Matthew 6:9-18

Welcome everyone – we are in Matthew 6 and it is May 3rd 2026

17 Matthew 6.9-18

May 3rd 2026

In verse 9 Yeshua teaches the disciples in the MANNER of how to pray.

Interestingly and sadly in my opinion, this is a model of how to pray but there are people who have made it a prayer in and of itself, which to me is a vain repetition He warned about making last week. Anyway, He says:

9 After this manner therefore pray ye,

The word translate to “after this manner” is hooto in the Greek and it means, in this way, or according to this way and it is clear that what Yeshua is displaying is the direct open clear manner and brevity of prayer and He is not offering a rote prayer to follow or repeat.

And He says,

Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.

It is believed that some of the phrases in this prayer were phrases taken from lines that were popular among the Jews and this is believed because some of them are found in earlier Jewish writings.

I don’t find this troubling since God has a covenant with the Jews and for over 1500 years, He has led them through thick and thin and so Yeshua hearkening to them is a nod to that history.

Additionally, the substance of the prayer is also recorded by Luke 11:2-4. But there it reads differently.

Why?

I think Yeshua said various prayers at different times and to me this proves prayers are NOT to be static utterances but take on a variety of forms depending on the person praying.

I think the fact that we never have His apostles uttering these exact prayers again in the Apostolic Record proves that this is an approach to praying and not a mandatory rote model.

“Our Father, which art in heaven.”

People ask a funny question about Yeshua praying – and say things like, “Why does Yeshua pray (if He was God)” and why does He call God His Father if He is God?”

It has taken years to come to the best way to explain this to folks and so here is the summary,

The scripture describes God’s logos (words, heart) becoming flesh and dwelling among us.

The scripture says that in and through this act that incarnated element of God, His living Word, humbled himself and submitted himself to death.

So the one praying to His invisible father above was Yeshua the Man born of a woman born under the law.

While in that flesh, God was His Father, and as a man overcoming that flesh by and through the fullness of God in Him, He was one of us.

So His praying was that of a human man BEFORE BEING DEIFIED praying to God.

This was not God praying to Himself – it was the flesh of man with God in Him praying to His heavenly father.

After His resurrection, this Man was deified and literally this Man became one again with God on our behalf.

Listen to Philippians 2:6, which, speaking of Yeshua, says:

Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:

7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:

8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

Teaching His disciples how to pray to the Father, Yeshua, making Himself of no reputation, took on the form of a servant, and prayed . . . showing humans how to live in relationship with God.

And so He says,

“Our Father, which art in heaven,” (with heaven obviously being an actual location where the Father resides) “Hallowed be thy name.”

Holy is your name.

The meaning of this is, "Let thy name be celebrated, and venerated, and esteemed as holy everywhere, and received of all with proper honor."

Our Father, Holy is your name. Now, something I personally take very very seriously as a follower of God and that is the importance of His name.

Because the world has messed with the reality of Him and His name, making Him a trinity and renaming Him with confusion, we stand on the fact that seeking diligently to know the living God in spirit and truth is life eternal.

And so we question the man-made Trinity. Additionally, there is something that has bothered us greatly and that is God wanted His personal pronoun name known and used in the world – going all the way back to Moses.

So, when Yeshua says here in His prayer, Holy is your name, we believe He is speaking of God’s revealed name that He gave to Moses and that this name has been obscured over the centuries even though He wanted it known.

Listen to what the scripture says,

Exodus 3:13-15 And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them?

14 And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.

15 And God said moreover unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you: this is my name for ever, and this is my memorial unto all generations.

But when we get to chapter 9:13 in Exodus God will say to Moses (when he is preparing to lead the Nation out from Bondage to Egypt)

13 And YAHAVAH said unto Moses, Rise up early in the morning, and stand before Pharaoh, and say unto him, Thus saith YAHAVAH God of the Hebrews, Let my people go, that they may serve me.

14 For I will at this time send all my plagues upon thine heart, and upon thy servants, and upon thy people; that thou mayest know that there is none like me in all the earth.

15 For now I will stretch out my hand, that I may smite thee and thy people with pestilence; and thou shalt be cut off from the earth.

16 And in very deed for this cause have I raised thee up, for to shew in thee my power; and that my name may be declared throughout all the earth.

Then . . . we come to Malachi 1:11 and read God say,

“For from the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same my name shall be great among the Gentiles; and in every place incense shall be offered unto my name, and a pure offering: for my name shall be great among the heathen, saith the LORD of hosts.

Have you ever wondered what Yeshua meant when, in His intercessory prayer to His father before His disciples and He said

John 17:6 I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word.

Or six verses later when He adds

12 While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled.

Or 14 verses later where He adds

26 And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them.

As a Yeshuan I am so committed to make His name known I have decided to have it tattooed over eight different places on my body to do my part in making it known ACCORDING to His desires. This is not a recommendation to others, but it is part of my walk with Him.

So, He says, holy is thy name and adds,

10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

We side with the literal Greek translation of this line which is, “Thy reign come: Thy will come to pass, as in heaven also on the earth.”

We suggest that what this alludes to is a coming change of administration brought on by the life, death, resurrection, ascension and return to wipe out that former age and usher in a new heaven, a new earth, a new Jerusalem and an entirely new administration therefrom.

The word “kingdom” here actually means reign so “thy reign come.”

In Matthew 3:2 was His prayer. Remember, John the Baptist came saying:

“Repent ye: for the (basilica) of heaven is at hand.” His reign - same word here.

The prayer is a hopeful expectation that God may reign everywhere; that his laws may be obeyed which in the Victory of His Son He has written on the minds and hearts of all?

Then when Yeshua prays,

Thy kingdom come, thy will be done” we might ask, what is the will of God?

After feeding the masses bread in John five, they came to Him the next day and in John chapter six and ask:

John 6:28-29 “What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?

29 Yeshua answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.

God’s will today is for all to believe on whom He has sent. Blessed are those who know of His person and life in this world but perhaps even moreso blessed are any and all who know Him more intimately in spirit and truth.

“Thy reign come, thy will be done, as in heaven so on earth.”

This is Christ’s prayer.

And then after aligning the will of God to His prayer, Yeshua adds,

11 Give us this day our daily bread”

This may borrow from the Proverbs 30:8 and appears to refer originally to a hunter’s prayer when he asks God to guide him to locating prey.

It is akin to asking God to appropriate our portion of food to us and clearly suggests that life-sustaining provisions certainly do come from Him – something many people overlook in our modern age.

I mean the ecosystem of human survival is so tenuous that all God needs to do is alter a few minor factors around us – a little warmer here, a little colder there, a couple strategic droughts and we will enter into a world-wide famine and will have almost have NO recourse to save ourselves.

I wish human beings would humbly realize how much we depend on Him in this and so many other ways. And so Yeshua says plainly, and humbly, provide us with our daily portion, the food we need to survive. Then He says at verse 12,

12 And forgive us our debts, (but doesn’t leave it alone, but adds) as we forgive our debtors.

The word “debt” is replaced in various translations with other words. Some say sins. The word “debts” is figurative. It is better translated, “our faults, our sins.”

We are not in debt to God because we are not in a position to ever pay Him back –ever. How can we repay a God that gives us life, daily bread, and literally all other things and capacities to survive? Can’t do it so the request is not to forgive our indebtedness to Him, but because we have forgiven others of their trespasses against us we ask that He will forgive our trespasses against others.

He mercifully provides all things for all of us – the just and the unjust – sending the sun and rain on both equally.

In the face of this we have forgiven the sins others have committed against us and because of this we ask that our sins be forgiven against them.

This line is perhaps one of the most amazing requests because it brings in a whole bunch of elements we don’t really like to think about in the realm of God’s grace and His unconditional love toward us.

While it is usually taught as a condition of being forgiven, which is ultimately true, this is not, I repeat, this is NOT a prescriptive line (though it is typically taught this way). We suggest that it is a descriptive line of a true Christian.

The verse is written in what is called , the Perfect tense in Greek which indicates a completed action with continuing relevance.

So what it is really saying is, “we have let go” or “we have forgiven” of the sins against us, “release us,” from the sins we commit against others.

It’s a description of what being a child of God looks like.

The perfect tense here reflects that the forgiveness we seek from God is based on a past act of forgiveness we have already performed toward others.

In other words, we do NOT forgive in order to be forgiven, but we have forgiven, as recipients of God’s goodness and pray that His forgiveness abides on us too.

Notice that the request is not predicated nor does it include the forgiveness others bestow on us either. Here, as His children we have forgiven all, and trust that Our father, creator of all, will forgive us too.

Now certainly, there will be times in the life of a Child of God where we have to choose to forgive others and it will NOT come naturally (or as a result of our being forgiven) but the implication is present here in Yeshua’s prayer – those who are forgiven WILL forgive.

He goes on in His prayer,

13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

In Psalms 141:4 King David said:

"Incline not my heart to any evil thing, to practice wicked works with men that work iniquity."

But we also know (from James 1:13) that God tempts no man, saying,

“Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man.”

So what does Yeshua mean when he says, “and lead us not into temptation?” We suggest that the phrase, then, must be used in “the sense of permitting.”

Do not suffer us, or permit us, to be tempted to sin.

In this it is implied that God has such control over us and the tempter, as to save us from it if we call upon him.

The word temptation, however, doesn’t always mean temptation toward sin but sometimes means trials, afflictions, and other things that cause us to challenge our virtue before Him.

Remember the story of Job, how God allowed Satan to tempt and try and test Job.

All Yeshuais praying here is that God protect us from the one who longs to tempt us.

“But,” He adds, “Deliver us from evil.”

Going back to the most original texts surviving, this phrase has the article-- deliver us from THE evil--that is, from the evil one, or Satan.

“Deliver us from his power, his snares, his arts, his temptations.”

Since he is supposed to be the great parent of evil being delivered from him implies to be placed in a safe location.

And He continues:

“For yours, Father, is the kingdom.”

That is, “you have the reign over all things because your kingdom is yours . . .

“and the power.”

You have the power to accomplish what we ask.”

“And the glory . . .”

You, not us, have all the honor and glory as you are all good, all righteous, and all faithful in these things.

FOREVER. Amen.

Then, as if nothing is said after Yeshua teaches the method of prayer, He jumps to a point of supreme importance.

I think He has essentially gone back to the prayer that has been said and continues to teach on one of the most important principles brought out in the prayer, saying:

14 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:

This is constantly required in the Bible.

In Matthew 18:22, Peter asks the Lord how often men were to forgive others their trespasses, “Seven times?” Peter suggests, as if this was some great gesture.

What did the Lord say, let’s go to the story and read contextually what is said there,

Matthew 18:21 Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?

22 Yeshuasaith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.

23 Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants.

24 And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents.

25 But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made.

26 The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.

27 Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt.

28 But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellow-servants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest.

29 And his fellow-servant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.

30 And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt.

31 So when his fellow-servants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done.

32 Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me:

33 Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellow-servant, even as I had pity on thee?

34 And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him.

35 So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.

Here in Matthew 6:15, Yeshua plainly states,

15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Now, there are some who say we are NOT obligated to forgive men UNLESS they repent.

There seems to be some scriptural evidence to support this teaching. For instance,

Luke 17:3 Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him.

Is this Christ teaching us to not forgive if our brother does not repent? I don’t think so – but others disagree.

They read the text as saying, “you are obligated to forgive only if and when the person who has offended you repents.”

But we also have apostolic instruction like

1st Thessalonians 3:12 And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you:

And 1st Thessalonians 5:14 Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men.

“And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ also forgave you” (Ephesians 4:32).

I would suggest that when it comes to Yeshua’s words in Luke

Luke 17:3 Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him.

the condition of repentance refers to the condition of fellowship and friendship with another, in terms of trust, and this world.

But I would also suggest that His Children forgive all men of all things whether they repent or not FROM THE HEART.

That we bear no animus toward others from within ourselves as we too have been forgiven of sins that we perhaps are not even aware we are supposed to repent over.

Seek and strive to forgive all people from the heart as soon as humanly possible and from a place of humility and gratitude for the forgiveness God has given you and if the other repents for their crime do not exempt them from your life and association, is what I think is being said there.

We’ll wrap our time up with the last (or third) of Yeshua’s statements in the Sermon on the mount about things to do in secret – remember?

The first was about giving to the needy: "...so that your charitable acts will be done in secret; and your Father who sees [what is done] in secret will reward you" (Matthew 6:4).

Prayer "...go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you" (Matthew 6:6).

And now fasting: "...that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you" (Matthew 6:18)

What do giving, praying and fasting have in common with each other? They are all forms of . . . self-denial, they are all things according to Yeshua that should be done in secrety, and they are all things that He says, when the Father sees that they are done in secret He will reward those that approach Him this way, but to those who do them publicly or “to be seen of men,” they have their reward.

We suggest then that giving, praying and fasting are all elective and subjective actions individuals might take before God, and that none of these should be done before men or collectively.

Brick and mortar religion extols the giving and praying and fasting people do and often without even knowing it make such things “to be seen of men.”

Because we live in an age of the reign of God through the victorious Spirit of Christ every person decides the import and value of their giving, prayers and fasting and freely elects to pursue them – or not.

In terms of instruction from the text, the value in these three activities is they involve sacrifice –

In prayer, of time and attention away from self, toward God and often on behalf of others.

In giving, of resources (and therefore life’s time we all possess to earn) to those in need and finally, let’s talk about fasting.

Here, Yeshua tells the Jews in His audience

16 “And when ye may fast, be ye not as the hypocrites, of sour countenances, for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear to men fasting; verily I say to you, that they have their reward.

17 `But thou, fasting, anoint thy head, and wash thy face,

18 that thou mayest not appear to men fasting, but to thy Father who is in secret, and thy Father, who is seeing in secret, shall reward thee manifestly.

How important was fasting in the Old Testament? Pretty big.

The nation of Israel traditionally observed and observes six main fast days in Jewish law, with the most significant being Yom Kippur (the only one required by the Torah) and Tisha B'Av, which commemorates the destruction of both Temples.

Historically, four annual fasts were established during the Babylonian exile to mark the destruction of the First Temple, as noted in [Zechariah 8:19].

So, the Six Main Fast Days were,

Yom Kippur (10th of Tishrei): The Day of Atonement, a major fast.

Tisha B'Av (9th of Av): A major fast mourning the destruction of both Temples.

Fast of Gedaliah (3rd of Tishrei): Minor fast for the murder of the governor.

Asarah B'Tevet (10th of Tevet): Minor fast marking the start of the siege of Jerusalem.

Fast of Esther (13th of Adar): Minor fast before Purim.

Shivah Asar B'Tammuz (17th of Tammuz): Minor fast marking the breaching of the walls.

And the Bible records other communal fasts, such as in Ezra 8:21 and Nehemiah 9:1.

Take note, however, that the prophet Zechariah prophesied that these four fasts would someday turn into days of joy and gladness.

Over time, as with almost everything else with the Nation, the practice of fasting was abused (see, Isaiah 58:4; Jeremiah 14:12; and Zechariah 7:5)

And while the earliest believers continued to practice fasting according to the law of their fathers (as seen in Acts 13:3, 14:23 and 2nd Corinthians 6:5, Yeshua rebuked the Pharisees for their hypocritical pretense in fasting and did not appointed to Himself any sort of fast – though He did tell His apostles that it took fasting to cast out some devils.

Paul did say to the Bride in that day,

1st Corinthians 7:5 Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency.

But he adds to this advice,

1st Corinthians 7:6 But I speak this by permission, and not of commandment.

Because of the victory of Christ and the liberty He brings all, and because He is present in us, fasting seems to be a private decision in the faith that serves to humble us in our flesh and helps us focus on spiritual matters over flesh.

Mandatory? Never and no more than choosing to pray or give.

Collective? Not if we are going to follow the words of Christ about it being in secret.

Good? Up to every person and between them and God.

We will see you next week!

Blessings.