Yesterday we looked at David’s great pain when his heart was overwhelmed. And his crying out to a great God. Here are a couple of quotes I used.

“There are days when you feel like a quivering, cowardly shell of yourself, when despair yawns as a terrible chasm, when fear paralyzes any chance for pleasure. This is just a fight that has to be won, over and over and over again.”
Catherine Woodiwiss, quoted in David Brooks NYT piece “The Art of Presence”

“There are times when we are sighing after spiritual mercies, when we are groaning under the withdrawal of God’s Countenance, when our sins are hunting us like packs of wolves, when afflictions are rolling over us like huge billows—when faith is little and fear is great, when hope is dim, and doubt becomes terrible and dark—then we are far away from human help. But, blessed be God, even then we may cry unto Him—
“When anxious cares disturb the breast, When threatening foes are nigh,
To Him we pour our deep complaint, To Him for succor fly.”

–Charles Spurgeon

The Foundations Renewal series continues this Sunday evening at 6 pm. It is not too late to join in this one hour class the next four Sunday evenings. Come out to enjoy a community meal together  before our class this Sunday Feb 9 at 5 pm.

Title: Desire for his glory and Dependence on his grace

Our Father in the heavens
A. God is:

• Personal (knowable)

• Loving, 1 John 4 God is love, reveals self as Father
  more ready to give than we are to ask

• Powerful: “The words ‘in the heavens’ denote not the place of his

abode so much as the authority and power at his command as the creator and ruler of all things.” (Stott)
“The thought is that God exists on a different plane from us, rather than in a different place. That God in heaven is always near to his children on earth is something that the Bible takes for granted throughout.” (Packer)

Bottled-tears (Psalm 56:8 You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle.)

“Thou art coming to a King, large petitions with thee bring.

For his love and power are such, none can ever ask to much.”  –John Newton

B.) Therefore we approach with:

• Humility: Not to us Lord. “We thy unworthy servants”

• Devotion:

• Confidence:

C.) And the content of our prayer is changed in two ways (at least):

• God’s concerns will be given priority (thy, thy, thy)

• Our needs will be comprehensively committed to God (give us, forgive us, deliver us)

“Everybody knows the Lord’s prayer is in these two parts, concerned first with the glory of God and then with the needs of man, but I think John Calvin was the first to suggest a parallel with the ten commandments. For they are also divided in two and express the same priority: the first table outlines our duty to God and the second our duty to our neighbor.” (Stott)

ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN
A.) Hallowed be thy name

“The name stands for the person who bears it, for his character and activity. So God’s name is God himself as he is in himself and has revealed himself.” (Stott)

B.) Thy kingdom come

“Christians are representatives of the kingdom of God (Acts 6:1-8), which grows from a tiny mustard seed into the greatest of trees (Matthew 13:31-32), from a small stone into a mountain that fills the whole earth (Daniel 2:35). The kingdom of God is the renewal of the whole world through the introduction of God’s Word (Matthew 13:19,23) and Spirit (Matthew 12:28). The kingdom is gradually but inexorably advancing and growing (Matthew 11:12). It is here (Mark 1:14-15) yet not fully (Matthew 25:44). It will turn the world desert into a garden, healing all broken bodies, souls, and communities (Isaiah 35:1-10), and even now this renewal has begun (Matthew 11:4-5). It is not a political kingdom, but it expresses itself through merciful deeds, seeking peace (Matthew 5:1-10), through deep peace and spiritual joy (Romans 14:17).”  (Keller)

“The Church is a colony of heaven on earth, living in the kingdom of God even as it waits for the coming of Christ and His kingdom.” (Clowney)

C.) Thy will be done
Romans 12:2 “The will of God is good, acceptable, and perfect.”

“It is folly to resist it and wisdom to discern, desire, and do it.” (Stott)

“For God’s will to be done in our lives in the way that it is done among the angels will involve us in quite a struggle.” (Packer)

Involves:

• his purpose for events (accepting without complaint whatever God sends, or fails to send)

• his command to his people (teach us, and make us willing and able)

And so we pray (with the Puritans and the John Wesley’s covenant renewal service):
I am no longer my own, but Thine. Put me to what Thou wilt, rank me with whom Thou wilt; put me to doing, put me to suffering; let me be employed for Thee or laid aside for Thee, exalted for Thee or brought low for Thee; let me be full, let me be empty; let me have all things, let me have nothing; I freely and heartily yield all things to Thy pleasure and disposal.

On earth as it is in heaven should:
a.) Arouse hope

Though the chaos of earth mocks this phrase, Jesus reminds us that God has already established his will (and name and kingdom) perfectly in heaven. He stirs us to hope that on earth we may yet see great things. ‘Is anything too hard for the Lord? (Genesis 18:14)’           (Packer)

b.) Awaken praise

This phrase as refreshment in the transition from desire for his glory (section 1) to dependence on his grace (section 2).

GIVE US THIS DAY Our daily bread

• View of the body (not deify or despise; but steward and enjoy)

• All of life’s necessities and the means of supplying them

“The prayer covers clothing, shelter, and physical health; so it becomes an intercession for social and medical services. Or again, the prayer covers money and the power to earn, and so becomes a cry against poverty, unemployment, and policies that produce or prolong both.” (Packer)

Bread is a symbol for “everything necessary for the preservation of this life, like food, a healthy body, good weather, house, home, wife, children, good government and peace.” (Luther)

FORGIVE US OUR DEBTS

• Sins of omission

“We owe God total, tireless loyalty–zealous love for God and men, all day and every day, on the pattern of Jesus’ own–and our sin is basically failure to pay.” (Packer)

“We have left undone those things which we ought to have done.”

LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION BUT DELIVER US FROM EVIL

• “Watch and pray that you may not enter into (that is, start yielding to) temptation; the spirit indeed is willing (to do God’s will), but the flesh (human nature) is weak.” (Matt. 26:41)

• “We watch against temptation by noting what situation, company, and influences expose us to it, and avoiding them whenever we can.” (Packer)

• “You can’t keep the birds from flying over your head, but you can keep them from building a nest in your hair!” (Luther)

I want a godly fear,

A quick-discerning eye

That looks to thee when sin is near And sees the tempter fly;

A spirit still prepared

And armed with jealous care,

For ever standing on its guard And watching unto prayer.       –Charles Wesley

“The conclusion of the matter is this. For good and necessary reasons connected with our Christian growth (cf. James 1:2-12), we shall not be spared all temptation (cf. 1 Corinthians 10:13). But if we ask to be spared and watch and pray against Satan’s attempts to exploit situations for our downfall, we shall be tempted less than we might have been (cf. Revelation 3:10), and will find ourselves able to cope with temptation when it comes (1 Corinthians 10:13). So do not be unrealistic in not budgeting for temptation, nor foolhardy enough to court it; but when it comes, do not doubt God’s power to deliver from the evil it brings, and to “keep you from falling” (Jude 24) as you pick your way through it. When you are not conscious of temptation, pray “lead us not into temptation,” and when you are conscious of it, pray “deliver us from evil,” and you will live.” (Packer)

“When we pray this prayer we are expressing our dependence upon God in every area of our human life. There’s also a veiled allusion to the Trinity, since it is through the Father’s creation and providence that we receive our daily bread, through the Son’s atoning death that we may be forgiven and through the Spirit’s indwelling power that we are rescued from the evil one.” (Stott)

“for thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory . . .” The connection of thought is that we ask our heavenly Father for provision, pardon, and protection with great confidence, since we know that for him to give this to his children on the one hand is within his capacity, and on the other is in line with the character he shows when he deals with men—that is, his glory. This, therefore, is an actual instance of praise for God’s power and glory coming in to undergird prayer for the fruits of both.”    (Packer)

Psalms proclaiming God as the invincible gracious King (Psalms such as 47, 93, 97, 145, for a start) form the best exposition of “the kingdom and the power” in this doxol- ogy. Read them, ponder them, get them under your skin and into your heart—and join the Christian glee club! “It is good to sing praises to our God; for he is gracious . . .” (Psalm 147:1).    (Packer)

It all begins with adoption. Our Father.

John 1:12

Galatians 4