The False Worship And The Misuse Of The Lord's Prayer

THE FALSE WORSHIP AND THE MISUSE OF THE LORD’S PRAYER Jesus commands His followers thus, “Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them, otherwise you have no reward from your Father in Heaven.” Matt 6:8. Here, Jesus seems to disapprove the manner in which Jewish religion carried the worship of God where the central elements were 1. Alms giving 2. prayer and 3. Fasting The question of Mt 6:7-8 is to show the right way to go about religious observations. Jesus’ disciples were aware of how the Jewish worship of God was conducted, and so in their minds, they probably thought that Christ would adapt the same manner of worship. But as He was heard by them criticizing that manner of Jewish worship of God, they demanded from Him to teach them the right way to go about prayer to the Father, which He thought would be rewarded by Him. However according to the words of Jesus in Mt 6:18, the issue of this central elements in Jewish worship of God i.e. alms giving, prayer and fasting is not whether you should do them, but how and why. However, the purpose of this Jewish religion that is liturgically done (repeated several times) seems to push God to make notice of the requests so as to reward them accordingly. So, the aim of the Jewish manner of worship, which still seems valid to the religion of flesh today, is to secure rewards from God. This is a reward that those who observe this kind of religion think would come through ostentatious or an exaggerated religion of shouting liturgies and in repetition of words, just the way heathens do (Mt 6:7, 1 Kings 18:26). But according to Jesus, as inferred from His words in Mt 6:1-8,9-15, the Jewish way of worship also adapted by other religions today, seeks the human recognition as they bully God by keeping on babbling useless words to Him to take notice of their prayers. Yet, this is all an outward form of prayer for people to hear and see. See 2 Tim 3:5. And for this reason and according to Jesus, they have already received their reward in full Mt 6:5. As for Christ Jesus, His disciples should shun that kind of outward way of worshipping God. Instead, they should adopt an inward manner of prayer or worship for the Father alone to hear. See Mt 6:7-8. Therefore, secret religion (word of mystery) is done for God and not for human approval. And this is rewarded by the Heavenly Father. The Lord’s Prayer should not be a liturgical form of prayer but as a model of what a true prayer should look like. A true prayer should not be a prescribed form of prayer common to all, where many and meaningless words are uttered. This kind of confused prayer shows lack of relationship between God and the petitioners. They seem to have no confidence in what they are doing, and hence the use of many words (i.e. shouting and repeating phrases). Therefore, a true prayer is not a technique nor a performance but a relationship of the petitioner with God. (See John 15:7). Where there is no good relationship between God and the person making a prayer, Satan will induce the believer to pray to God using many but useless words, which are heathenistic. See Mt 6:7-8. The Bible teaches us that where there is no oneness with Christ Jesus, the Father will not reward you. See John 16:26-27. I believe that where one cannot do God’s will, even his prayer can be an abomination to God. See Mt 7:21-23; Luke 46-49. According to the Lords’ prayer taught by Christ, the name of God ought to be feared because it is holy (He hallowed it). Therefore, we should not take it for granted, for the Holy Spirit says. “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain. Ex 20:7. God is holy. Therefore, we must be as holy as He is, even in naming His name, 1 Peter 1:15-16. On the other hand, God’s Kingdom must always rule the world in replacement of satan’s domain (Kingdom) of darkness. Therefore we must not only pray for it to expand but be in it and observe its commandments. See

John 14:15-24; Acts 1:8. God’s will must be ever done on earth to deny satan of his worship from people who do his will too. See 1 John 3:8; 2 Tim 2:26; John 8:44, 47. The petitions for the forgiveness of our sins, and to keep us from the evil one in the Lord’s Prayer, are better dealt with in Luke than in Matthew. For in Luke’s Gospel, the first petition “Hallowed be your name (God, the Father)” is concerned with God Himself. “May His name” requires that His person be honored in the world at large. So such hallowing forms the basis for the second petition, which is “Your Kingdom come”, to say, may God’s rule, in peace and righteousness swiftly come in to the world that knows no peace and righteousness . Obviously, where people have totally no peace as cited in 2 Chr. 15:3-6, is an indication that wickedness is in control of the people, making God withdraw from among them because He cannot tolerate lawlessness. See also Hosea 5:15. When wickedness is in control this is indicated by physical and spiritual holatry in the land. It is therefore my strong belief that this is the state of the world today, our country Kenya not being exceptional. The petition for the supply of the daily bread as petitioned for in the Lord’s Prayer is a petition for not just ordinary food, but also for the bread of life, John 6:26-27. The word of Jesus must be eaten daily to sustain our heavenly bodies in us. It is the word that makes the spiritual body grow to maturity. And Jesus could not have overlooked the sight of what He had come into the world for- to give life eternal. Moreover, Christ is our bread of life (His body and blood), even when He is not with us physically here on earth, because He is the Word that became flesh (John 1:14), the same word that gives us daily life. See John 6:48-58. On the other hand, in the same prayer, a request for daily forgiveness of sins we commit and which we as human beings cannot avoid, is a request that is conditionally granted if we too, forgive others the sins they have committed to us. Finally, in the Lord’s Prayer, the petitioner asks to be preserved from tribulations and testing, which would weaken his faith and lead to his exclusion from God’s kingdom Nevertheless, the Lord’s Prayer has been misused by religious groups, including Christians. They do not know the secrets behind that prayer. Christ did not mean it to be taken literally or as an ordinary liturgical prayer but a solemn message meant to welcome God’s kingdom on earth and to teach the receivers of that Kingdom on how to conduct themselves in a Godly and holy manner in doing God’s will until they go to live with him in Heaven. However, satan becoming aware of what Christ intended the prayer to achieve has diverted its purpose, and as a result, believers are being deceived by satan to bully God to pay attention, and thus arousing God’s wrath. Let all know that God’s name is as holy as He is. Jesus was sent purposely to come to glorify it on earth for all to hear and fear, yet people take it in vain. In my opinion, this prayer was intended to equip the disciples for gospel expansion and to that end only. It was not meant for everyday use, yet those who know nothing about God and His faith are being misguided by satan to play with it, taking the name of God in vain in-order to be held guilty. See Ex 20:7. So for this very reason, it becomes very difficult for those people who have done this to get into real faith without confession and repentance of that sin, along with other sins. Jesus demands repentance to be done first before believing in the gospel. See Mark 1:15. Today’s Christians spend more of their time thinking about their own matters, than they are doing for the work of God. It is very dangerous to take the word of God for granted because you will never know God’s secrets, and so be denied that kingdom. It is God’s commandment for us not to take His name in vain. If God is holy, as surely He is, His name is holy too. Therefore, we Christians must ensure that whatever we do, even in eating and drinking, we glorify the name of God in that, for we are commanded to become holy as He is, as He called us to become His children. Inwardly we must be like the way God is. For if a man has a monkey at home, can he call it his son? Of course not, for it has nothing of man. So give God His glory in whatever you do because you have His likeness. If you are invited to a party or a ceremony of some kind, and while there you find that people have no room or place to honour God, please you had better leave. I do that myself because my God should not only rule over everything I have but also dominate whatever I do, wherever. See Col 3:17; 1 Cor 10:31.

King Herod was killed by God’s Angel when he denied God His glory, and was eaten by worms while still alive, Acts 12:20-23. On the other hand, the Lord’s Prayer taught to the disciples appears to me that the disciples got a better understanding of it, than we do today. I perceive that they understood its intention and so did not play about with it anywhere in the scriptures, nor took the name of the Lord in vain. Furthermore, nowhere in the New Testament has a hint been given that believers should have a common prayer Leave alone that, a true believer should know that the Kingdom of heaven is in him or in her. So, why engage yourself in the Lord’s prayer asking for the Kingdom to come and other contents therein? See Luke 17:20-21. With Apostasy in place, such misconceptions cannot be avoided. See 2 Thess 2:3, 7; 2 Tim 4:2-5; 1 Tim 4:1, 2. Every believer should know how to make his prayer to God provided that he fulfils the given condition of any prayer making, scriptured in John 15:7. Why look for other people to pray for you? Are you sick to demand the elders to pray for you? (James 5:16). Don’t you know God personally? Don’t you study the Bible? Don’t you have Christ Jesus (the word) as your covenant with God? God wants us individually to know Him. God deals with each believer individually, and not as a corporate. Therefore, do not be deceived by mediums who are everywhere today. Remember your covenant with God. (See Jer 31:31-34; Heb 8:8-12; John 17:3 John 14:15-24). Please never even trust the Churches today. You should know God through His word yourself and deal with Him alone, see Psalms 40:8; John 17:6-8, 17. No Pastor, Bishop, Archbishop or Pope (father of fathers) will change God’s heart and your deeds in His Book when you are dead. Neither the big nor the small Church as per your choice has any place in heaven. Apostle John saw no Church there. See Rev 21:22. Besides, will your Pastor not kneel down like you before Jesus Christ? Where will he be to advocate for you? See what Apostle Paul said in 1 Cor 9:2427 and Romans 14:10-11; 2 Cor 5:10. The Church fathers have misled us because they lost the sense of direction many years back. So, let us not follow what was handed down by them anymore but choose to study the Bible devotedly for God to reveal Himself to us in Christ Jesus. In the mean time, do not take the name of God in vain by taking the Lord’s Prayer liturgically and lightly. What makes the Church of Jesus Christ worse, and the very thing that makes it fall into a very black darkness, is that the leaders hate and shun the followers who practice studying the Bible and giving the message perceived, to others. By this, they give satan a good chance to raise up more and more mediums to act for them. May God forbid it! Otherwise what do they understand by God’s demand for everyone to know Him? Jer 31:31-34; Heb 8:8-12; John 14:15-25. The scripture allows every believer to speak the Word of God to others. See 1 Cor 14:29-32. What has God to do with men consecrating fellow men using their own teachings handed down from one generation to another? See Mt 15:7-9; Col 2:8. I have in mind the mainstream Churches who mind their Church traditions more than they do the Word of God. They have formulated their own ways of doing things, which they term as their traditions. In doing this, they are no different from the Pharisees. Consequently, God’s wisdom is denied them. See Is 29:12-14; Mt 15:7-9. However I am much worried because my hands are tied up not to help many. I am not allowed to go for publicity either. See John 5:44; 7:18. Nevertheless, my request from my Lord Jesus Christ is, “May He allow this tract to spread like bushfire! May He also allow His Spirit to convict every reader of this tract to be transformed and stop worshipping God in satanic falsehood and deception!” Jesus Christ is God’s tree of the knowledge of good and evil which Adam and Eve were denied to eat. Therefore, both knowledge and life of God are in Him, and for us to live forever by doing God’s will. We are now allowed to eat His body and drink His blood. See John 6:48-51, 54-56. He is the Word that became flesh. So to become a true follower of Christ Jesus, You must have His word in your heart which will give you His faith, for faith comes by hearing the word as commanded by Christ Jesus. See John 17:3, 6-8, 17, 20 Rom 10:17.

Christ Jesus is the Rock of the foundation of our faith. Therefore, we must dig deep to reach the rock of faith that will be the basis of our fellowship with God. See Mt 16:18; 7:24, 25. Note that every follower of Christ, who has not built his or her faith on the rock through a devotional study of the message of truth, is not a true believer in Christ Jesus. So how can such a believer be confident enough to pray to God for his or her needs? Obviously, he or she will be inclined to look for mediums to pray for him or her. He or she does not abide in Jesus and His words do not abide in him or her for his prayer to reach God in the name of Jesus and by the Holy Spirit. See John 15:7; 16:26, 27; Rom 8:26-27. Remember, Jesus Christ is the only covenant between you and your God, through whom you must present your request personally and not through mediums. By doing otherwise you have lost the Kingdom of Heaven. Therefore, be the real you and deal with God in Christ Jesus personally. My dear brothers and sisters, the Kingdom of Heaven will be entered by a few for whom it was prepared since the foundation of the world. As to the followers of Christ Jesus, are you ready to resist the tide of the world system by not loving the world? See Luke 13:22-24; Mt 7:13-14; 25-34. Has anyone opened the door to the kingdom of heaven for you? I beg to stop there for now. I am the servant of the Lord Jesus Christ, MUIRURI K. STEPHEN, 12TH MAY 2009, PHONE 0727 890003, BOX 74758-00200 NAIROBI.