OUR DAILY LIE?

In Luke 11:1, the taught ones (disciples) of Yahshua noted that his prayers were different and more effective. And so they desired to be taught how to pray. “…Master, teach us to pray….” They said. 

And the Master did teach them to pray. 

The same is recorded in Mathew 6:9 – 13 “…. this then is the way you should pray…..”, the Master teaches. 

So what is to pray?

In the Christian mindset, that is usually heavily influenced by the Greco-Roman perspectives, to pray is to request for something, it is like begging, it is to ask for some favor whether you merit it or not. This perspective has its wisdom that a prayer solely depends on the benevolence of the giver, and the person praying has minimal role, if so faintly, to play whatsoever. 

This perspective misses something very crucial in the Hebrew school of thoughts of what a prayer is. The Hebrew wisdom refer to prayer as a three pronged approach to the Majesty on high! This concept is heavily captured by the prayer of our Master. It may escape the Greco-Roman Christian, but not a Hebrew mind. 

In Hebrew, this three faced approach to the supernal Majesty on high is conceptualized as Tefillah. We may loosely translate Tefillah to prayer in English since there is no one-word direct translation for the same.  תפילה (tefillah), is from the root פלל (palal), which actually means to judge oneself, to reflect, or to self-evaluate. So rather than just asking for things, tefillah is about turning inward, aligning yourself, and connecting to something higher. Therefore, wisdom has it that in Hebrew to pray is to judge oneself. It is less about making requests and more about: 

1. Self-reflection — examining your life and actions
2. Aligning — tuning your mind and heart toward God (or your highest values)
3. Relationship — standing in a posture of presence, humility, and connection

This is why many Jewish prayers are fixed texts like the Amidah or Shema — they aren’t spontaneous requests but meditative, structured expressions meant to guide the soul and shape the person. For instance, think of the Shema, or the Jewish declaration of faith. This what Jews note on this important prayer of theirs: 

“….Shema Yisrael (שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל) (“Hear, O Israel”) are the first two words of a section of the Torah that is the centerpiece of the morning and evening prayer services, encapsulating the monotheistic essence of Judaism:

“Hear, O Israel: G‑d is our L‑rd, G‑d is one.”

In its entirety, the Shema consists of three paragraphs: Deuteronomy 6:4–9, Deuteronomy 11:13–21 and Numbers 15:37–41. Its recitation twice daily (morning and evening) is a biblical commandment. In addition, we recite it just before retiring for the night, as well as in the Kedushah service on Shabbat. Indeed, this succinct statement has become so central to the Jewish people that it is the climax of the final Ne’ilah prayer of Yom Kippur, and is traditionally a Jew’s last words on earth….” (https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/705353/jewish/The-Shema.htm)

Interesting! Is it not? The Christian mindset may find it hard qualifying the above as a prayer! But for the Hebrew mindset, it is so central that this is usually their last prayer on earth. Actually, the word להתפלל (lehitpalel) is the reflexive form — meaning “to pray” is literally to act upon oneself. It’s about internal work, not just external requests. So when a Hebrew does their Shema prayer every morning and evening, the Hebrew is actually casting a spell on their life, that the commandment may become alive in their life.

Now the three pronged approach of Tefillah entails:

1. Praise (Shevach)
2. Request (Bakashah)
3. Thanks (Hoda’ah)

Now let us explore the Masters prayer and see what it teaches us from Mathew 6: 9 onwards.

1. Our Father who art in heaven ….. אָבִינוּ שֶׁבַּשָּׁמַיִם (Avinu Shebashamayim)

• Avinu - Not just “Father” but our Father — collective, covenantal. This echoes the Jewish Avinu Malkeinu (Our Father, Our King), evoking both love and authority.
• Shebashamayim Literally “who is in the heavens” — but in Hebrew, shamayim also hints at spiritual realms, the place beyond physical, not just “sky.”

You’re calling on a God who is simultaneously close (Father) and infinitely vast (in heaven).

2. Hallowed be Thy name …. יִתְקַדֵּשׁ שִׁמְךָ (Yitkadesh Shimcha)

• Yitkadesh “Let it be sanctified” — from kadosh, meaning holy, set apart. In Jewish liturgy, this links to the Kaddish, a prayer magnifying God’s holiness, even in mourning. 
• Shimcha “Your Name” isn’t just letters; in Hebrew, Shem means essence, reputation, presence.

You’re not just praising a distant name; you’re asking the deepest reality of God to be revealed and made holy in the world.

3. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven תָּבוֹא מַלְכוּתְךָ, יֵעָשֶׂה רְצוֹנְךָ בָּאָרֶץ כְּמוֹ בַשָּׁמַיִם (Tavo Malkhutcha, Ye’aseh Retzoncha, Ba’aretz K’mo Bashamayim)

• Malkhutcha “Your kingdom” taps into the Malkhut (sovereignty) concept — the divine presence descending into the world: Shekhinah, the productive aspect of God’s rule that brings forth and sustains life.
• Retzoncha “Your will” — not arbitrary commands, but divine purpose; Hebrew ratzon carries a flavor of loving intent, not just sheer willpower.

You’re praying for the alignment of heaven and earth, asking that God’s presence fully inhabit this world.

4. Give us this day our daily bread .. תֵּן לָנוּ הַיּוֹם לֶחֶם חֻקֵּנוּ (Ten Lanu Hayom Lechem Chukeinu)

• Lechem Not just “bread” but symbolic of sustenance, provision; remember, Bethlehem is Beit-Lechem, “house of bread.” Yahshua is the Bread of life, this goes beyond our stomachs!
• Chukeinu Often translated “daily,” but chok can mean law, portion, or decree; this simply is the divinely ordained, all-encompassing sustenance due us or assigned to us.

This isn’t just about physical food; it’s a prayer for the rightful, divinely-ordained share — material and spiritual nourishment.

5. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us וּסְלַח לָנוּ עַל חֲטָאֵינוּ, כַּאֲשֶׁר סוֹלְחִים גַּם אֲנַחְנוּ לַחוֹטְאִים לָנוּ (Uslach Lanu Al Chata’einu, Ka’asher Solechim Gam Anachnu Lachote’im Lanu)

• Chata’einu From chet, sin — but in Hebrew, chet means “missing the mark,” like an archer’s arrow. This is about realignment, not just guilt.
• Solechim Forgiveness in Hebrew (slicha) is relational — it’s restoration, healing, not just “wiping the slate.”

You’re entering a circle of forgiveness where divine mercy and human mercy mirror each other — you can’t hold back forgiveness from others if you want it from God.

6. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil וְאַל תְּבִיאֵנוּ לִידֵי נִסָּיוֹן, כִּי אִם הַצִּילֵנוּ מִן הָרָע (V’al Tevi’einu L’ydei Nisayon, Ki Im Hatzileinu Min Hara)

• Nisayon Temptation, trial — but also test, as in Abraham’s binding of Isaac (nisayon). It’s about being stretched or tested beyond breaking.
• Hara “The evil” — not just abstract badness, but the force of destruction, chaos, distortion.

This is a plea for protection from forces that shatter your integrity — both inner temptation and outer evil.

So what is the Master teaching us? In any regular teaching, the teacher always winds up a lesson with a recap of the concept learners were supposed to grasp. It may be a two-hour session but it always has a main concept that the teacher wished learners to grasp. So let us go back to the prayer and see the main concept of what a prayer is. The prayer runs from verse nine to thirteen. Then verse fourteen recaps the lesson and says, “for if you do not forgive men their trespasses….” 

Aha! Did you see that? The Masters prayer is actually a self judgement on whether the praying person has failed to reconcile with her or his brethren! That is why we pray and nothing happens. You see, the Master already knows what you need as he opens the lesson in verse eight, “ …your father knows what you need….” But there is a disconnection as Isaiah 59:1 – 2teaches, “…your crookedness have separated you from Elohim...” If there is a connection, the true essence of Adonai will flow from its supernal source directly and you need not even ask! But now you need forgiveness. Only that He can only forgive you as much as you have forgiven! 

You see, this boils down to the ten commandments, that is always encapsulated in the Shema. For Yahshua did say that the whole Torah hinges on Shema that Israel prays every morning and evening. He says in Mathew 22:37 – 40, “…on these two commandments hangs all the Law….” Which commands? Verse 37, Shema!

Now the whole Torah, stems from the ten commands which are in turn dividing into the two hinges: first five commands are between man and Elohim, that we need forgiveness when we make the Masters prayer. The other portion from the sixth to the tenth command is between man and man, that we always say shall determine how much we are forgiven the transgression of the first five. We therefore say, “forgive us, as we forgive those who indebt/trespass us…”

So this Lords Prayer is our heaven given opportunity when we stand with the understanding that we are in the presence of the True Begetter, source of life who sits high above our understanding. As we stand there, we acknowledge that He is high above our common everyday gods for his Name/identity/essence is set apart from our common deities that often disappoint us. And now we understand that we need his Presence, his Malchut, his Shekhinah wherein only his will prevails and not ours. For there are so many things we may never understand. Yes some may be very painful phases in our lives but we know it is our detachment from Him, the Source of our Being, that inadvertently led to those painful phases in our lives. We express our understanding that only heaven decreed portions of higher life is ideal for us; and not the world bound lustful pursuits of wind and vanity that Shlomoh (Solomon) famously declared to be vanity of vanities! But now this is not possible unless we let go what is pulling us back to murky waters of bitterness. We need to break free from the murderous darkness of revenge on those whom we feel took advantage of us and hurt us. And since this has now happened, we submit to his able hand to keep us from plunging back to those chains of vanity and lust! For that freeing will definitely usher us into His Kingdom, we will walk in his Fiery Power and Glorious Heirship, wherein the enemy cannot touch us, lest he be instantaneously blazed to oblivion! 

Sweet! Is it not so? 

Except that every time we make this prayer, and we have not let go each and every grudge against someone, whom we feel did wrong us, we are blatantly lying to the Father, Yahshua and the Set Apart Ruach! 

Yes! Whenever we make this daily prayer, are we not pitiable, master liars, who dare lie to the heavens, that we did forgive them, yet our hearts are secretly nursing evil thoughts and swearing how we do not want associations with so and so? Was it not meant to be a truthful submission or must it be our daily lie?