Jesus Teaching on
Kingdom Life & the Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6)
Icebreaker: Can anyone share a time when someone thanked or recognized you for doing something even though you didn’t expect any recognition?
Introduction: In the first part of this study we will read about Jesus teaching His disciples on Kingdom Living. I would define Kingdom life as living life according to God’s will and not our own will. Jesus gives us clear examples of “Kingdom Living in the first four verses of Matthew Chapter 6.
In the second part of this study we will learn why Jesus gave His disciples and us the Lord’s Prayer. We will study the Lord’s Prayer (the Our Father) line by line in order to gain a deeper understanding of what Jesus was teaching in these verses.
Matthew 6:1-4; “Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven. 2 “So when you give to the poor, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be honored by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. 3 But when you give to the poor, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving will be in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.
In verse 1, what do you think Jesus is teaching?
I believe Jesus is teaching us piety and humbleness and that we should not be trying to show people how holy and righteous we are so they will tell us how special we are. Our motive in whatever we do should be to please God and not man. Jesus is telling us that when we get prideful and seek to be noticed by man, that our Father in heaven won’t reward us for pride. In fact, there is plenty of teaching in the bible where God warns us against pride.
Proverbs 16:18; Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before stumbling.
What do you think Jesus is teaching in verses 2-4?
Jesus gives specific examples of how our practice of piety/humbleness should be different from the hypocritical or external practices of the Pharisees. Jesus is teaching us in whatever we do it should be to please God and not to gain praise from others (recognition). “Let not thy left hand know what thy right hand is doing” means that one’s giving should be done freely in secret and according to God’s will. Jesus is teaching us that we should give with the “right” attitude and not the wrong motive. God knows everything we do and will reward us accordingly. That doesn’t mean we do things to receive things from God. That would be the opposite of what Jesus is teaching in these verses.
NOTE: Before we get to the verses where Jesus is teaching on prayer let's read a verse from Luke that will explain how the Lord’s Prayer came about.
Luke 11:1; It happened that while Jesus was praying in a certain place, after He had finished, one of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray just as John also taught his disciples.”
Note: Jesus leads us by example. Jesus inspired the disciples to want to learn how to pray like Him.
Read Matthew 6:5-8; “When you pray, you are not to be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners so that they may be seen by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. 6 But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you. 7 “And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words. 8 So do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.
What is Jesus teaching in these verses?
I don’t think Jesus is telling us that we can’t pray in public, but He is teaching against hypocrisy. I believe Jesus is teaching us that the sole purpose of our prayer is to please God and not man. Our prayers should be sincere and directed to honor. We should not pray to draw attention to ourselves. All the focus should be on God alone. It all comes down to motive of heart. Is our motive to honor and worship God?
Key learning: Jesus is teaching we should not “toot our own horn” to impress people so they think that we are a “holy roller”.
Where is verse 6 saying we should pray?
Jesus is teaching that we should purpose to set aside time and a private place to pray to God. That is our "one on one" time with Him, our fellowship time with Him. Jesus is again teaching that God the Father sees what is done in secret and will reward according to His will. Reminder: we should not do anything to receive a reward. That would be having a wrong heart.
Think of it this way: Most people spend all the time they can with the people they love. Why? The answer is because they love them and spending time with them shows them how much we love them. If we love God with all our heart, all our soul, all our mind, and all our strength which Jesus instructs us to do (Mark 12:30), then it makes sense that we would want to pray and spend as much time with Him as we can.
In verse 7 why is Jesus telling us not to use meaningless repetition and many words when we pray?
Jesus is teaching us not to babble on with meaningless prayers that don’t mean anything. Length of prayer doesn’t impress God. We also have to guard against our prayers becoming repetitive and routine; where we are saying something, but we really aren’t saying anything because there isn’t any real emotion driving our prayer. I believe Jesus is teaching us to pray with a sincere heart and have focused prayer that acknowledges how much we need God.
Jesus tells us in verse 8 that the Father knows the things we need even before we ask. What is Jesus teaching in this verse?
Jesus is telling us again that the Father knows everything, including what we need. Our prayer should not attempt to change the will of God. We should pray with total confidence and assurance in God’s plan and purpose in everything.
Now let’s study the Lord’s Prayer that Jesus gave us in Matthew 6:9-13. We will do it line by line.
By giving us the Lord’s Prayer Jesus is giving us a model for our prayers. I believe Jesus confirms this by what He says before He starts the “Our Father”. In verse 9a Jesus says; “Pray, then, in this way”.
Now let’s study the Lord’s Prayer line by line.
Verse 9b; “Our Father who is in heaven”. What does this verse mean to you?
Almighty God is our Father, He created the heavens and the earth where He resides, outside the human dimension. Think of God’s majesty and power as we read some scriptures that describe Almighty God our Father in Heaven.
Philippians 4:20; Now to our God and Father be the glory forever and ever. Amen.
Isaiah 45:18; For thus says the Lord, who created the heavens (He is the God who formed the earth and made it, He established it and did not create it a waste place, but formed it to be inhabited), “I am the Lord, and there is none else.
Read Jeremiah 51:15-16; It is He who made the earth by His power,
Who established the world by His wisdom,
And by His understanding He stretched out the heavens.
16 When He utters His voice, there is a tumult of waters in the heavens,
And He causes the clouds to ascend from the end of the earth;
He makes lightning for the rain
And brings forth the wind from His storehouses.
Isaiah 44:24; Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, and the one who formed you from the womb, “I, the Lord, am the maker of all things,
Stretching out the heavens by Myself
And spreading out the earth all alone,
Ephesians 4:6; one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.
Verse 9c; “Hallowed be Your name”. What is Jesus teaching in this verse?
God the Father is the perfect and magnificent which makes His name Hallowed. His name is above all names and all people should have a holy awe and reverence for Him. Let’s look at some verses that show how Hallowed God’s name is.
Psalm 83:18; That they may know that You alone, whose name is the Lord,
Are the Most High over all the earth.
Isaiah 42:8; “I am the Lord, that is My name;
I will not give My glory to another,
Nor My praise to graven images.
Isaiah 6:3; And one called out to another and said,“Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord of hosts, The whole earth is full of His glory.”
Verse 10a; “Your kingdom come.” What is Jesus teaching in this verse?
Think about what God’s kingdom is as we read the following verses.
Mark 1:14-15; Now after John had been taken into custody, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”
Mark 1:15; and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”
Matthew 24:14; This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.
Acts 8:12; But when they believed Philip preaching the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were being baptized, men and women alike.
Verse 10b; “Your will be done & 10c; On earth as it is in heaven”. What do you think Jesus is teaching in these verses?
Let’s read verses that show what God’s will on Earth as it is heaven looks like.
Proverbs 3:5-6; Trust in the Lord with all your heart
And do not lean on your own understanding.
6 In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He will make your paths straight.
Jeremiah 29:11; For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.
Isaiah 55:11; So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth;
It will not return to Me empty,
Without accomplishing what I desire,
And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.
2 Peter 3:9; The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.
Isaiah 46:10; Declaring the end from the beginning,
And from ancient times things which have not been done,
Saying, ‘My purpose will be established,
And I will accomplish all My good pleasure’;
John 5:19; Therefore Jesus answered and was saying to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner.
Matthew 6:33; But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
Verse 11; “Give us this day our daily bread” What is Jesus teaching us in this verse?
We are to look to God as our provider and not ourselves to meet our daily needs/daily bread. Don’t worry about the material things; focus on the spiritual provision from God. Think about God providing manna for 40 years every day for approximately 2 million people.
Proverbs 3:5; Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And do not lean on your own understanding.
Matthew 7:9-11; Or what man is there among you who, when his son asks for a loaf, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, he will not give him a snake, will he? 11 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!
Philippians 4:19; And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.
Verse 12; “And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.”
What does this verse mean to you?
We will read two verses that I believe will tell us exactly what Jesus expects from us regarding forgiveness.
Matthew 6:-14-15; For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.
-These verses contain powerful instructions that I believe Jesus is giving us. Jesus tells us in verse 14 that when we forgive others, our Heavenly Father will forgive us. That means our sins will be forgiven. But, if we don’t forgive those who do us wrong, like we said we would do in verse 12, then God the Father won’t forgive our sins (transgressions).
Jesus isn’t teaching us that forgiveness is optional, that we can pick and choose who we will forgive. I believe Jesus is commanding us that we must forgive everyone that trespasses (wrongs us). Why? Because when we repent with a sincere heart and ask God to forgive us in Jesus’ name, 1 John 1:9 tells us that God will forgive us.
Verse 13a; “And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil”.
What does this verse mean to you?
I will cover both of these together. God does not lead us into temptation. God will test our faith, but He won’t tempt us. He provides a way to escape temptation/sin but the choice is ours to make.
1 Corinthians 10:13; No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.
James 1:13-15; Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone. 14 But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. 15 Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death.
-GOD EQUIP’S US TO OVERCOME TEMPTATION, THINK OF THAT AS WE READ THE FOLLOWING VERSES.
James 4:7; Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.
1 John 4:4; You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.
Verse 13b; “For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.” What does this verse mean to you?
God Almighty is the Holy Creator and Sustainer of the universe. Everything seen and unseen is in God’s kingdom and controlled by His power. Our prayers should be sincere and directed to honor, worship, and praise God. That is why we were created.
Closing thought: My prayer for each one of us is that from now on our pray life will be different; that we will pray to God the Father in the way Jesus instructs and teaches us how to pray. Whether we pray the Lord’s Prayer or other prayers, they will be focused prayers done with a sincere heart that wants to worship and honor God for who He is.
Recap from this study: Our motivation in our prayers must be for God’s glory and the furtherance of His kingdom. We can ask God to meet and supply our needs and comfort our afflictions, but we must remember that God’s will trumps ours. We should desire to see God’s will done on earth and not our will to be done. We must remember that God will provide for our needs, but His provision may not look like what we wanted or expected.
Jesus clearly commands us that forgiveness is not an option for us to pick and choose who we will forgive. If we expect God to forgive us of our sins, then we must forgive others. Those who are forgiven much are expected to forgive much.
God will test us to see if we truly love Him (Mark 12:30). God uses the trials of life to bring us to decision time. Either we will live God’s way or we will live our way. Living our way is living a sinful lifestyle which is rebellion to God.
God gives us the tools to overcome temptations and sin. To receive those gifts, we have to make the right choices. First, we have to surrender our will to God’s will, repent and ask God to forgive our sins. This is the Kingdom of God that Jesus was teaching in the Lord’s Prayer. Look at what Jesus was saying and teaching in this verse: Mark 1:14-15; Now after John had been taken into custody, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”
Repentance is when we turn from living life our way (sin which is rebellion to God), and start living God’s way, a life of surrender and obedience to God. This is what born again means, a spiritual rebirth.
This is the Kingdom of God – His Will being done on earth as it is in Heaven. That is why Jesus Christ came. God’s desire is that none should perish, but all come to ever- lasting life. This can only be done by asking Jesus Christ to be our Lord and Savior. The bible clearly teaches that this is the only way to heaven (reference John 14:6).
-We all have a choice to make in life. We can either accept or reject God’s offer of salvation!
-What decision have you made?
-There is no greater decision to make in life and a decision we must make before we die.
-Our prayer is that each of you has or will accept God’s offer of salvation. We are available to answer any questions you may have regarding salvation. We are also here to pray for any needs that you may have.
You can contact Kevin & Jocelyn at - Second in line Ministries – 218-428-3087
Icebreaker: Can anyone share a time when someone thanked or recognized you for doing something even though you didn’t expect any recognition?
Introduction: In the first part of this study we will read about Jesus teaching His disciples on Kingdom Living. I would define Kingdom life as living life according to God’s will and not our own will. Jesus gives us clear examples of “Kingdom Living in the first four verses of Matthew Chapter 6.
In the second part of this study we will learn why Jesus gave His disciples and us the Lord’s Prayer. We will study the Lord’s Prayer (the Our Father) line by line in order to gain a deeper understanding of what Jesus was teaching in these verses.
Matthew 6:1-4; “Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven. 2 “So when you give to the poor, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be honored by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. 3 But when you give to the poor, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving will be in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.
In verse 1, what do you think Jesus is teaching?
I believe Jesus is teaching us piety and humbleness and that we should not be trying to show people how holy and righteous we are so they will tell us how special we are. Our motive in whatever we do should be to please God and not man. Jesus is telling us that when we get prideful and seek to be noticed by man, that our Father in heaven won’t reward us for pride. In fact, there is plenty of teaching in the bible where God warns us against pride.
Proverbs 16:18; Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before stumbling.
What do you think Jesus is teaching in verses 2-4?
Jesus gives specific examples of how our practice of piety/humbleness should be different from the hypocritical or external practices of the Pharisees. Jesus is teaching us in whatever we do it should be to please God and not to gain praise from others (recognition). “Let not thy left hand know what thy right hand is doing” means that one’s giving should be done freely in secret and according to God’s will. Jesus is teaching us that we should give with the “right” attitude and not the wrong motive. God knows everything we do and will reward us accordingly. That doesn’t mean we do things to receive things from God. That would be the opposite of what Jesus is teaching in these verses.
NOTE: Before we get to the verses where Jesus is teaching on prayer let's read a verse from Luke that will explain how the Lord’s Prayer came about.
Luke 11:1; It happened that while Jesus was praying in a certain place, after He had finished, one of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray just as John also taught his disciples.”
Note: Jesus leads us by example. Jesus inspired the disciples to want to learn how to pray like Him.
Read Matthew 6:5-8; “When you pray, you are not to be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners so that they may be seen by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. 6 But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you. 7 “And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words. 8 So do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.
What is Jesus teaching in these verses?
I don’t think Jesus is telling us that we can’t pray in public, but He is teaching against hypocrisy. I believe Jesus is teaching us that the sole purpose of our prayer is to please God and not man. Our prayers should be sincere and directed to honor. We should not pray to draw attention to ourselves. All the focus should be on God alone. It all comes down to motive of heart. Is our motive to honor and worship God?
Key learning: Jesus is teaching we should not “toot our own horn” to impress people so they think that we are a “holy roller”.
Where is verse 6 saying we should pray?
Jesus is teaching that we should purpose to set aside time and a private place to pray to God. That is our "one on one" time with Him, our fellowship time with Him. Jesus is again teaching that God the Father sees what is done in secret and will reward according to His will. Reminder: we should not do anything to receive a reward. That would be having a wrong heart.
Think of it this way: Most people spend all the time they can with the people they love. Why? The answer is because they love them and spending time with them shows them how much we love them. If we love God with all our heart, all our soul, all our mind, and all our strength which Jesus instructs us to do (Mark 12:30), then it makes sense that we would want to pray and spend as much time with Him as we can.
In verse 7 why is Jesus telling us not to use meaningless repetition and many words when we pray?
Jesus is teaching us not to babble on with meaningless prayers that don’t mean anything. Length of prayer doesn’t impress God. We also have to guard against our prayers becoming repetitive and routine; where we are saying something, but we really aren’t saying anything because there isn’t any real emotion driving our prayer. I believe Jesus is teaching us to pray with a sincere heart and have focused prayer that acknowledges how much we need God.
Jesus tells us in verse 8 that the Father knows the things we need even before we ask. What is Jesus teaching in this verse?
Jesus is telling us again that the Father knows everything, including what we need. Our prayer should not attempt to change the will of God. We should pray with total confidence and assurance in God’s plan and purpose in everything.
Now let’s study the Lord’s Prayer that Jesus gave us in Matthew 6:9-13. We will do it line by line.
By giving us the Lord’s Prayer Jesus is giving us a model for our prayers. I believe Jesus confirms this by what He says before He starts the “Our Father”. In verse 9a Jesus says; “Pray, then, in this way”.
Now let’s study the Lord’s Prayer line by line.
Verse 9b; “Our Father who is in heaven”. What does this verse mean to you?
Almighty God is our Father, He created the heavens and the earth where He resides, outside the human dimension. Think of God’s majesty and power as we read some scriptures that describe Almighty God our Father in Heaven.
Philippians 4:20; Now to our God and Father be the glory forever and ever. Amen.
Isaiah 45:18; For thus says the Lord, who created the heavens (He is the God who formed the earth and made it, He established it and did not create it a waste place, but formed it to be inhabited), “I am the Lord, and there is none else.
Read Jeremiah 51:15-16; It is He who made the earth by His power,
Who established the world by His wisdom,
And by His understanding He stretched out the heavens.
16 When He utters His voice, there is a tumult of waters in the heavens,
And He causes the clouds to ascend from the end of the earth;
He makes lightning for the rain
And brings forth the wind from His storehouses.
Isaiah 44:24; Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, and the one who formed you from the womb, “I, the Lord, am the maker of all things,
Stretching out the heavens by Myself
And spreading out the earth all alone,
Ephesians 4:6; one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.
Verse 9c; “Hallowed be Your name”. What is Jesus teaching in this verse?
God the Father is the perfect and magnificent which makes His name Hallowed. His name is above all names and all people should have a holy awe and reverence for Him. Let’s look at some verses that show how Hallowed God’s name is.
Psalm 83:18; That they may know that You alone, whose name is the Lord,
Are the Most High over all the earth.
Isaiah 42:8; “I am the Lord, that is My name;
I will not give My glory to another,
Nor My praise to graven images.
Isaiah 6:3; And one called out to another and said,“Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord of hosts, The whole earth is full of His glory.”
Verse 10a; “Your kingdom come.” What is Jesus teaching in this verse?
Think about what God’s kingdom is as we read the following verses.
Mark 1:14-15; Now after John had been taken into custody, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”
Mark 1:15; and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”
Matthew 24:14; This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.
Acts 8:12; But when they believed Philip preaching the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were being baptized, men and women alike.
Verse 10b; “Your will be done & 10c; On earth as it is in heaven”. What do you think Jesus is teaching in these verses?
Let’s read verses that show what God’s will on Earth as it is heaven looks like.
Proverbs 3:5-6; Trust in the Lord with all your heart
And do not lean on your own understanding.
6 In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He will make your paths straight.
Jeremiah 29:11; For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.
Isaiah 55:11; So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth;
It will not return to Me empty,
Without accomplishing what I desire,
And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.
2 Peter 3:9; The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.
Isaiah 46:10; Declaring the end from the beginning,
And from ancient times things which have not been done,
Saying, ‘My purpose will be established,
And I will accomplish all My good pleasure’;
John 5:19; Therefore Jesus answered and was saying to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner.
Matthew 6:33; But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
Verse 11; “Give us this day our daily bread” What is Jesus teaching us in this verse?
We are to look to God as our provider and not ourselves to meet our daily needs/daily bread. Don’t worry about the material things; focus on the spiritual provision from God. Think about God providing manna for 40 years every day for approximately 2 million people.
Proverbs 3:5; Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And do not lean on your own understanding.
Matthew 7:9-11; Or what man is there among you who, when his son asks for a loaf, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, he will not give him a snake, will he? 11 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!
Philippians 4:19; And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.
Verse 12; “And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.”
What does this verse mean to you?
We will read two verses that I believe will tell us exactly what Jesus expects from us regarding forgiveness.
Matthew 6:-14-15; For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.
-These verses contain powerful instructions that I believe Jesus is giving us. Jesus tells us in verse 14 that when we forgive others, our Heavenly Father will forgive us. That means our sins will be forgiven. But, if we don’t forgive those who do us wrong, like we said we would do in verse 12, then God the Father won’t forgive our sins (transgressions).
Jesus isn’t teaching us that forgiveness is optional, that we can pick and choose who we will forgive. I believe Jesus is commanding us that we must forgive everyone that trespasses (wrongs us). Why? Because when we repent with a sincere heart and ask God to forgive us in Jesus’ name, 1 John 1:9 tells us that God will forgive us.
Verse 13a; “And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil”.
What does this verse mean to you?
I will cover both of these together. God does not lead us into temptation. God will test our faith, but He won’t tempt us. He provides a way to escape temptation/sin but the choice is ours to make.
1 Corinthians 10:13; No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.
James 1:13-15; Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone. 14 But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. 15 Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death.
-GOD EQUIP’S US TO OVERCOME TEMPTATION, THINK OF THAT AS WE READ THE FOLLOWING VERSES.
James 4:7; Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.
1 John 4:4; You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.
Verse 13b; “For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.” What does this verse mean to you?
God Almighty is the Holy Creator and Sustainer of the universe. Everything seen and unseen is in God’s kingdom and controlled by His power. Our prayers should be sincere and directed to honor, worship, and praise God. That is why we were created.
Closing thought: My prayer for each one of us is that from now on our pray life will be different; that we will pray to God the Father in the way Jesus instructs and teaches us how to pray. Whether we pray the Lord’s Prayer or other prayers, they will be focused prayers done with a sincere heart that wants to worship and honor God for who He is.
Recap from this study: Our motivation in our prayers must be for God’s glory and the furtherance of His kingdom. We can ask God to meet and supply our needs and comfort our afflictions, but we must remember that God’s will trumps ours. We should desire to see God’s will done on earth and not our will to be done. We must remember that God will provide for our needs, but His provision may not look like what we wanted or expected.
Jesus clearly commands us that forgiveness is not an option for us to pick and choose who we will forgive. If we expect God to forgive us of our sins, then we must forgive others. Those who are forgiven much are expected to forgive much.
God will test us to see if we truly love Him (Mark 12:30). God uses the trials of life to bring us to decision time. Either we will live God’s way or we will live our way. Living our way is living a sinful lifestyle which is rebellion to God.
God gives us the tools to overcome temptations and sin. To receive those gifts, we have to make the right choices. First, we have to surrender our will to God’s will, repent and ask God to forgive our sins. This is the Kingdom of God that Jesus was teaching in the Lord’s Prayer. Look at what Jesus was saying and teaching in this verse: Mark 1:14-15; Now after John had been taken into custody, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”
Repentance is when we turn from living life our way (sin which is rebellion to God), and start living God’s way, a life of surrender and obedience to God. This is what born again means, a spiritual rebirth.
This is the Kingdom of God – His Will being done on earth as it is in Heaven. That is why Jesus Christ came. God’s desire is that none should perish, but all come to ever- lasting life. This can only be done by asking Jesus Christ to be our Lord and Savior. The bible clearly teaches that this is the only way to heaven (reference John 14:6).
-We all have a choice to make in life. We can either accept or reject God’s offer of salvation!
-What decision have you made?
-There is no greater decision to make in life and a decision we must make before we die.
-Our prayer is that each of you has or will accept God’s offer of salvation. We are available to answer any questions you may have regarding salvation. We are also here to pray for any needs that you may have.
You can contact Kevin & Jocelyn at - Second in line Ministries – 218-428-3087
