OUR FATHER WHICH ART IN HEAVEN.

How many times have we uttered those amazing words? How often have we tried to evaluate their worth?

The greatest honour ever to be bestowed upon mankind, is the privilege of calling our Holy God Father.

We can only call God Father through Jesus his Son.

In John 14 Vs 6, Jesus said, " I am the way the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."

There is no mystery here, Jesus clearly states that he is the only way to God. He is the only one that came down from heaven, from the presence of his Father.

He came to make us his brothers and sisters, so that we could be with him for eternity in heaven.

He came to purchase our redemption, the price? His life for ours. He lived for us, he suffered and died for us, so that we could share his glory with God and call him Father.

When Jesus rose from the dead, he spoke to Mary Magdalene. In John 20 Vs 17, he said this "Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet returned to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, " I am returning to my Father and to your Father, to my God and to your God."

If we believe this, we may say,

OUR FATHER WHICH ART IN HEAVEN.

HALLOWED BE THY NAME.

What is in a name? All power and glory is in the name of God, and we are told by Jesus to hallow it. God is our heavenly Father, therefore we must regard his name as the holiest, in John 6 Vs 45& 46, Jesus said, "It is written in the prophets: " they will all be taught by God." Everyone who listens to the Father and learns from him comes to me. No one has seen the Father except the one who is from God; only he has seen the Father. I tell you the truth, he who believes has everlasting life."

Jesus was with God before he came to be a man. He learned all that he had to do from God, his Father. He alone knows the full extent of God’s power and holiness.

When Jesus said, " hallowed be thy name, he said it with authority from God. Jesus uses words of love and respect whenever he prayed. He called God , holy; righteous and merciful: God is all these things, we need to be reminded, each time we pray. God is worthy of all honour and praise. His name is truly awesome

In John 15 Vs 9-10, Jesus said, " as the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’ s commands and remain in his love."

What is a command? It is when we are told to do something ,rather than asked. If we are asked to do something it means we have a choice, we can say yes, or no. If we are told to do something, we may have the same choice, but, there are consequences for refusing.

Jesus said HALLOWED BE THY NAME.

THY KINGDOM COME.

Jesus had many things to say about God’s kingdom. In Luke 17 Vs 20-21, " once having been asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, " the kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation, nor will people say, " here it is, " or " there it is, "because the kingdom of God is within you."

We will not find the kingdom of God by looking with our eyes, nor will anyone be able to tell us where it is. When Jesus was arrested he told Pilate, "my kingdom is not of this world," We cannot expect to see it , but we can by faith, feel it. We must by faith, seek out the kingdom of God. In John 3 Vs 3, Jesus said " I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again. "

Nicodemus asked the question "how ?" and Jesus told him in John 3 Vs 56 " I tell you the truth no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit."

We must be baptised, [born of water] in faith, then the holy Spirit of God will come in and make its home establishing God’s kingdom within us.

So we pray THY KINGDOM COME.

THY WILL BE DONE.

Thy will be done, God’s will! Not our will. This can be the hardest thing to do, to submit our will to God. It means a complete change in our lifestyle, and in our way of thinking.

The psalmist wrote in psalm 40 Vs 8 " I desire to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart. "

How did God’s law get into the psalmist’s heart? God himself put it there.

Again the psalmist writes in psalm 143 Vs 10 " teach me to do thy will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground."

God never intended that we should be without help. God is willing to teach us his will, if we are willing to accept it.

We have lost sight of the fact that we belong to God. We have for so long, done what is contrary to God’s will. Revelations 4 Vs 11 says " you are worthy, our Lord and God to receive glory and honour and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being."

We have been created by God’s will, it is only right that we should pray ,

THY WILL BE DONE.

IN EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN.

God is omnipotent, in heaven his perfect will is done without

argument. God is absolute ruler of heaven and not one being there

would have it any different.

He rules all with mercy and love., because he rules and his will is

done, there is no sickness or pain; no death or darkness; no hunger

or thirst; there is only love and life where God rules.

How wonderful it would be,

ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN.

GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY BREAD.

There are many people in this world who do not have daily bread, people who do not know bread, as we know it.

There is bread that feeds the body, and bread that feeds the soul.

In John 6 Vs 27 Jesus said, " Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. On him God the Father has placed his seal of approval."

We need this bread daily. We need to feed on our Lord Jesus Christ, he is the bread of life: Jesus tells us this in John 6 Vs 35 " then Jesus declared I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty."

Food and water are the basic requirements for life, without them our bodies would cease their many wonderful functions and die.

Our soul cannot feed from our body, it can only be fed on the blood and body of our Lord.

John 6 Vs 53 – 57 says" Jesus said to them, I tell you the truth ,unless you can eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him. Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me."

So Lord, GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY BREAD

FORGIVE US OUR TRESPASSES.

One thing we all need, just as we all need salt, is forgiveness. One thing we can be sure of if we confess our sins to God is his forgiveness.

God is patient, slow to anger and faithful to forgive. God is righteous, holy and must punish sin. If you stand in your sin God cannot look upon you.

In ! John 1 Vs 8-10, it says, " if we claim to be without sin ,we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives."

God makes it very clear to us, there is no escape from our sin, unless we cry out to our merciful God

FORGIVE US OUR TRESPASSES.

AS WE FORGIVE THOSE WHO TRESPASS AGAINST US.

We have in our lifetime of sinning, been just as much sinned against. Unforgiving is one of the strongest, most destructive feelings we encounter in our lives.

It starts when we are very young and refuse to say "sorry " or to accept an apology from someone who has hurt us, or been hurt by us. We call it holding a grudge, God calls it what it really is unforgiving.

This is as unacceptable to God , as sin. We crave forgiveness, God longs to forgive us, but first we must forgive.

I personally found that the easiest way to do this, was to lie in bed and go as far back as I could remember: and forgive each wrong as it came to mind.

When I came upon a really bad hurt I had no strength to forgive, I called upon my Lord and said " Lord Jesus , I cannot do this in my own strength, so in your holy name I forgive whosoever." Naming the one and the wrong done.

Our being forgiven is dependant on our forgiving.

In Luke 6 Vs 37 Jesus said " do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. "

What a wonderful freedom to forgive and be forgiven, remember ,

AS WE FORGIVE THOSE WHO TRESPASS AGAINST US.

LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION.

We must always pray that God will keep us from temptation. The world is full of enticements calling us back, from the way God wants us to go.

When we do what we consider a very small wrong, and ask ourselves " who sees us, who cares." God does. He cannot overlook one sin that is left unconfessed, especially when we are aware that we have done wrong.

When God sent Jesus, his only begotten Son into the world to save us, he was tempted by the devil, because he had faith in, and love for God: he was able to resist. God will help us in the same way, because he knows what it is to be tempted.

James ch1 Vs 13 reads, "when tempted, no one should say, " God is tempting me," for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire he is dragged away and enticed. Then after desire has conceived, it will give birth to sin; and sin when it is full grown, gives birth to death."

If we are faithful, and ask , God will avert our eyes from things that tempt us. He will,

LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION.

DELIVER US FROM EVIL.

There are many kinds of evil laying in wait for us, at every turn in the road we have chosen to walk along with God.

On our own we would not get far, God knows we would not get far without his help. This is why Jesus instructs us how to pray and the Holy Spirit inspires us and leads us to the truth.

In psalm 79 Vs 9 Asaph said this " help us O God our Saviour, for the glory of your name; deliver us and forgive our sins for your name’s sake."

Asaph was in dire peril when he made that passionate plea to God. We should be just as passionate and sincere, true, things are different now, and we always think we know best.

We live in peace, we have a job; never go hungry; can always manage a holiday. Evil! What is evil?

Being smug and self satisfied; unbelieving, unforgiving; forgetting for an instant that God! Yes God is our all in all. He is our protector; our provider, our Saviour; our redeemer. We must give him all our thanks and praise, we must ask him to,

DELIVER US FROM EVIL.

FOR THINE IS THE KINGDOM.

In Luke 18 Vs 17 Jesus said "I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it."

The kingdom of God is unimaginable. Only those chosen by God will enter it. We must accept it with all the faith and trust of a little child, who believes every word the Father utters.

We must not be surprised at whom we may see there, for God knows the heart of us all and will choose for himself, those with whom he wishes to spend eternity .

The Bible is full of advice on how to enter into God’s kingdom. In Romans 17 Vs 17 Paul the Apostle said this, " for the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by men."

We then must serve Christ in his righteousness, with joy and peace in his Holy Spirit. Whatever men may say ,we must do as our Lord tells us.

2 Peter 3 Vs 3 makes this wonderful statement." His divine power has given us everything we need for life and Godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. "

verse 10 "Therefore brothers be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things you will never fall, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ." Yes Lord,

THINE IS THE KINGDOM.

THE POWER.

God’s power is immeasurable. The strongest thing God made is the power of love, and he freely shares it with all his creation. God made everything with love. He loved what he made . John 3 Vs 16 says " for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him shall not perish but have eternal life."

God’s power is absolute! He could wipe us out with just a thought. How fortunate we are that he loves us.

With his power God could easily bring us into submission to his will, but he has given us a free will choice to accept or reject his word.

Jeremiah 32 Vs 18 – 19 , the prophet said this," O great and powerful God, whose name is the Lord Almighty , great are your purposes and mighty are your deeds. Your eyes are open to all the ways of men ; You reward everyone according to his conduct and as his deeds deserve."

God gives power to his people. He wants everyone to hear his word, he wants everyone to make their choice, he wants your choice to be him!

In Luke 9 Vs 1-2, " When Jesus called the twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and cure diseases. And he sent them out to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick."

All power belongs to God, it is safe only in his hands.

YOURS IS THE POWER.

  Written By E Weston2002©copyright.

AND THE GLORY.

The glory of God, who has seen it? but the Son, who came down from heaven.

Hebrews 1 Vs 1-3 reads "in the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, through whom he made the universe.

The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word.

After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven."

" the Son is the radiance of God’s glory." Praise be to God that this is so.

We cannot see the glory of God with our eyes, it is too bright We are too impure ever to see God in our flesh. Our spirit will see him in his glory ,when we are purified and lifted up to be with him.

John 13 Vs 31 – 32. " now is the Son of Man glorified and God is glorified in him, God will glorify the Son in himself, and will glorify him at once."

AND THE GLORY.

FOR EVER AND EVER.

Feel great? Full of the Spirit of God? Feel you must praise him and give him the glory? For how long?

Jesus said " for ever and ever."

We all know what that means. Not only when we are having " a good day", but when we have bad days. Not only when good things happen, but when the worst possible things happen.

God’s love does not diminish because we are low in spirit. If we praise him and give him the glory when we are at our lowest ebb, he will lift us up. For how long?

FOR EVER AND EVER…..AMEN.

2002Ó Jean Weston