​​Welcome  to    Joy By Surprise

Millions of Christians through the ages have prayed YAHUSHUA's Prayer. It is probably the most well known prayer of all time: though lately it is seldom prayed in the churches. This morning we will study this prayer, paying particular attention to how Satan has attacked one of its vital truths.

1. Our Father

This is a family or group prayer, a prayer that is prayed by at least two believers who acknowledge the Elohim of the Bible as their heavenly Father. We know this because the words 'our' and 'us' are used throughout. This fact - that we are praying as a group on behalf of the Almighty's church, and our own particular responsibilities within it, lifts this prayer above ordinary prayers in which believers concentrate on personal needs and requests. I repeat, in this prayer we are praying as a believing church to our Father. We are not praying to an earthly father, a priest or pope, but to our Father which is in Heaven. And not merely to 'our Father,' but to YaHuWaH the Elohim of our spiritual ancestors Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

As many of you know, we believers belong to the Family of the Most High and are spiritually bound together by a common parentage.

In short, this prayer is addressed to 'our Father, the Elohim of Abraham, Isaac and Israel.'

2. Which Art in Heaven

The Father we are addressing is in heaven. He is not on earth. What or where is heaven? The Bible tells of several heavens: the atmospheric heavens, in which the birds fly. The starry heavens in which the stars and planets orbit and the third heaven, a spiritual location in which our Heavenly Father dwells. Physically that may be a lot nearer than some imagine.

3. Hallowed be Thy Name

The word 'hallowed' means 'set apart for holy use'. YaHuWaH 's Name is sacred. He is a holy Elohim. He wants His children to be holy and 'set apart for holy use', to hallow His Name in their thoughts, words and deeds. YaHuWaH wants His family to be holy like He is holy. Being in fashion, or being a popular hero are not the best of aims for believers, especially if it means sacrificing godly behavior. We must be people who hallow YaHuWaH 's Name by being a set apart people. What we should aim for is: Hallowed be Thy Name in my life.

4. Thy Kingdom Come

The world is in turmoil. There is chaos on every side and everything worthwhile seems to be fading away. No earthly government is able to stem humanity's slide into disaster. The world is suffering from a terminal disease called 'sin;' and sin is on the increase. The only ray of hope on the horizon is the coming Kingdom of YaHuWaH. Being fully aware of this fact the Savior tells us to look forward to the Kingdom and to pray for the Kingdom of YaHuWaH to come. (See Lesson 10 concerning the Kingdom of Elohim.)

5. Thy Will be Done

Thy will be done in Earth, as it is in Heaven

YaHuWaH 's will is that the human race accept salvation and obey His Torah; the Torah He gave through His servant Moshe and which was magnified in the life of His Son YAHUSHUA the Messiah. That is YaHuWaH 's will. That is what He wants all mankind to do, to love and obey Him.

Alas! the world at large has rejected YaHuWaH 's Son and YaHuWaH 's Torah. Sad to say even the majority of Christendom have rejected YaHuWaH 's Torah. Have you noticed how few believers are really interested in doing the Almighty's will? Comparatively few know what His will is. The Master however tells us to pray about this problem in these words:

Requests Section

After those initial, vital facts concerning YaHuWaH 's Name, His Kingdom and His Will, comes the Requests Section of this great prayer. Notice how often the word "us" is used. I repeat, this is a prayer we pray together. It is a family or church prayer for food (literal and spiritual) for forgiveness, for power and for protection.

• Give us this day our daily bread. YaHuWaH the Elohim of Israel is well able to supply His children with food, even if it means dropping it from heaven. But in doing so He may put them to the test to see whether or not they keep His commandments. Exodus 16: 4: Then said YaHuWaH unto Moshe, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my Torah, or no.
• And forgive us our debts (trespasses, sins) - as we forgive our debtors! (Note how in Nehemiah 1:6 the prophet prays on behalf of all Israel. We read: Let thine ear now be attentive, and thine eyes open, that thou mayest hear the prayer of thy servant, which I pray before thee now, day and night, for the children of Israel thy servants, and confess the sins of the children of Israel, which we have sinned against Thee: both I and my father's house have sinned.
• And lead us not into temptation
• But deliver us from evil

6. For

This word 'for' precedes a vital fact in the Lord's Prayer: a fact that spells out 'why' all the preceding requests should or can be met. In effect it says, All this is possible because:

• Thine is the Kingdom: Because Thou art the supreme and ultimate authority in the universe.
• And the Power: Because with Thee alone is absolute power and no one can stand in Thy way. Because we are weak and powerless to arrive at these objectives without Thy help.
• And the glory: Because in the final analysis any glory that may come as a result is really Thine. Because the whole universe must recognize - for its own good - that Thy will is really the best course to follow. Because Thy name needs to be cleared of slander and blasphemy. Because the glory that is Thy due must be recognized and openly declared by all mankind. Only if we pray in this mode will we find our mental bearings and achieve worthwhile results. All other prayers are doomed to failure!

Satan the fallen arch-angel, is not happy that Christians voice this final summing up of the Lord's Prayer:

That is why Satan has arranged for this whole phrase to be either [bracketed] or omitted from modern translations of the Bible. In one swipe the Devil has sought to remove the guarantee that this vital prayer will be answered. Full well does he know that YaHuWaH the Almighty Elohim of Israel alone has the authority the power and the will that it takes to answer this prayer. No other soul in the universe has that power.

When those vital words 'thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory' are omitted from YAHUSHUA's prayer, it will not be answered; simply because it is not directed at the only One in the universe who is capable of answering it.

7. For Ever

The Most High is immortal. His Kingdom is everlasting and His power endless. Not only are these true and eternal facts, but this prayer ends with our total agreement and acceptance of them. The word 'amen' means 'so be it' or 'so it is'.

So ends the perfect prayer that will always be answered - if prayed in its entirety by the church, the family of the living Elohim. This prayer should be prayed by the church on behalf of the church, for the benefit of all mankind and the eternal glory of YaHuWaH the Almighty Elohim, the Father of our Lord and Savior YAHUSHUA the Messiah. Amen and Amen! So be it and So be it!

In the final analysis a group is judged, not by its numbers, its knowledge, its wealth or its possessions: but by its effectiveness in prayer. We must continually ask ourselves this question: Are our prayers being answered? And if not, why not? We must also question ourselves concerning: How often do we pray? What do we pray for? Do we get results? Does YaHuWaH the Elohim of Abraham, Isaac and Israel listen to our prayers? If not, why not?

Matthew 6: 9-13 After this manner therefore pray ye:

• Our Father which art in Heaven,
• Hallowed be Thy Name.
• Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in Earth, as it is in Heaven.
• Give us this day our daily bread.
• And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
• And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil:
• For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever.
  
  Amen.