| | Psalm 23 | Lord’s Prayer Matt 6:8-13 |
| A | 1. The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. | Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. |
| B | 2. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. | 10 Your kingdom come. |
| C | 3. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. | Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven. |
| D | 4. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; | 13 And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. |
| E | Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. | 12 And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors. |
| F | 5. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over. | 11 Give us this day our daily bread. |
| G | 6. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the LORD Forever | For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen |
A. Parallels – Extolling the Lord first, addressing the proper order of creation. They both praise the Lord as well as addressing our position in relation to God.
Prayer Application – Praising the Lord is vital in all situations of prayer; it helps establish the proper mood for talking to the Lord, and also addressing our position as the broken vessel or ignorant lamb in relation to God’s place of power and authority.
Life Application – A wonderful way to set the tone for a good day is to praise the Lord for what He has already given you, and also express the faith for what is to come. Enter everyday with the mindset of a servant and God will use us if we are willing and available.
B. Parallels – The life of men is chaotic and hectic at the least, but God’s kingdom is peace and tranquility in the midst of it all. Both address the kingdom, but Psalms just describes it.
Prayer Application – By extolling the virtues of God’s kingdom, it reminds us of the reward ahead of us if we follow the righteous path and increases our faith and trust.
Life Application – We prepare our mind to accept God’s kingdom on earth, as well as seeking the serenity of the kingdom He has provided us with.
C. Parallels – God restores us so we can do His will, walk His path of righteousness
Prayer Application – Pray for the will of God, as this action in all things will bring about good things or at least good things we may not see. The will of God is perfect in nature.
Life Application – Living with a restored (born again) soul, gives us the righteousness of God through Christ to live for God in the presence of sin. Living in the will of God brings with it a set or rewards that will enrich our lives daily. It may not always be fun, we may not always understand, and His timing may not be our timing, but God’s will is perfect, and I would rather a perfect God run my life instead of my imperfect self.
D. Parallels – God’s deliverance, and presence in our lives.
Prayer Application – Pray for help, we all need it in this world of temptation. Only God is stronger than our sin nature.
Life Application – let God’s Holy Spirit convict and let you know when you need to stop, or when you need to go forward with him. Having the knowledge that God is with us throughout our day is comforting.
E. Parallels – Discipline and forgiveness go hand in hand
Prayer Application – Once we are in a positive, trusting frame of mind we are better able to confess our sins, as well as be more charitable to forgive others. We must also pray for the comfort of the rod that God compassionately uses. His mercy is forever.
Life Application – We need to accept the discipline of God in our lives to be moved by the convicting Spirit of God to enable us to be more charitable to others. We also need to forgive on a daily basis as well as confess to Christ our sins for forgiveness to continue to walk in purity before God.
F. Parallels – food and necessities
Prayer Application – Trust God to give us those things we need in our lives on a daily basis.
Life Application – By giving God the control over the little things in our lives and trusting Him completely, He cannot fail. Only we can fail in out faith in Him.
G. Parallels – God’s mercy and grace are part of His kingdom on earth, which last forever.
Prayer Application – We again praise His kingdom, His work in our lives.
Life Application – If we continually remember all those good works He has done in our lives, and continually remember the grace of salvation through Christ, we will be His glory.
