May 7 Devotion - The Lord's Prayer - Forgive us our debts,

 

In the previous devotions I covered the following portion of The Lord’s Prayer:

 

“‘Our Father in heaven,                                                                                                                                                                              
hallowed be your name,
¹⁰ your kingdom come,
your will be done,
    on earth as it is in heaven.
¹¹ Give us today our daily bread.

Today we cover the next phrase in sequence:  

 

¹² And forgive us our debts,
    as we also have forgiven our debtors.

Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. ³² Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.

 Ephesians 4:31-32, Colossians 3:12

In the Jewish writings it is common to call sins "debts"; and the phrase, of forgiving, is used both of God and men. While we are to forgive the monetary debts of the poor who cannot pay, we are to forgive those have done us wrong and to pray to God to forgive them also.

I have always preferred to understand this phrase of The Lord’s prayer as follows: Lord, please teach me, help me, and strengthen me to forgive others in the same way You have forgiven me.

I invite you to repeat the following prayer for yourself:

Abba Father, thank You for Your abundant blessings and Your unfailing, deep, inseparable, and everlasting love. LORD, I pray that out of Your glorious riches You strengthen me with power through Your Spirit in my inner being, so that I can forgive my debtors as You have forgiven me and to pray for them. Help me God to get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Strengthen me so that I can clothe myself with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. God, I praise You, revere You, worship You, I stand in awe of You, and glorify Your holy name. I declare to the world that Christ is my Lord and Saviour. In the name of the King of kings and Lord of lords, in the mighty name of Your only begotten Son Jesus, I pray. To Jesus be the power, the glory, the majesty, and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

 

In Him,

Wagdi Henein

April 30 Devotion - The Lord's Prayer - Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven

 

 After Jesus had finished describing the wrong way to pray, He illustrated the right way to pray by using the following prayer:

 

“‘Our Father in heaven,                                                                                                                                                                              
hallowed be your name,
¹⁰ your kingdom come,
your will be done,
    on earth as it is in heaven.
¹¹ Give us today our daily bread.
¹² And forgive us our debts,
    as we also have forgiven our debtors.
¹³ And lead us not into testing,
    but deliver us from evil,

for yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

Mathew 6: 9-13

 

Of course, if this prayer is simply memorized and repeated without a faith, commitment, and sincerity, it becomes the same sort of babbling that Jesus had just condemned. 

 

‘Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven’ means to me: As angels dwelling in heaven follow God’s commandments we should follow His commandments on earth. We should carry out God’s plans on earth the same way it is carried out by the angels in heaven.  We pray for His perfect will to also be done on earth and in particular, in us believers in our lives. We should be furthering His Kingdom here on earth and share the good news of God’s love for humanity with all those we can, so that this world would be more like His Kingdom.

 

I invite you to repeat the following prayer for yourself:

Abba Father, thank You for Your abundant blessings and Your deep, everlasting, and inseparable love. LORD, I pray that out of Your glorious riches You strengthen me with power through Your Spirit in my inner being, so that I can follow Your commandments and help further Your Kingdom here on earth and share the good news about Your deep love for humanity because You ‘want all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. ⁵ For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, ⁶ who gave himself as a ransom for all people.’ 1 Timothy 2: 4-6  God I praise You, revere You, worship You, I stand in awe of You, and glorify Your holy name. I declare to the world that Christ is my Lord and Saviour. In the name of Your only begotten Son Jesus, I pray to You Father God. To Jesus be the power, the glory, the majesty, and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

 

In Him,

Wagdi Henein

After Jesus had finished describing the wrong way to pray, He illustrated the right way to pray by using the following prayer:

 

“‘Our Father in heaven,                                                                                                                                                                              
hallowed be your name,
¹⁰ your kingdom come,
your will be done,
    on earth as it is in heaven.
¹¹ Give us today our daily bread.
¹² And forgive us our debts,
    as we also have forgiven our debtors.
¹³ And lead us not into testing,
    but deliver us from evil,

for yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

 

أبانا الَّذِي فِي السَّماءِ،

لِيَتَقَدَّسِ اسْمُكَ،

10 لِيَأتِ مَلَكُوتُكَ،

فَتَكُونَ مَشِيئِتُكَ،

هُنا عَلَى الأرْضِ كَما هِيَ فِي السَّماءِ.

11 أعطِنا اليَوْمَ خُبزَنا كَفافَ يَومِنا،

12 وَاغفِرْ لَنا خَطايانا،

كَما غَفَرْنا نَحنُ أيضاً لِلَّذِينَ يُسِيئُونَ إلَينا.

13 وَلا تُدْخِلنا فِي تَجرُبَةِ،

بَلْ أنقِذْنا مِنَ الشِّرِّيرِ. [a]

لأنَّ لَكَ المُلْكَ وَالقُدرَةَ وَالمَجدَ،

إلَى أبَدِ الآبِدينَ. آمين

Mathew 6: 9-13

 

 

 

Of course, if this prayer is simply memorized and repeated without faith, commitment, and sincerity, it becomes the same sort of babbling that Jesus had just condemned. 

And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.

وَكانَتِ المَلائِكَةُ يُنادِي أحَدُها الآخَرَ:

«قُدُّوسٌ، قُدُّوسٌ، قُدُّوسٌ اللهُ القَدِيرُ.
مَجدُهُ يَملأُ كُلَّ الأرْضِ.»

Isaiah 6:3

In the time when Jesus was on Earth a person’s name was indicative of his character.  We are to honour or hallow God’s name for His name is Holy. The whole earth is full of His glory. We should honour, revere, worship, hold sacred, be in awe of and glorify God’s name.

 

I invite you to repeat the following prayer for yourself:

Abba Father, thank You for Your abundant blessings and Your unfailing, deep, inseparable, and everlasting love. LORD, I thank You that You allow me to call You Abba (Daddy) Father.

Hallowed be Your Name Lord for You are omniscient (all knowing), omnipotent (all powerful), omnipresent (present everywhere at the same time). Father God, I join the angels in singing and declaring that You are Holy and the whole earth is full of Your glory. God, I praise You, revere You, worship You, I stand in awe of You, and glorify Your Holy Name. I declare to the world that Christ is my Lord and Saviour. In the name of the King of kings and Lord of lords, in the Holy Name of Your only begotten Son Jesus, I pray. To Jesus be the power, the glory, the majesty and the dominion forever. Amen.

Jesus loves you,

In Him,

Wagdi Henein

April 27 Devotion - The Lord's Prayer - Our Father in Heaven

 

After Jesus had finished describing the wrong way to pray, He illustrated the right way to pray by using the following prayer:

 

“‘Our Father in heaven,                                                                                                                                                                              
hallowed be your name,
¹⁰ your kingdom come,
your will be done,
    on earth as it is in heaven.
¹¹ Give us today our daily bread.
¹² And forgive us our debts,
    as we also have forgiven our debtors.
¹³ And lead us not into testing,
    but deliver us from evil,

for yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

 

أبانا الَّذِي فِي السَّماءِ،

لِيَتَقَدَّسِ اسْمُكَ،

10 لِيَأتِ مَلَكُوتُكَ،

فَتَكُونَ مَشِيئِتُكَ،

هُنا عَلَى الأرْضِ كَما هِيَ فِي السَّماءِ.

11 أعطِنا اليَوْمَ خُبزَنا كَفافَ يَومِنا،

12 وَاغفِرْ لَنا خَطايانا،

كَما غَفَرْنا نَحنُ أيضاً لِلَّذِينَ يُسِيئُونَ إلَينا.

13 وَلا تُدْخِلنا فِي تَجرُبَةِ،

بَلْ أنقِذْنا مِنَ الشِّرِّيرِ.

لأنَّ لَكَ المُلْكَ وَالقُدرَةَ وَالمَجدَ،

إلَى أبَدِ الآبِدينَ. آمين›

 

Mathew 6: 9-13

 

Of course, if this prayer is simply memorized and repeated without a faith, commitment, and sincerity, it becomes the same sort of babbling that Jesus had just condemned. 

 

We are taught to say, not MY Father, but OUR Father. Our hearts as children of God is a brotherly heart, in respect of all Christian believers we ask in the spirit of unity, fellowship, and love desiring for our brethren what we desire for ourselves. God is the Father of those who are adopted into his family, who put confidence in Him, who are true followers of Christ, and made heirs of life.

For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. ¹⁵ The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” ¹⁶ The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. ¹⁷ Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.

 

إِنَّ جَمِيعَ الْخَاضِعِينَ لِقِيَادَةِ رُوحِ اللهِ، هُمْ أَبْنَاءٌ لِلهِ. ¹⁵ إِذْ إِنَّكُمْ لَمْ تَنَالُوا رُوحَ عُبُودِيَّةٍ يُعِيدُكُمْ إِلَى الْخَوْفِ، بَلْ نِلْتُمْ رُوحَ بُنُوَّةٍ بِهِ نَصْرُخُ: «أَبَا! أَبَانَا!» ¹⁶ فَالرُّوحُ نَفْسُهُ يَشْهَدُ مَعَ أَرْوَاحِنَا بِأَنَّنَا أَوْلاَدُ اللهِ. ¹⁷ وَمَا دُمْنَا أَوْلاَداً، فَنَحْنُ أَيْضاً وَارِثُونَ؛ وَرَثَةُ اللهِ وَشُرَكَاءُ الْمَسِيحِ فِي الإِرْثِ. وَإِنْ كُنَّا الآنَ نُشَارِكُهُ فِي مُقَاسَاةِ الأَلَمِ، فَلأَنَّنَا سَوْفَ نُشَارِكُهُ أَيْضاً فِي التَّمَتُّعِ بِالْمَجْدِ.

Romans 8: 14-17

 

Our God is in heaven; he does whatever pleases him.

إِنَّ إِلَهَنَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ. كُلَّ مَا شَاءَ صَنَعَ.

Psalm 115:3

The phrase , abinu sheboshemayim, our Father who art in heaven, was very common among the ancient Jews; and was used by them precisely in the same sense as it is used here by our Lord.

 

Listen to The Lord’s prayer in English: https://youtu.be/u8jImIjg4UY?si=LIPKtN_GZNYFJmWc

           Listen to The Lord’s prayer in Aramaic: https://youtu.be/JgBJe66Cggk?si=UsNgZqzadNp2pjSy

 

Listen to The Lord’s prayer in Arabic: https://youtu.be/QJmwZodCVUc

 

I invite you to repeat the following prayer for yourself:

Abba Father, thank You for Your abundant blessings and Your unfailing, deep, everlasting, and inseparable love. LORD, I thank You that I can call You Abba (Daddy) Father. As a child of God please give me a brotherly heart, in respect of all Christian believers so that I may pray and ask in the spirit of unity, fellowship, and love desiring for my brethren what I desire for myself. Lead me by Your Spirit Lord.  As a child of God and as an heir, an heir of God and co-heir with Christ, help me to be able to share in Jesus’ suffering in order that I may also share in his glory. I declare to the world that Christ is my Lord and Saviour. Father God, I praise You, glorify You, and lift You up on high. In the name of the King of kings and Lord of lords, in the holy name of Your only begotten Son Jesus, I pray. To Jesus be the power, the glory, the majesty and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

 

Jesus loves you,

In Him,

Wagdi Henein

April 24 Devotion - The Lord's Prayer - Introduction

 

Jesus said:

 

“And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. ⁶ But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. ⁷ And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. ⁸ Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

 

وَعِنْدَمَا تُصَلُّونَ، لَا تَكُونُوا مِثْلَ الْمُنَافِقِينَ الَّذِينَ يُحِبُّونَ أَنْ يُصَلُّوا وَاقِفِينَ فِي الْمَجَامِعِ وَفِي زَوَايَا الشَّوَارِعِ لِيَرَاهُمُ النَّاسُ. الْحَقَّ أَقُولُ لَكُمْ: إِنَّهُمْ قَدْ نَالُوا مُكَافَأَتَهُمْ. 6 أَمَّا أَنْتَ، فَعِنْدَمَا تُصَلِّي، فَادْخُلْ غُرْفَتَكَ، وَأَغْلِقِ الْبَابَ عَلَيْكَ، وَصَلِّ إِلَى أَبِيكَ الَّذِي فِي الْخَفَاءِ. وَأَبُوكَ الَّذِي يَرَى فِي الْخَفَاءِ، هُوَ يُكَافِئُكَ. 7 وَعِنْدَمَا تُصَلُّونَ، لَا تُكَرِّرُوا كَلاماً فَارِغاً كَمَا يَفْعَلُ الْوَثَنِيُّونَ، ظَنّاً مِنْهُمْ أَنَّهُ بِالإِكْثَارِ مِنَ الْكَلامِ، يُسْتَجَابُ لَهُمْ. 8 فَلاَ تَكُونُوا مِثْلَهُمْ، لأَنَّ أَبَاكُمْ يَعْلَمُ مَا تَحْتَاجُونَ إِلَيْهِ قَبْلَ أَنْ تَسْأَلُوهُ.

Matthew 6:5-8

 

Jesus is teaching us and cautioning us not to call attention to ourselves in prideful ways as we practise our faith. The Sadducees and the Pharisees, who were the Jewish religious teachers, were attracting attention to themselves when they were praying instead of pointing to God.  

Jesus also cautions us not to keep repeating and babbling as we pray because pagans did that. God will not hear us just because we keep repeating. Unfortunately, we still fall in this trap individually and in groups and in certain churches where the same prayer is sometimes repeated over 100 times.

Unlike the Sadducees, we are to believe everything the Bible says, including the miraculous and the afterlife. Unlike the Pharisees, we are not to treat traditions as having equal authority as Scripture, and we are not to allow our relationship with God to be reduced to a legalistic list of rules and rituals.

 

I invite you to repeat the following prayer for yourself:

Abba Father, thank You for Your abundant blessings and Your unfailing, deep, inseparable and everlasting, love. LORD, I pray that out of Your glorious riches You strengthen me with power through Your Spirit in my inner being, so that I can pray in the manner that pleases You and builds an intimate relationship with You. Strengthen me Jesus so that I always point to You and give You the glory. Abba Father, You know what I need before I ask and I pray that You will help me to pray for the ‘right’ things and to trust Your choice and timing. Help me to pray without repeating words uselessly. I declare to the world that Christ is my Lord and Saviour. God, I praise You, glorify You, and lift You up on high. In the name of the King of kings and Lord of lords, in the holy name of Your only begotten Son Jesus, I pray. To Jesus be the power, the glory, the majesty, and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

 

In Him,

Wagdi Henein