God’s Prayer Pattern

Lesson 3 (Relationship)

In my last post I wrote about what not to do when praying. The Lord’s instruction is When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites. In this post I write about how to pray. The disciples’ request was a lesson on how to pray.

                The Lord said, “in this manner, therefore, pray.” The words in this manner depict a way or a means or a method or a style and custom of doing things. It does not point to the exact word to use but merely a technique of prayer. The words point to a pattern of prayer and not a recitation of a prayer. The Lord was saying after this style craft your prayer. In other words, he was saying this the fashion you are to follow when praying or structuring your prayer.

                “After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven……” The words “our Father,” point to a very fundamental and vital or necessary aspect of prayer without which prayer will be ineffective. These words point to a relationship that must exist between a worshiper and God. It is the type of relationship between a worshiper and his God which determines the level of effectiveness of any prayer.

                Relationships differ and have different outcomes on how different people associate with each other. There is a relationship which exist between God and satan. That relationship is called enmity. Enmity is an association of active opposition or hostility. Enemies always seek the downfall of their foes. This relationship was created by satan and not God hence it is satan and his devils who are always on the receiving end. God has therefore created their final destination in eternal fire. See Matthew 25:41 and Revelation 12:9. In the book of Job we see satan praying for an opportunity to test Job but God’s answer was designed to ensure that Job triumphed over satan. In the end it was Job who emerged a hero whilst satan emerged the villain despite having prayed fervently for the downfall of Job. This is the reason why the devil will never triumph over saints. Satan cannot tempt anyone without the permission of God hence the devil will pray for that permission but because he is God’s foe answers to those prayers will always be designed to ensure the saint will emerge hero whilst satan becomes the scoundrel. In 1 Corinthians 10:13 Paul writes, “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” Enmity therefore must never exist between you and God.

The other relationship that exists between God and men is the master servant relationship. This is the relationship that existed between the great Bible heroes we read about in most scriptures. This relationship demands that the servant respects the master. In Malachi 1:6 the Lord says, “A son naturally honours his father and a slave respects his master. If I am your father, where is my honour? If I am your master, where is my respect?” Whilst God’s servants esteem Him, God on the other hand protects them. In 2 Kings 19:34 and Isiah 37:35 when the enemy had besieged God’s servant God said, “for my own honour and for the sake of my servant David, I will defend this city and protect it.” This is one reason why God answers favourably prayers of his servants.

The other relationship that can exist between God and man is that of friendship. This is the relationship which existed between God and Abraham. This type of relationship has an effect on future generations. This relationship has a bearing on how your descendants will relate with God. In Isiah 41:8-11 God says to his friend’s dependents, “But as for you, Israel my servant, Jacob my chosen one, descended from Abraham my friend, I have called you back from the ends of the earth, saying, ‘You are my servant.’ For I have chosen you and will not throw you away. Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand. “See, all your angry enemies lie there, confused and humiliated. Anyone who opposes you will die and come to nothing.” This type of relationships caused Abraham’s offspring to enter into their own relationship with God and is still responsible for the protection of those progenies even today.

Of all the relationships that exist between God and man, the greatest of them all is the father son relationship. This is the relationship alluded to in Matthew 6:9 when Christ says, “After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father ……...” There is no greater relationship than this and it is very pivotal to the success of any prayer. This is the highest and most esteemed relationship with God every believer must strive to be in. The beloved disciple wrote that as many as received Jesus Christ, he gave them the power to become sons of God.

 The relationship of a son to his father outshines that of the father and his friend or servant. In John 8:35 Jesus said, “the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth for ever.” With regards to the difference between master servant relationship and the friendship relationship, the Lord said, “I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.” John 15:15. However, when we compare the friendship relationship against the father son relationship we see that the latter is a far greater relationship than mere friendship. A son is an heir to the father whereas a friend cannot inherit his associate’s estate ahead of the acquaintance’s children. In other words, a son enjoys his father’s rights just like his father and for that reason the farther delegates all his to the son. (see John 5)

The Jews knew this very well and that is one reason why in John 5:18 they sought to kill Jesus because he had “…... said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God.” Because of the depth of this relationship the father delegates all his authority to the son. In the Gospel according to John the Lord said, “the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son.” (5:22).

It is in view of the strength of this relationship why Jesus gave those who believe on him the authority to be the sons of God. This is also the reason why the write of the book of Hebrew wrote, “For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren, Saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee. And again, I will put my trust in him. And again, Behold I and the children which God hath given me. Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham. Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.”

We must therefore tap in to this relationship so that our prayer become effective. Jesus said in John 15:3-7, “You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine; you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.”

This points to a clear need to have a close knit relationship with Christ in order to enjoy his unbroken relationship with the Father. The relationship of a branch and the vine is key in that the branch does not have a life of its own outside the vine. In fact, the branch has no identity of its own outside the vine. It has the identity and life of the vine and anyone making reference to it talks about the vine rather than the branch. The branch is a part of the branch and not the other way. The roots that sustain the branch belong to the vine hence the life the flows in the branch is the life of the vine. Due to that fact, the fruit that hangs on the branch belongs to the vine because it is the vine’s life which creates, nourishes and sustains the fruit.

This then means we must cease to live and Christ must become our life and identity. Paul in 1^st Corinthians 8:6 writes, “yet for us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we for Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and through whom we live.” In Galatians 2:20 he again writes, “it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” When this happens, when we lose our identity and life so that Christ lives his life in and through us, we will certainly become one with God and how will he deny himself his own desires. In John 17:23, Jesus once prayed, “I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one.” Just tell me how our payers will fail when are made perfect with the Father and the Son. Because of this, Christ “died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.” 2^nd Corinthians 5:15

It thus is imperative that Christ lives in and through us so that when we pray we will approach God as his sons and as heirs of his inheritance. This is the most effective way of having answered prayers. Jesus said, “After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father ……...” Our Father indicates that God is a father of many sons. The other many sons have equal rights to God’s blessings in as much the same way as we have. In view of that we must therefore not be selfish and greedy. This thus follows that when we pray we must also consider the needs and desires of others. When God answers others we must rejoice with them because they are our brothers and God is their sons also. When we identify or come to know our fellow brothers’ needs we must not hesitate to pray for them also. In writing to Timothy, Paul wrote, “Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time, for which I was appointed a preacher and an apostle—I am speaking the truth in Christ and not lying—a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth. I desire therefore that the men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting;”

In my next post on effective prayer or God’s prayer pattern, I will discuss the greatness of God.