rejoices in great riches I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways. I delight in your decrees; I will not neglect your word. Do good to your servant, and I will live; I will obey your word. Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law (Psalm 119:9-18).

Jesus often said, “I tell you the truth,” and “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”  Jesus would always tell the truth but not everyone wanted to hear the truth.  Those who wanted to hear would hear, those who did not would go home and have no idea what Jesus was talking about.

Do you have ears to hear?  Then what are you hearing?  What new insight about God or His purposes do you have?  How are you sharing this with other people?  What difference has it made in your life and purpose?  What changes do you need to make to gain more insight into God’s word?  I am not saying that you need to go back to school like I have done, but there is something you can do, or stop doing (like watching television), to provide the time you need to position yourself for the grace of insight into God’s purposes.

As always, I welcome your comments to this week's study. You can write them or find the studies to Corinthians, First Timothy and Mark's gospel on the site where this week's entry is posted. You can also go there to sign up to receive each week's study.

Download this week's study: Matthew Study 15.doc

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SPECIAL NOTICE:  Don't miss the inaugural broadcast of my new radio show, Your PurposeQuest: The Power of a Focused Life this coming Wednesday, May 21, at 9 AM Eastern time on the Voice America network.  You don't need any special equipment or software.  Just go to their website and click on their flagship station and I will be on for a live broadcast.  The show will air at 2 PM in the UK, 3 PM in Zimbabwe and South Africa, 4 PM in Kenya and 9 PM in Singapore. Then it will be broadcast again 12 hours later, and after that it can be listened to or downloaded from the archive section.  The show will air every Wednesday at the same time.

Feel free to email me your questions for the show, or you can call me when the show is live at 1.866.472.5787.  Here is a description of the first show:

Episode One: Write a Book, Save a Child
 
Have you ever thought about writing a book?  Ever wanted to travel or start a company that will make the world a better place to live?  If so, then you won’t want to miss John Stanko’s inaugural program with his guest, Diana Scimone.  Diana is a publisher, author, world traveler and founder of “Not For Sale,” a nonprofit organization working to alleviate the child trafficking problem around the world.  Join John and Diana as they talk about writing, travel, purpose and how you can be a person of purpose, too!

 

 

Matthew Study 14: 12:22-50

Dear Student of the Word,

Have you ever asked God for a sign, some kind of confirmation that would let you know without a doubt that He wanted you to do something? Jesus' contemporaries also asked for a sign, but He refused to give them one, except for one. In this week's study, we look at what He promised to provide and how that sign should impact your life. This week I wrote:

v. 38 – The Pharisees were undaunted by Jesus’ assault on their character and spirituality. Next they wanted a sign, something beyond the normal that would confirm in their mind that Jesus was the One. John the Baptist did not ask for a sign; John simply wanted Jesus to reaffirm the truth of who He was. The Pharisees did not believe what Jesus said, so they wanted a sign, promising then at least to consider believing but only after they received a sign.

There were already plenty of signs for the Pharisees to consider but they were mired in unbelief and, contrary to what they thought, no sign at that point would have stimulated their belief in Jesus.

v. 39 – Jesus responded with another scathing attack, referring to those who asked for a sign as a wicked and adulterous generation. The Pharisees asked for the same thing that the devil requested in Matthew 4. He wanted Jesus to put on a show and throw Himself from the pinnacle of the Temple. Jesus refused to perform on demand for the devil and He refused the same request from the Pharisees.

Jesus performed His signs and wonders to meet the needs of people, not to provide documentation for those who were intent on judging His performance. Jesus told them that there would be a significant sign and called it the sign of the prophet Jonah, veiling what He meant to hide it from unbelieving eyes and hearts. He explained the meaning of this sign in the next few verses.

Does it make sense that an unbelieving heart requires a sign and that the sign simply allows control to remain with the observer? By that I mean the one beholding the so-called sign can still accept or reject the sign, still decide whether the sign is “enough” to warrant belief. God is not averse to providing a sign, but it is one of His choosing. Let’s read on.

vs. 40&41 – Of course the sign of Jonah was a reference to Jesus’ impending death and resurrection. That is the sign that the unbelieving generation would receive and, true to form, they would reject that sign. Jesus offers the same sign to our generation and has to every generation since He came, the sign of His resurrection.

God raised Jesus from the dead. If God raises the dead, He can do whatever He promises. If you are looking for a sign to confirm God’s power and authority, that is the sign that God provides. If you are looking for a sign that God is with you, then that is the sign. If you are looking for a sign that God can do what He promised He would do for you, then that is the sign. There is no other, and you should require no other.

If God can raise the dead, He can do anything. Do you act like He can do anything?

As always, I welcome your comments to this week's study. You can write them or find the studies to Corinthians, First Timothy and Mark's gospel on the site where this week's entry is posted. You can also go there to sign up to receive each week's study.

Download this week's study: Matthew Study 14.doc

Matthew Study 13: 11:20-12:21

Dear Student of the Word,

Do you know any religious people? They are usually filled with anger, critical of everything and everyone that does not conform to their image of what service to God should be. This week we study Jesus' responses to His religious critics as they watch Him conduct His ministry. It is hard to imagine sinful men judging the actions of a righteous God, but that is the essence of the religious mind. The rules about following God become more important than God Himself! How bizarre! Yet nothing has changed in 2,000 years. There are still a lot of people who find fault with others. . . and with God.

This week I wrote:

12:9&10 – Jesus was already in trouble for picking grain on the Sabbath, but then He entered the synagogue and was confronted by a man with a physical need. What was Jesus to do? He was already being criticized. Would He back off doing what was right? Would He do right, but do it privately, away from prying eyes and judgmental lips?

Jesus knew that they were looking for a reason to accuse Him, so He gave them a reason! Yet Jesus remained true to His mission, for He turned the confrontation into a teaching lesson, so that anyone who heard could learn, if they chose to do so. Otherwise, they would just take offense again at Jesus’ unorthodox ways.

The question was whether or not it was lawful to heal on the Sabbath. That was a legitimate question, but the Pharisees were not looking for an answer. They were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus of wrongdoing. Imagine sinful man judging a sinless God! How bizarre! Yet that is just how the religious mind works, looking for a reason to accuse God and men.

v. 11 – Jesus answered their question with another question that had an obvious answer. Men were allowed to rescue or help their animals on the Sabbath. If that was the case, why not help men on the Sabbath? It makes sense to me reading it 2,000 years later, but it must have infuriated the listeners back then.

v. 12 – Jesus did provide a clear answer to their question and declared it legal to heal and do good on the Sabbath. It is always the right time to do good. Have you put off doing good, finding some religious excuse not to do what was in your power to do? If so, then you need to confront the spirit of the Pharisee in your own heart. Remember what is written:

Do not withhold good from those who deserve it, when it is in your power to act. Do not say to your neighbor, "Come back later; I'll give it tomorrow"—when you now have it with you. Do not plot harm against your neighbor, who lives trustfully near you (Proverbs 3:27-29).

Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers (Galatians 6:10).

What good can you do today, no longer putting it off?

As always, I welcome your comments to this week's study. You can write them or find the studies to Corinthians, First Timothy and Mark's gospel on the site where this week's entry is posted. You can also go there to sign up to receive each week's study.

Download this week's study: Matthew Study 13.doc

Matthew Study 12: 10:32-11:19

Dear Student of the Word,

Has God ever allowed something to happen to you that you never expected? Have you ever questioned God about why it happened or searched for reassurance that God was with you. In this week's study, we look at that very thing happening to Jesus' cousin, John the Baptist. John was perplexed by what He saw Jesus doing and sent emissaries to question Jesus as to His true identity. This week we will look at what Jesus had to say in response to John's disciples and what more Jesus had to say about John himself.

The study for one day this week reads as follows. I hope you will take time to study every other day, too:

11:2&3 – Remember that John and Jesus were cousins through their mothers’ side of the family. They had to be acquainted prior to the start of their ministries. So John would have known Jesus prior to recognizing that He was the Christ. It is all the more impressive that John could see past the family relationship to recognize Jesus as the Son of God. At any rate, John sent disciples to ask Jesus about His mission. Obviously, John was expecting the Messiah to do things differently than Jesus was doing. John had already declared that Jesus was the Lamb of God (see John 1:19) but now John had to ask to make sure.

One has to admire John’s honesty and desire to know the truth. John trusted that Jesus would tell him the truth as to whether or not He was “the One.” John did not make public his doubts before he had sought Jesus for the truth. Also, John was not shy about expressing his true feelings and thoughts. He was an honest man. Are you honest with God?

v. 4 – Jesus gave no indication that He was offended by the questions posed by John’s delegation. He directed them to go back to John and report only what they saw and heard, no more and no less. This may seem like a simple response, but Jesus urged them not to interpret what they saw and heard, just to report it. The Pharisees, who also beheld what Jesus did, could not help but draw incorrect personal conclusions from the evidence, and pass their bias on to others. Jesus urged John’s disciples not to repeat the same mistake.

v. 5 – What did John’s disciples see? They beheld Jesus healing the blind, lame, lepers, and the deaf. They heard Jesus declaring the good news of the gospel to the poor. Yet that was not what Israel, including John, had expected from their Messiah. They had expected a more militant, political Savior, who would restore the throne of David in a literal sense. They had a Messiah who did wonderful deeds without any of the political overtones they had expected.

John for one was so confused that he had to ask if Jesus was truly the One, the Messiah. If John was confused, you can imagine how many others were as well? Notice that Jesus did not answer directly, “I am the One.” He urged John to examine the evidence, determine whether or not He was from God and come to him own conclusions. He urges you to do the same.

v. 6 – There are times when things happen that you may not have considered possible when you first started to serve the Lord. When those things happen, you can be scandalized by the events and question God’s intent of faithfulness. I just met with a family who have hit hard times in their family business. The bank is threatening to take action unless they meet their obligations. Yet they are staying true to God and to their governing values of excellence and integrity. They are trusting God in the midst of trying times. How about you? Are you questioning God’s faithfulness? Are you asking “why, God?” questions. I am not saying it is wrong to ask those questions. Just don’t stop until you obtain some answers so that you do not become bitter or disillusioned or worse yet, question God’s love.

As always, I welcome your comments to this week's study. You can write them or find the studies to Corinthians, First Timothy and Mark's gospel on the site where this week's entry is posted. You can also go there to sign up to receive each week's study.

Download this week's study: Matthew Study 12-1.doc

Matthew Study 11: 10:1-10:31

Dear Student of the Word,

I was home for one day after Nigeria and I am now heading to Texas. I always enjoy the challenge of finding how I am going to send these studies from the road. It's usually not too difficult, but at times it can be. Right now I am in the Pittsburgh airport and there is free wireless internet. That always helps!

This week we see how Jesus chose some disciples to send out and minister in His name. I had this to say about how He chose them and how it relates to you and me:

10:1-4 – When God calls you to a purpose, He calls you by name and He calls you to Himself. It isn’t just a task, it’s a relationship with Him. I have found that when I function in my purpose, God provides for me and takes care of all I need to fulfill my purpose. He speaks to me, and my relationship with Him is somehow closer and more intimate.

Here Jesus called twelve men to Himself and gave them authority. That was a question the Jews always asked Jesus; “By whose authority do You do these things?” Jesus did the things He did in the authority of His purpose. That is all the authority you need as well, for your purpose is your command from heavenly headquarters. When you move in your purpose, you don’t need an invitation to the party, so to speak. You invite yourself. Someone else said that you nominate yourself for the job. I like that.

If your purpose is to help the poor, you don’t need anyone to invite you to do so. You show up where the poor are and start helping them. I was reflecting on this issue of authority the other day, and came up with nine aspects of purpose that give you the authority to do whatever it is God wants you to do. Here they are:

1. The authority of results – your purpose helps you bear fruit; no one can question your authority when you can show them the fruit of your labors.
2. The authority of clarity – your purpose is one clear, concise statement of what you are on earth to do. People will follow and respond to you because you are direct and focused.
3. The authority of knowledge – your purpose enables and even drives you to be skilled at what you do. You will have more insight and knowledge about your sphere of purpose than others.
4. The authority of calling – God assigned your purpose and wants you to fulfill it even more than you do. He will open doors and create opportunities for you to succeed.
5. The authority of integrity – your purpose causes you to live by your values, the things that are most important to you. You don’t want to undermine your purpose, so you have added incentive to be an honest person of your word.
6. The authority of courage – your purpose makes you a leader where you function. You face your fears because your purpose is more important than you are. There are people waiting to benefit from what you do and who you are and you press through obstacles to be there for them.
7. The authority of success – your purpose gives you endurance to press through the barriers and endure long periods of suffering and regular setbacks. You don’t only achieve results; you do so over a long period of time, which constitutes some measure of success
8. The authority of humility – you know your source of strength, which is God Himself. You acknowledge your source but you don’t deny that you are good at what you do because God helps you.
9. The authority of honesty – you do not engage in “false humility” (denying what you can do) but you know your limitations and face your limitations and weaknesses with openness.

Can you think of any others to add to the list?

As always, I welcome your comments to this week's study. You can write them or find the studies to Corinthians, First Timothy and Mark's gospel on the site where this week's entry is posted. You can also go there to sign up to receive each week's study.

Download this week's study: Matthew Study 11.doc

Matthew Study 10: 9:9-9:38

Dear Student of the Word,

I am delighted to send this week's installment from Nigeria, where I ministering for the first time. I am in Kaduna, in north Nigeria, where I am working with the Assemblies of God churches and leaders. I teach every morning this week from 9 to noon on leadership subjects, and I am honored to be part of the work here. It is hot, but it is a privilege to teach from God's Word any place and at any time.

This week, we study quite a few instances of Jesus' healing ministry. I make the following statement about the great things that Jesus did in abundance:

v. 32 – No Jew reading Matthew’s account could possibly deny Jesus’ divinity. There was no one who had ever done what Jesus did, and done so much of it. He healed every kind of infirmity with which He was confronted. He often knew the sources of the people’s problems; in this case it was a man mute due to demonic presence. Only someone with divine perspective could know that. Jesus raised the dead, healed blind men whether they came alone or in pairs, and had healing power flow from Him, as evidenced by the woman with the issue of blood.

Matthew wasn’t just providing a picture that Jesus was a good man. Matthew was making a case that Jesus was (and is) God! There was no doubt in Matthew’s mind that these great works could be performed not by a good man or a prophet. These things were all evidence that Jesus was the Son of God!

These powerful deeds set Jesus apart from every other notable religious leader. Mohammed, Buddha, the Dalai Lama, and millions of Hindu gods never, ever did anything close to the deeds that Jesus did. No religious leader ever matched His power or authority. Jesus isn’t just one of the great religious leaders; He is the greatest, because He is God! Therefore, Jesus cannot just be one way to God, for He is infinitely superior to the any other ways. Not only was Jesus a superior teacher to any of His “rivals,” He was also performed superior acts of mercy and power.

As always, I welcome your comments to this week's study. You can write them or find the studies to Corinthians, First Timothy and Mark's gospel on the site where this week's entry is posted. You can also go there to sign up to receive each week's study. And if you can contribute toward my faith trip here to Nigeria, please go to my website and take care of that today! Thank you.

Download this week's study: Matthew Study 10.doc

Matthew Study 9: 8:14-9:8

Dear Student of the Word,

I trust that you had a good resurrection weekend and that you feel empowered to do even more for the Lord, since you carry resurrection power in you. I have enjoyed my time at home this year, but I will be on the road for the next three weeks to Seattle, Nigeria and Texas. I love preparing these studies because they keep me in the Word no matter how busy I am or where I go. I hope you are finding the grace to be in the Word as well.

This week, we continue to study Matthew's accounts of Jesus, the Healer. Jesus was and is magnificent! He touched and cured situations from which most people avoided. This week I wrote:

vs. 24-26 – What a picture of confidence and peace! Jesus was sleeping while the waves overwhelmed the boat. What does this tell us about Jesus? 1) Jesus was fully human, since He was exhausted from His ministry encounters; 2) Jesus had complete confidence in the Father; 3) there was no need for Him to stay awake on watch because God had everything under control; 4) Jesus was God, since only has authority to speak to the waves and wind and they obeyed.

What does this tell us about the disciples? 1) They were afraid; 2) these were seasoned fishermen, but the power of the weather frightened them; 3) they knew that Jesus could help them, since theywent straight to Jesus with their “prayer request;” 4) they did not have confidence like Jesus; and 5) their fear had caused their faith to dissipate.

My finances are a bit low right now, but I refuse to panic like I have in the past. They aren’t really low; I’m just stepping out to publish, broadcast and innovate, all of which cost money. This is my daily prayer: I trust You, Lord. I will sleep while You watch and work. I will remember the exhortation in the psalms:

Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain. In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat—for he grants sleep to those he loves (Psalm 127:1-2).

Are you aware that God provides for you, even while you sleep? Is this truth evident in your daily life, your thoughts, your actions?

As always, I welcome your comments to this week's study. You can write them or find the studies to Corinthians, First Timothy and Mark's gospel on the site where this week's entry is posted. You can also go there to sign up to receive each week's study.

Download this week's study: Matthew Study 9-1.doc

Matthew Study 8: 7:13-8:13

Dear Student of the Word,

I am in Washington DC and, before I drive back to Pittsburgh, I thought I would send out this week's study. This week we finish up with Jesus at the Sermon on the Mount and come down the mountain with Him as He heals and ministers to people's needs. No matter how high the mountaintop experience, you must always come back down to the day-to-day life that God ordains as normal.

This week I wrote about shortcuts to prosperity or God's favor. I wrote about this on my blog, but it bears repeating here:

vs. 24-27 – I am old enough now to have some perspective on things and I have seen the long-term effects of people who built wisely and foolishly. The wise took Jesus’ words and applied them with a view toward long-term success. Others looked for a shortcut and for a time seemed like they had found one. Yet, when the pressures of life or when God tested their work, their life and work were found to be shabby and shaky.

You cannot escape the fact that your work will be tested in this life. Jesus didn’t say “if the winds blow” but rather “when the winds blow.” Paul alluded to the same inevitability when he wrote:

By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should be careful how he builds. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man's work. If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames (1 Corinthians 3:10-15).

I am especially concerned with how many seem to offer financial shortcuts to God’s people. Some promise great returns for a “seed gift” of a certain amount of money. I have heard some promise the gift of wisdom if someone donates $951, since there are 951 verses in the book of Proverbs. This is pure nonsense and is the equivalent of a spiritual lottery. People put up so much money in the hopes of “winning” a lot more money. This is what takes place in a casino and should not take place in God’s business. It’s true that you give and God will bless you. But there is only one way to gain wealth:

In all labor there is profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty (Proverbs 14:23).

You gain wealth by hard work, wise investments and the grace of God. Those who come with promises of wealth if you give a gift to their work and ministry are frauds:

For we are not like many, peddling the word of God, but as from sincerity, but as from God, we speak in Christ in the sight of God (2 Corinthians 2:17).

What is peddler? The dictionary defines a peddler as “one who deals in or promotes something intangible (as a personal asset or an idea).”

Don’t look for spiritual shortcuts. There aren’t any. Build wisely, like a master builder, and put your hope and expectations in God for the long-term. Have you been guilty of looking for and experimenting with shortcuts, especially where money is concerned? If so, you need to repent and change your ways.

I would welcome your comments to this week's study. You can write them and find the studies to Corinthians, First Timothy and Mark's gospel on the site where this week's entry is posted. You can also go there to sign up to receive each week's study.

Download this week's study: Matthew Study 8-1.doc

Matthew Study 7: 6:19-7:12

Dear Student of the Word,

I am in England to take part in the Christian Booksellers Convention. I was walking through the booths yesterday, marveling at how many Bibles and Bible study aids there are on the market today. Yet are we any more Bible-literate or knowledgeable than our predecessors? Perhaps not! Why? Perhaps because no matter how many things we have to help us study the Bible, we still must do just that: take the time to study. That is what I try to help you do in these studies. I want you to "get into" the Word and then apply the Word on a daily basis.

This week we continue to study Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, paying close attention to Jesus' reminders that God is able to provide for us, freeing us from worry. This week I wrote:

6:25 – Someone once said, “When you see a therefore, make sure you see what it’s there for.” This therefore is there, in this case, to assure us that God can take care of us; we don’t need to fret over money matters where provision for basic needs is concerned. God will take care of providing food, shelter, clothing and transport; there is more to life than those things. God created you with those needs and He isn’t going to allow those needs to go unfilled. Do you believe that? If you do, then you don’t have to be concerned if God asks you to do something and you aren’t quite sure how your basic needs will be met if you do that thing. He will take care of you.

I have found the main reason that more people don’t make transitions to jobs or opportunities that are better suited to who they are and what God wants them to do is a concern over provision. This is important, I know, but it isn’t the main thing – doing the will of God is the main thing. When you do the will of God, the God of that will must provide for you or you can’t do it. God guides where He provides. Where it’s God’s will, it’s God’s bill.

What would you do today if it wasn’t for the money you needed to live? That is the very thing you were probably created to do, so how can you engage that thing in the shortest time possible? Today I do everything that I love and get paid to do it. You can do the same; perhaps not overnight, but it can happen with sustained, concentrated effort. Don’t let money be the main focus; let the will of God be the main focus.

6:26 – God takes care of the birds and the other creatures of nature. Why not you and me? When I take a safari to Africa, I am always struck by one obvious fact: abundance! There is plenty of food, water, and space for millions of animals. They seldom lack. If it’s true for the animal world, then it’s true for humans as well. When you think of life, do you think abundance or lack? How do you think will determine how you act and affect the decisions your make?

6:27 – Worry is a futile effort. Someone said it is negative faith – believing for bad things. You and I cannot affect the outcomes of much – so much is out of our control, that it makes more sense to get on with life and trust God for the outcome. That is what I am trying to do more effectively.

I would welcome your comments to this week's study. You can write them and find the studies to Corinthians, First Timothy and Mark's gospel on the site where this week's entry is posted. You can also go there to sign up to receive each week's study.

Download this week's study: Matthew Study 7.doc

Matthew Study 6: 5:43-6:18

Dear Student of the Word,

It's time for another dose of God's word. When I call it a dose, that make it sound like the Word is some kind of medicine. In a manner of speaking, it is! It will cure what ails you and prevent many ailments from ever starting.

In this week's study, we continue to look at Jesus' remarks in what is known as the Sermon on the Mount. This week we see that Jesus addressed the heart issues that should go with the spiritual disciplines of prayer, fasting and giving. Below are some of the remarks I made on the topic of prayer. I would love your feedback on what I wrote.

6:8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. 9 "This, then, is how you should pray: " 'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, 10 your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us today our daily bread.

v. 8 – I may get in trouble with some for writing this, but I think we must be careful not to get into a “works mentality” where prayer is concerned. I have heard some say, “Nothing happens until we pray.” I’m not sure that’s true. What do you think? Does God limit what He does to what His people pray? Then I’ve heard some others declare that the problems in the nation or world are there because the church isn’t praying like it should. Yet, in my opinion, there is more prayer being offered up now than at any time I can remember in my lifetime. Is it that we aren’t praying or is it that God isn’t doing what we ask, because God wants to do something else other than what we are trying to impose on Him?

I try to make my prayers simple and economical. God does indeed know my needs and heart and I don’t have to repeat my petitions over and over to get His attention. I also don’t need to mention His name every third word: “Lord, I thank You, Lord, and I come before You, Lord, and I ask You, Lord, to do great things, Lord, in Your power, Lord.” When I talk to anyone else, I don’t say his or her name over and over in the conversation. I don’t need to do that with God either.

O Lord, you have searched me and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O Lord (Psalm 139:1-4).

v. 9 – I’ll probably stir up controversy with this next statement as well, but I don’t think the Lord meant for us to memorize this prayer and recite it to Him verbatim on a regular basis. Jesus said we should pray like this, not pray this exactly. The Lord’s prayer, as we know it today, is a pattern, not a law. When I was young, I recited this prayer and it meant very little to me. I know people who pray this prayer no matter what they need from God. They don’t believe their own words will be good enough to touch or reach God, so they pray this prayer. I have heard of soldiers praying this prayer in battle. If I am in battle, I want to pray, “Lord, help me! Protect me!” Do you agree or disagree? What benefit is there in praying this prayer over and over again, word for word? Do you think that was what Jesus intended to happen?

v. 10 – I had better be careful in this discussion, for I don’t have particularly deep or relevant insight into prayer. When I was a pastor, I preached a series on prayer and the people were more confused when I was done than when I started! I had them thinking about something that should flow naturally. It was kind of like dissecting a frog in biology class. You can take and display all the frog parts but you can put them back together again. You no longer have a frog but only the parts that make up a frog. That was how it was with my teaching on prayer. People had all the parts, but they couldn’t put them back together to make a whole.

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