- araratchurch
- Jun 14, 2025
- 3 min read
20 “In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.”
Matthew 6:9-13 NKJV
Back in the 50s there was a TV show called Father Knows Best. I dare say that the sentiment expressed in that show’s title has become a foreign concept to much of the world today.
That being said, rebellion against authority is as old as the fall of Satan. And for mankind, rebellion against authority marred what was meant to be a beautiful existence in the garden of God.
Think of it: The drive for self-determination is one of the first things that shows up in human development. Any parent—or one who has dealt with small children—knows the frustration of trying to help a toddler learn to do anything, as they resist, asserting with, “Me do it.” Indeed, it seems that very early on there is the desire to do it our way, to make our own mistakes.
Now, the drive to become who we were created to be is a quality instilled in us by our Creator. However, the sin nature has perverted that desire, often turning us away from being teachable to becoming stubbornly attached to our own misguided ways of being and doing.
In our model prayer, the Lord teaches us to request that God‘s will be done. Indeed, this is something He modeled for us in the Garden of Gethsemane, as this perfect Lamb of God: all God, all man, struggled to set His face directly toward His cruel death on the cross.
“And He was withdrawn from them about a stone’s throw, and He knelt down and prayed, saying, “Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.” Then an angel appeared to Him from heaven, strengthening Him. And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly. Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.”
Luke 22:41-44 NKJV
The Lord wrestled with the humanity in Him that did not want to suffer. Yet, He was obedient to the will of His Father, even to His death on the cross.
“You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.”
Philippians 2:5-8 NLT
Friend, our way may seem right, but as the writer of Proverbs has attested, our way ends in destruction and death.
“There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.”
Proverbs 14:12 NKJV
Paul expresses this same sentiment in his letter to the Christians in Rome:
“When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the obligation to do right. And what was the result? You are now ashamed of the things you used to do, things that end in eternal doom. But now you are free from the power of sin and have become slaves of God. Now you do those things that lead to holiness and result in eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Romans 6:20-23 NLT
Remember, our Heavenly Father does know best. Jesus wants us to know that. Jesus wants us to pray for God’s will to be done.
Peace to you.
Jesus is coming! Get ready for Him!
- araratchurch
- Jun 11, 2025
- 3 min read
“In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.”
Matthew 6:9-13 NKJV
King Nebuchadnezzar had a dream that foretold all the great kingdoms of the world beginning with that of Babylon. The dream also indicated that there would be a final kingdom coming along that would take down all the kingdoms of the world that had come before.
“And in the days of these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever. Inasmuch as you saw that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it broke in pieces the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold—the great God has made known to the king what will come to pass after this. The dream is certain, and its interpretation is sure.””
Daniel 2:44-45 NKJV
Yes, this would be the final kingdom, an everlasting kingdom, the Kingdom of God.
After 400 years of silence of the prophetic voice, as was prophesied, one came crying in the wilderness: “Prepare the way of the Lord.”
“In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying: “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; Make His paths straight.’ ””
Matthew 3:1-3 NKJV
Notice that John gave the way of preparation as being that people should repent. Additionally, there was a reason they should repent: The Kingdom of God was coming soon.
Indeed, after Jesus emerged from His temptation in the wilderness, He began his public ministry by echoing the proclamation of John the baptizer.
“Now when Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, He departed to Galilee. And leaving Nazareth, He came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the regions of Zebulun and Naphtali, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying: “The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, By the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles: The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, And upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death Light has dawned.” From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.””
Matthew 4:12-17 NKJV
Jesus, too, spoke of repentance being necessary to prepare for the coming Kingdom of God.
For today, we look at our next part of the Lord‘s Prayer: “Your kingdom come.”
Friend, our Heavenly Father is a King and He has a Kingdom! And think about this: Those of us who have received Christ, are already part of His eternal Kingdom. His Kingdom currently operates in heavenly places. Indeed, His Kingdom is not of this world.
“Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here.” Pilate therefore said to Him, “Are You a king then?” Jesus answered, “You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.””
John 18:36-37 NKJV
Now, make no mistake, even now, Christ’s Kingdom operates inside those who have received Christ. But one day soon, very soon, that eternal King Himself will also set up His Kingdom right here on earth. And we will rule and reign with Him forever. For now, as Jesus has instructed us, we should pray for His Kingdom to come.
We will talk more about His Kingdom in the coming Days.
Peace to you.
Jesus is coming! Get ready for Him!
- araratchurch
- Jun 11, 2025
- 3 min read
“In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.”
Matthew 6:9-13 NKJV
Recently, I saw a commentator on TV talking with great emotion about something someone had said about them. Now, this person, being a prominent commentator, is accustomed to having a lot of bad things said about them. But this comment was different. What had this person so upset about this particular comment was the fact that the person had made fun of their last name.
You see, we are inextricably connected to our names and come to see our name as part of us. When someone makes fun of our name, it feels personal. And it is.
In the model prayer that Jesus gave us, we see that when we pray to our heavenly Father, we are to recognize the holiness of His name: “Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name.”
Honoring the name of the Lord is not a new concept. As a matter fact, one of the Ten Commandments addresses treatment of the Lord‘s name.
“You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.”
Exodus 20:7 NKJV
Taking the Lord‘s name in vain can be flippantly making an oath in His name, using His name as profanity, saying He has said something He has not said, or even living a life that reflects badly on His name.
Before Samson was born, the Angel of the Lord came to his parents to tell them how he should be raised. His father, Manoa, asked the angel of the Lord what His name was:
“Then Manoah said to the Angel of the Lord, “Please let us detain You, and we will prepare a young goat for You.” And the Angel of the Lord said to Manoah, “Though you detain Me, I will not eat your food. But if you offer a burnt offering, you must offer it to the Lord.” (For Manoah did not know He was the Angel of the Lord.) Then Manoah said to the Angel of the Lord, “What is Your name, that when Your words come to pass we may honor You?” And the Angel of the Lord said to him, “Why do you ask My name, seeing it is wonderful?””
Judges 13:15-18 NKJV
Indeed, the name of the Lord is truly wonderful. It is beyond our ability to fully grasp. No wonder the psalmist instructed that the people should glory in God‘s Holy name.
“Oh, give thanks to the Lord! Call upon His name; Make known His deeds among the peoples! Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him; Talk of all His wondrous works! Glory in His holy name; Let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the Lord!”
Psalms 105:1-3 NKJV
Child of God, what a privilege it is to know that our Heavenly Father allows us to call upon His holy name. Let us never forget what a privilege it is to actually be called by His name, making sure that we are careful to do that which brings glory to His name, rather than dishonor.
Peace to you.
Jesus is coming! Get ready for Him!