We've been looking at the prayer that Jesus gave as an example when the disciples asked Him to teach them how to pray in Luke 11:1-4 and, particularly, Matthew 6:5-13.

''YOUR KINGDOM COME"
One of our main objectives in prayer is to join with God in His purpose - the establishing of His kingdom on the earth (Acts 8:12; 19:8; Colossians 4:11; Revelation 12:10).
"Then the end will come, when he (Jesus) hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet" 1 Corinthians 15:24-25.

The Keys of the Kingdom
God has given us the ''keys'' of that kingdom (Matthew 16:19) - the authority to bind or loose anything on earth through prayer, with the full backing of heaven's throne behind us. In prayer, we have been given:

1. His Name
(John 16:24) One of the keys that we have been given is the authority vested in the name of Jesus (Philippians 2:9-10). The original Greek word ''to ask'' used in this verse has the implication of "to command; to ask as one who has the right''.

2. His Word
(Ephesians 6:10-17) The Word of God is one of the most powerful weapons that we have, because it details what God's thoughts are about each and every situation we pray for. When we speak it in prayer with faith, we are declaring to the enemy how the Lord regards the world and its problems (see 2 Corinthians 10:4-5).

3. His Spirit
(Matthew 28:18 - Acts 1:8)
The Holy Spirit has been given to help us in prayer (Romans 8:26-27) and to guide us into what the mind of the Lord is.

''THY WILL BE DONE ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN''
In Hebrews 10:5,7, Jesus says, " . . . a body you prepared for me . . .I have come to do your will, O God''.

The whole reason Jesus came to earth was to do God's will (Matthew 26:39; Romans 5:19), of which the ultimate objective was the Cross (Luke 9:51). Jesus said to His disciples, "As the Father has sent me, l am sending you'' (John 20:21). We are now His Body upon the earth (Romans 12:4-5; 1 Corinthians 12:12-27) so that God's will might be done on earth. When we pray for the Body of Christ, we are praying that it might become one in spirit and purpose (John 17:20-23) and thus become a vehicle for the expression of God's will.

''GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY BREAD''
In the original Greek, this is not really a request. It is a statement of fact: "You give us our daily bread each day!" Rather than asking God for daily provision, Jesus acknowledged in His prayer that God had faithfully provided food and all their needs each day in the past, and thus was an expression of faith that God would do it again. In the Book of Acts, the early Christians often expressed their faith in this way. They would acknowledge God's character and what He had done in the past, then declare their trust that He would help them in their present difficulty (Acts 4:23-31).

"AND FORGIVE US OUR DEBTS AS WE FORGIVE OUR DEBTORS"
Here, like in the previous statement, the original Greek can be taken another way: "You forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors''. One of the crucial foundations in our prayer-relationship with the Lord is our relationship with others. How can we fellowship with a holy God when we are harbouring resentment against another Christian? (1 John 3:14-16) .

''And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins" Mark 11:25 (see also Matthew 18:21-35).

"AND LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION, BUT DELIVER US . . .
Once again, the Lord prays in statement-form, "You lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one!'' (see James 1:13). Temptation is one of Satan's favourite weapons, but God always provides an escape from needing to say "yes" to any temptation, and will never allow any situation to become unbearable for us (1 Corinthians 10:13). The Bible calls the Lord a fortress which the righteous can run into and find safety (Proverbs 18:10) (see also Ephesians 6:11).

''FOR YOURS IS THE KINGDOM, THE POWER AND THE GLORY. . . "
The Lord Jesus ends His prayer on the ultimate declaration of faith: that everything belongs to the Lord and that everything has been in complete control from time immemorial to eternity future, to His glory.
"Lord, you have been our dwelling place throughout all generations. Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the earth and the world, FROM EVERLASTING TO EVERLASTING YOU ARE GOD'' Psalm 90:1-2.

SUMMARY
The prayer that Jesus gave His disciples was an example of prayer the way God likes it. Never did it lose its focus on the Lord or on His ability to answer. At no time did it concentrate solely on the needs of the person praying, yet it covered every area of our prayer-relationship with God:

1. Adoration (''Hallowed be your name").
2.Joining with God in His purposes ("Your kingdom come, Your will be done . . . ").

3.The need of provision ("Give us this day our daily bread").

4. The need of forgiveness ("And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors'').

5. The need of God's help ("And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us . . . '').

6.Praise ("For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever").
''AMEN"

"Amen" is a Hebrew word which means "so be it". and when used in the Greek, it means "steadfast" or ''sure''. It can be a marvellous declaration of faith at the end of any prayer.
"Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. Amen and Amen" Psalm 41:13.