(1) Once Jesus was in a certain place praying. As He finished, one of His disciples came to Him and said, "Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples."
First Level: The Father
Luke 11:2 KJV
(2) And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.
The first level involves a right understanding of who God is.
He is Father.
Romans 8:14-16 KJV
(14) For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
(15) For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
(16) The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
Exodus 6:3 KJV
(3) And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty (El Shaddai), but by my name JEHOVAH (Yahweh) was I not known to them.
El ShaDai (אֵל שָׁדַּי)is just one of the many names of God in Hebrew. El means “God.” The rest, however, is slightly more complicated.
In our Bibles, אֵל שָׁדַּי “El Shadai” is most often (mistakenly) translated as “God Almighty”. The main reason for this stems from an opinion that Hebrew word שָׂדַּי ShaDai is connected with the verb לְשְׁדוד liShDoD, which means “to destroy” or “overpower”. For example, Hebrew word for “bandit” has the same root –שׁודֵד ShoDeD.
El Shadai אֵל שָׁדַּי does have another meaning though. The word שָׁד ShaD has a much closer grammatical connection to ShaDai and it means – “breast.” Moreover, when a word ends with an “i”or “ai” it is almost always means “my”. So, literally, “El Shadai” could very well mean “God (is) my Breast/s”.
If we consider this intriguing imagery as interpretive possibility we may see that the breast is one of the key symbols of sustenance and parental love passed on from God, the parent, to humanity, God’s child. So instead of “God Almighty”, El Shadai should probably be translated as “God All-sufficient” instead.
Abba = nuturing motherly love = El Shaddai
Father = Lawgiver = Yahweh
Love without Law = lawlessness Law without Love = Legalism
God is a perfect Father. He combines love with the discipline necessary to bring us to maturity.
Second Level: The friend
Luke 11:5-10 NLT
(5) Then, teaching them more about prayer, He used this story: "Suppose you went to a friend's house at midnight, wanting to borrow three loaves of bread. You say to him,
(6) 'A friend of mine has just arrived for a visit, and I have nothing for him to eat.'
(7) And suppose he calls out from his bedroom, 'Don't bother me. The door is locked for the night, and my family and I are all in bed. I can't help you.'
(8) But I tell you this—though he won't do it for friendship's sake, if you keep knocking long enough, he will get up and give you whatever you need because of your shameless persistence.
(9) "And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you.
(10) For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.
John 15:15 NLT
(15) I no longer call you slaves, because a master doesn't confide in His slaves. Now you are My friends, since I have told you everything the Father told Me.
James 2:23 KJV
(23) And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.
There are things, secret things, that you share with a friend but not your children.
Psalms 103:7 KJV
(7) He made known his ways unto Moses, his acts unto the children of Israel.
Psalms 103:7 GNB
(7) He revealed his plans to Moses and let the people of Israel see his mighty deeds.
Psalms 103:7 NLT
(7) He revealed His character to Moses and His deeds to the people of Israel.
Third Level: The Judge, an appeal in the judicial system
Luke 18:1-8 KJV
(1) And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;
(2) Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man:
(3) And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary.
(4) And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man;
(5) Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.
(6) And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith.
(7) And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them?
(8) I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?
1 Peter 5:8 KJV
(8) Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
The enemy cannot devour at will. He can only devour where he has found a legal right.
adversary = G476 ἀντίδικος antidikos an-tid'-ee-kos
From G473 and G1349; an opponent (in a lawsuit); specifically Satan (as the arch enemy): - adversary.
Revelation 19:11 KJV
(11) And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.
Judge first, then make war.
judge = G2919 κρίνω krinō kree'-no
Properly to distinguish, that is, decide (mentally or judicially); by implication to try, condemn, punish: - avenge, conclude, condemn, damn, decree, determine, esteem, judge, go to (sue at the) law, ordain, call in question, sentence to, think.
Revelation 12:10 KJV
(10) And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.
accuser = G2725 κατήγορος katēgoros kat-ay'-gor-os
From G2596 and G58; against one in the assembly, that is, a complainant at law; specifically Satan: - accuser.
accused = G2723 κατηγορέω katēgoreō kat-ay-gor-eh'-o
From G2725; to be a plaintiff, that is, to charge with some offence: - accuse, object.
Review:
Level 1 - praying for your own needs
Level 2 - interceding for others
Level 3 - dealing with an adversary
How does the enemy build a case against us or a loved one?
Ephesians 4:26-27 NLT
(26) And "don't sin by letting anger control you." Don't let the sun go down while you are still angry,
(27) for anger gives a foothold to the devil.
How does the enemy build a case against us or a loved one?
Through Sin, Transgression, Iniquity
Psalms 32:1-2 KJV
(1) A Psalm of David, Maschil. Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. (2) Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile.
Psalms 51:1-2 KJV
(1) To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet came unto him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba. Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. (2) Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.
Sin = to miss the mark. This goes to motive and the intent of the heart.
Job offered sacrifices to cover the sins of his children. The motive of the sacrifice was not love for God but to manipulate or to cause God to turn a blind eye to the indiscretions of his children.
There is a testimony attached to your offering.
Transgression = to step across the line. It is an activity as opposed to a motive of the heart.
Iniquity = bloodline, gives the enemy a legal right.
Exodus 20:5 KJV
(5) Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;
Leviticus 17:11 NLT
(11) for the life of the body is in its blood. I have given you the blood on the altar to purify you, making you right with the LORD. It is the blood, given in exchange for a life, that makes purification possible.
Hebrews 7:9-10 KJV
(9) And as I may so say, Levi also, who receiveth tithes, payed tithes in Abraham.
(10) For he was yet in the loins of his father, when Melchisedec met him.
2 Samuel 21:1 KJV
(1) Then there was a famine in the days of David three years, year after year; and David enquired of the LORD. And the LORD answered, It is for Saul, and for his bloody house, because he slew the Gibeonites.
Courtroom Prayer
Battlefield prayer vs Courtroom prayer = different strategy necessary for success
Judge first to take away rights and then do battle
God calls Himself our Father. Hidden in that name is an objective. A goal. It’s about a relationship. He’s our Dad. We’re his children. Nothing will ever supersede that from His perspective. And we ought to keep that in mind when going to the courts of heaven. We might feel like obtaining healing is our main objective, but our attorney and the Judge, might feel like spending time together is more important.
Don’t misunderstand. It's not that your current situation isn’t important to them. It is important. God is our healer and our provider. But 50 years from now your present crisis will be long forgotten. If you go to the court hundreds of times and receive all the right verdicts but spend no time getting to know Jesus and the Father, what have you gained of real value?
This is a caution against seeing the courts mainly as way to obtain healing or some other thing you want. Healing is good. But the good has a way of becoming the enemy of the best. The best will always be building a stronger, more vibrant relationship with God. That’s the main thing. Verdicts and outcomes are secondary. (And it may take time for us to learn how to correctly evaluate them anyway.)
