A Framework for Kingdom Prayer

On two different occasions during his public ministry Jesus gave very specific teaching on prayer, imparting to us what has come to be known universally as The Lord’s Prayer. Given both the rich resources and long tradition of prayer contained in the Old Testament, not least the Psalms (the prayer book of the church), he must have considered this prayer an important and needed addendum. Why? Why would Jesus give us this particular prayer? Well, as we have seen, that rich and long tradition of prayer didn’t necessarily keep prayer from devolving into either public spectacle or mechanical repetition, even among his own people. Given that concern, why this unique prayer? Conspicuous for its brevity, a mere fifty-seven words, and yet remarkable in its comprehensiveness. What help and spiritual benefit did he intend for us to derive from it, and how? In Matthew 6:5-15 we’ll consider the meaning and purpose of our Lord’s most important words, in a message entitled “A Framework for Kingdom Prayer”.