The Lord’s Prayer – A Model: God’s Need and Our Need

January 23, 2022

APPROACH: ( We don’t need to ask all the questions, but these are suggestions to open up discussion with the children) Ask the children – What does the word “pray” mean to you? Do you pray regularly? When do you pray? Do you pray because you want to or because someone tells or asks you to? Do you pray by yourself or with others or both? We don’t need to ask all the questions, but these are suggestions to open up discussion with the children.. When we pray, we are talking to God, telling Him everything. 

What do you usually pray for? Do you pray using the same words all the time? (Children can type into the chat words and phrases that they often use.)

Some things that might come up: I pray, but God does not answer. I prayed for my sick grandmother to get better, but she still died. Prayer doesn’t work.

As you all participate in this question and response, really listen and keep the following points in mind. Look for opportunities to interject some of the points that we want to emphasize.

• The idea is to find out what is in the childrens’ heads and hearts concerning prayer and eventually broaden their understanding.
• Some parents have expressed concern that the children are reciting the same words each time they pray and they are concerned whether the children understand that prayer is talking to God.
• There is a difference between reciting empty words and heartfelt sincere feelings being expressed.
• Prayer is talking to God, opening our hearts to HIm.
• Prayer is not one and done. (Hannah probably did not pray just that one time for a child, Samuel. This was something on her heart that she continued to bring to the Lord.)
• The Lord knows what we do not know. Sometimes we may think that the Lord did not answer our prayer, but in time things work out differently, but in a very wonderful way.
• Just like your parents enjoy when you talk to them, the Lord is happy when we go to him with our requests, fears and joys.

Do you know the Lord’s Prayer? Some may be able to recite it. Compare their prayers with the Lord’s prayer. Point out to them that most of what we pray for is concerning ourselves. God wants us not only to pray for our needs, but even more so, to pray concerning His needs. We all need to learn to pray. A disciple even asked the Lord to teach them how to pray.

CONTENT: “Lord, teach us to pray…” When the Lord Jesus walked on the earth, His disciples observed that He would often spend time alone in prayer. They realized that He knew God in a very special way and had a very close relationship with Him. Once, after He had finished praying, one of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray…” (Luke 11:1). The Lord then gave His disciples a model, or pattern, of prayer: “You then pray in this way:

Our Father who is in the heavens, Your name be sanctified; Your kingdom come; Your will be done, as in heaven, so also on earth. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And do not bring us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.” (Matt. 6:9-13) 

The Lord Jesus gave us this prayer to guide us and teach us how to pray; it was not given for us to merely repeat. 

• As a pattern for us, it cares first for God’s need (His name, His kingdom, and His will);
• second, for our need (daily bread); 
• third for our relationship with God and with men (forgiveness); 
• fourth, for our deliverance from Satan the evil one (delivering us from temptation). 

This portion can be covered briefly. It is an organizational structure for the whole series. A simple chart can be made (or powerpoint) to show the Lord’s Prayer, and particular lines can be highlighted according to the corresponding parts through the weeks.

This lesson covers the first part of the Lord’s prayer (Matt. 6:9-11).

I. God’s Need

A. Your name be sanctified. The name of God our Father means so much to us! God’s name represents His person. He is not only our wise and powerful God, the Creator. He is intimately and lovingly related to us. He is our dearly beloved Father! We who believe in the Lord must pray that our heavenly Father’s name would be sanctified on the earth. To sanctify is to make holy or to set apart from anything common. Whatever is sanctified is different, distinct, and special. When God came to the earth and was born as a man, He was called Jesus (John 1:1, 14; Matt. 1:21). His name has been given the highest place in the whole universe (Phil. 2:9). However, although His name is exalted in heaven, it is still not “sanctified” in the earth. Some misuse or even despise the name of Jesus. 

This is especially true today in school. Children use curse words and use the Lord’s name. Even if our children do not use the Lord’s name in a bad way they may have picked up the habit of using curse words. To sanctify the Lord’s name we need to take care of all our speaking.

We need to sanctify His name because His name is above every name. Therefore, we should not call upon the Father or speak the name of the Lord in a common way. Rather, when we say, “Father” or “Lord Jesus” we say these names in a sanctified way. We should honor His name just as we honor Him. His name should be above all names to us. All around this Earth there are many names that are honored, those of great men, presidents, kings, etc. But none should be honored more than God’s name; we should not allow any other name to rival our Father’s

Sanctifying the Lord’s name. We can sanctify God’s name by our behavior at home, at school and in the meetings. For example, when we pray or while others are praying, we should not fool around, but we should honor the Lord’s name by listening or praying. We should not use the Lord’s name in vain. We may hear it at school from friends and adults, but we should always revere and honor the Lord’s name.