Our Lord’s Prayer
Intercessory Retreat 2005
Childhaven
Matthew 6: 9-13
Our Father Who is 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.
Father
He is the most magnificent of all
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•
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His love
His character
His ways
His sovereignty
Our  Relationship builder
1. Presuppositions:
1. Good relationship with our Father (vertical)
2. Good relationship with our neighbours (horizontal)

Family, colleagues, local church, friends
2. Implications:
1. Representation of various families:

Tribe (genetic), people (cultural), nation (political), work (professional)
2. Healthcare: relationism, not socialism or capitalism
3. Repentance: individualism, self-sufficiency
4. The Christian care-giver = human being = primarily
a relationship builder (vertically and horizontally)
Who is in Heaven  Allegiance
1. Who  Theism: one, personal, infinite God who is
actively involved in history
2. Heaven  Biblical cosmology
1. Includes heaven + hell
2. Cosmos has ≥ 10 dimensions
3. Longing for new heaven / earth
4. Repentance: Egoism, materialism, monism, idolatry
5. The Christian caregiver’s primary allegiance is to
Jesus Christ  Christ-centred life at home, church,
profession
Hallowed be Your Name Character
1. Hallowed:
1. Holy God: Absolute, Unique, Jealous
2. Holy followers: Be holy for I am holy  The
Christian caregiver desires Christ-like character
2. Your Name:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Reveals Him
Study His Names
Praise Him
Declare His Lordship over healthcare
3. Repentance: Pride, pluralism, perversion,
impurity, immorality
Your kingdom come  Visionary
1. Father’s kingdom:
1. Primarily eternal = vertical  not of this world
2. Secondarily temporal = horizontal  visible
manifestations
3. Living in broken reality on the brink of eternity:
1. Soon perfection will come, but not yet
2. Strive for the maximum manifestation of Father’s
kingdom now
2. Repentance: Own kingdoms
3. The Christian caregiver has inspiring vision for
God’s kingdom in the workplace
Your will be done  Transformer
1. Your will be done 
1. Repentance + Renewal + Revival + Reconciliation +
Reformation = Transformation
2. On earth as in heaven 
1. God’s will in all areas of life: includes profession
2. Integrity = applying God’s will consistently to all areas of
my life both inwardly and outwardly
3. Pluralism has affected all of us  earnest combined effort
to break free
3. Repentance: Obstinacy, knowing better than God,
stiff-necked-ness,
4. The Christian caregiver is an agent of transformation
Father’s will: What is it?
1. For all men: salvation in Christ
2. For all Christians:
1. Character mandate: to become Christ-like and to behave
Christ-like
2. Creational mandate: to rule over God’s creation (includes
all healthcare activities)
3. Commission mandate: as you go make disciples of all
nations
3.  transforming people transforming society
Give us this day  Servant
1.
Trusting our Lord and Master to provide We function best:
1.
2.
2.
3.
Weakness that brings us to God is strength
Gratitude (A grateful heart lives to pray and prays to live)
1.
2.
4.
6.
The good things that bring joy and restoration
The hard things that produce character
Generosity
1.
5.
Dependence on God
Interdependence on one another
Giving is a major source of joy
Repentance: salvation by works, stinginess, covetousness,
greed, worry
The Christian caregiver serves others, using what has been
received from God
Forgive us… Motivation by grace
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
By nature I am not OK, I am a lost sinner
All guilt needs to be dealt with
Live out of forgiveness received
Give expensive forgiveness
Repentance: Self-righteousness; selfjustification; bitterness; unforgiveness
6. The Christian caregiver is motivated by grace
not by guilt
Expensive Forgiveness / Reconciliation
 Guilt exists
 Where laws have been broken in the relationship
between parties such as individuals, tribes,
peoples, nations
 Whether the parties feel guilty or not
 All guilt needs to be dealt with adequately:
 Personal, social, legal, theological
 Importance of reconciliation between the parties
Lead us not into temptation  Soldier
1. Not invincible but vulnerable professional
2. We need guidance for living the kingdom
3. Learn how to handle temptation, James 1
1. Recognize, resist, rejoice
4. Spiritual warfare according to Ephesians 6
5. Repentance: Compromise; back-sliding; selfreliance
6. The Christian care-giver perseveres in the battle
against our three enemies: Satan, the flesh
(sarx) and the world (Babylonian system)
Ephesians 6: Principles of battle
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Fight from victory not for victory
Not the many but the few
Losing a battle is not losing the war
Battling is wrestling with a tough opponent
Constant communication with the General
Weapons of offence and defence
No turning back
Areas to deal with in the battle
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Mammon  generous release of resources
Lust  purity
Pride  humility
Corruption  integrity
Moloch  against killing and for healthy life
Deception / lies of Satan  truth of God
– Alternative therapies
– False teaching about healing
• The curse of decay and stagnation which comes
over those who are slack in serving God, Jer 48
Yours is the kingdom…  Worshipper
1. Praise the Lord anyhow
2. Repentance: Not my/our glory
3. The Christian caregiver brings the
manifest presence of God into situations
of suffering through worship
What does our Lord’s Prayer
mean for the Christian caregiver?
• Our Father: relationship builder
• Who is in heaven: allegiance to Christ
• Hallowed be Your Name: Christ-like character
• Your kingdom come: visionary
• Your will be done: transformer
• Give us this day: servant
• Forgive us: grace-motivation
• Lead us not into temptation: soldier
• Yours is the kingdom: worshipper
Will you say Amen to our Lord’s Prayer?