The Lord’s Prayer and Psalm 145

The first car I owned was a Mazda 626, a fairly common car at the time. I didn’t recall seeing many on the road, but when I drove mine off the lot I started seeing them everywhere. Once our mind is tuned into one thing we often see it everywhere, even when it’s not there. Though, to be honest, I don’t think I ever confused the Mazda with a Ferrari, but I did mistake it for a Camry a few times.

I think of that often when I’m reading scripture. No, I don’t see Mazdas in the Bible, but I sometimes wonder if I see patterns and connections that aren’t really there. Even the best-intentioned Bible student can create a theology from what they want the Bible to say, even if it isn’t what the Bible actually does say. I say this so you can decide if what I am about to write is really a Mazda or if I’ve mistaken it for something else.

I’ve come to believe that the book of Psalms is, at one level, intended to be read as a whole story, a single poetic-narrative if you will. Themes developed over the course of the 150 psalms create a beautiful picture of God’s redemption through his son, the King. In other words, the Psalms are about Jesus; it’s that simple. When they are read in sequence, the Psalms tell a story that begins with David in the days before he was a king and ends with Jesus’s return to earth as The King.

Psalms 1 and 2 are often called the introduction to the entire book of the Psalms, and Psalms 146-150 are often called its conclusion. The intervening psalms (3-145) are divided into five different books, each with a thematic thread tying them together. Each book ends with a short prayer acknowledging the Lord as the one who blesses his people (41:13; 72:18-19; 89:52; 106:48). The only exception to this is Book V. Instead of a short prayer, Book V ends with Psalm 145, an acrostic psalm, (each verse of Psalm 145 begins with a letter of the Hebrew alphabet in order; something we can never see unless we learn Hebrew). While there is debate about Hebrew acrostics, the predominant view is that acrostics were a poetic tool used to indicate that the writer had reached a conclusion on a topic; it was a way of saying, “this is the final word on the matter.” Thus, Psalm 145, an acrostic psalm, is the likely conclusion to Book V of the Psalms instead of the short prayers found in Books I – IV. But I don’t think Psalm 145 actually breaks the consistency of each book ending in a prayer, as Psalm 145 is actually, itself, a prayer. What is even more interesting is that Psalm 145 is ordered much like the Lord’s Prayer. But now we come back to my Mazda; I hope my thoughts on this corresponds to what is actually in the Bible and not just what I want to be there. I’ll let you decide.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at Psalm 145 and the Lord’s Prayer:

First, David wrote…
A Song of Praise. Of David.
I will extol you, my God and King,
and bless your name forever and ever.
Every day I will bless you
and praise your name forever and ever.
Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised,
and his greatness is unsearchable.
One generation shall commend your works to another,
and shall declare your mighty acts.
On the glorious splendor of your majesty,
and on your wondrous works, I will meditate.
They shall speak of the might of your awesome deeds,
and I will declare your greatness.
They shall pour forth the fame of your abundant goodness
and shall sing aloud of your righteousness.
The LORD is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
The LORD is good to all,
and his mercy is over all that he has made.
All your works shall give thanks to you, O LORD,
and all your saints shall bless you!
Then, Jesus prayed…
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.
Now, we pray…
Just as David’s prayer moves from praise for the name of God to acknowledging his physical works, and then his spiritual works; his goodness, righteousness, mercy, and love, so should our prayers begin by meditating on the works of God. The name of God is to be revered but so are his works, both material and spiritual. We think about God’s work in the past, his work in the present, and the promises he has made for the future.

First, David wrote…
They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom
and tell of your power,
to make known to the children of man your mighty deeds,
and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
and your dominion endures throughout all generations.
Then, Jesus prayed…
Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Now, we pray…
The Kingdom of God is filled with those who do his will, those that seek to aid the poor, infirm, and lowly, and those who follow in the moral ways of Jesus. We pray for and mediate upon whether we are becoming more like a citizen of heaven and if we are advancing the Father’s kingdom on earth.

First, David wrote…
[The LORD is faithful in all his words
and kind in all his works.]
The LORD upholds all who are falling
and raises up all who are bowed down.
The eyes of all look to you,
and you give them their food in due season.
You open your hand;
you satisfy the desire of every living thing.
Then, Jesus prayed…
Give us each this day our daily bread,
Now, we pray…
As baby birds in a nest looking up to their mothers for food, we acknowledge that all our needs are met by the Father. The one satisfied with the Father’s daily bread does not look elsewhere for sustenance, nor does the Father’s children worship and follow the wealth provided by the world. We pray that all anxiety would be left behind as we thank our Heavenly Father for providing for us in his time and in his way.

First, David wrote…
The LORD is righteous in all his ways
and kind in all his works.
The LORD is near to all who call on him,
to all who call on him in truth.
He fulfills the desire of those who fear him;
he also hears their cry and saves them.
Then, Jesus prayed…
and forgive us our debts, as we ourselves also have forgiven our debtors.
Now, we pray…
When we stand before the righteous God we realize we are found wanting; we are sinful. We cry to him for his forgiveness and he saves us. And in his saving grace, as we are washed in the blood of Jesus, we realize we must forgive others. Only the most hardened of heart would receive forgiveness and not pass it on to others.

First, David wrote…
The LORD preserves all who love him,
Then, Jesus prayed…
And lead us not into temptation,
Now, we pray…
We know that the only sure protection comes from the Lord. But true protection is from those things leading to sin, not just those things leading to physical harm. If we truly love the Lord, then we stay by his side, we do not wander down paths he would not go. We walk by his side and hold onto his robes as we walk along each day’s path.

First, David wrote…
but all the wicked he will destroy.
Then, Jesus prayed…
but deliver us from evil.
Now, we pray…
God promises to preserve us, but he also promises that our enemies would be destroyed. But, we must realize that we are not the ones destroying our enemies. By praying for deliverance, we pray for protection and we leave to God that which is his job alone; vengeance. We are told to love our enemies, not destroy them. We must forgive them and leave the vengeance to God. To do this actually requires quite a bit of prayer because we often want to take these matters into our own hands.

First, David wrote…
My mouth will speak the praise of the LORD,
and let all flesh bless his holy name forever and ever.
Then, Jesus prayed…
For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
Now, we pray…
These words are not just a nice conclusion to prayer. Rather they are an acknowledgment that the Father’s kingdom is the only one; the Father’s power is unlimited; the Father’s glory is undiminished. Forever. Do we seek to build our own kingdom? To act under our own power? To revel in our own glory? Or do we seek the Father’s? Implicit also in this prayer is the promise of the resurrection; how can we praise the Father’s holy name forever if we do not live forever? What a great way to end our prayers by meditating on the Father’s goodness, love, mercy, and forgiveness!

David’s psalm, the Lord’s Prayer, and our conversation with the Father; (it is only a lack of space that I don’t also write about the Sermon on the Mount, but I think you can add each of those sections in here as well). With these in mind, I think we can begin to understand what the Lord’s Prayer is all about. I use the word, “begin” because the more I pray the Lord’s Prayer and meditate on each section, the more I am struck with its depth; it is more than a nice song for Sunday mornings. Prayer is not about changing God and getting him to do things for us; prayer is about letting God change us, it is about our thoughts changing into his thoughts, and it is about listening to our Heavenly Father. It is, at least, for those reasons that Jesus said, “When you pray, pray then like this…”

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