Podcast Summary: Renewing Your Mind

Episode: The Lord's Prayer: Honoring Our Father

Host: Ligonier Ministries
Speaker: Dr. R.C. Sproul
Date: November 22, 2025

Overview

This episode focuses on the purpose and depth of the Lord’s Prayer, emphasizing Jesus’ instructions on prayer as a model for Christians. Dr. R.C. Sproul dives into the foundational elements of supplication, thanksgiving, and honoring God’s name, exploring both theological and practical implications for believers. The discussion is rooted in the idea that prayer shapes our understanding of God and aligns us with His kingdom priorities rather than merely fulfilling personal needs.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Lord's Prayer as a Model (00:00–02:10; 21:46–24:29)

• Jesus’ Response: The Lord’s Prayer was given as an instructional model in response to the disciples asking how to pray.
  • Quote (R.C. Sproul, 00:00): “When Jesus said, when you pray, pray like this, the Lord's Prayer was a for instance. It was a model to follow.”
• Warning Against Rote Repetition: Many Christians miss the prayer’s instructional depth by reciting it mechanically rather than letting it shape their own prayers.
  • Quote (Nathan W. Bingham, 00:37): “Instead of using it to help shape and inform our prayer lives, many Christians simply repeat it word for word as a static prayer, and in so doing, miss how the Lord's Prayer can help each of us as we spend time in prayer.”

2. Dealing with Anxiety Through Prayer (02:10–09:53)

• Paul’s Admonition: Philippians 4:6—“Be anxious for nothing”—is both difficult to obey and essential for spiritual health.
• Proper Understanding of Anxiety: The English word “anxious” is often misunderstood; biblically, it refers to undue worry and fear.
  • Quote (R.C. Sproul, 02:26): “The word anxious is a word that comes from the idea of anxiety, which involves concern and worry and nervousness… the apostle Paul is saying, don't be worried about anything.”
• Prayer as Antidote: The antidote to anxiety is a posture of prayer blended with thanksgiving.
  • Quote (R.C. Sproul, 04:03): “If we are anxious, what is the antidote? The first thing we should do is get on our knees. Because there's no greater cure for fear and anxiety in the Christian life than rigorous prayer.”

3. The Role of Thanksgiving in Prayer (05:18–15:08)

• Biblical Mandate: Thanksgiving is not just suggested but mandated (Philippians 4:6).
• The Sin of Ingratitude: Romans 1 warns that failing to honor God or to be thankful are foundational sins.
  • Quote (R.C. Sproul, 07:09): “The Two most fundamental and foundational sins of the human heart are the sin of refusing to honor God as God in worship, and second, a spirit of ingratitude…we continue to take the blessings of God...for granted.”
• Misunderstandings About “Claiming” Answers: Sproul critiques the “name it and claim it” doctrine, emphasizing that we can’t manipulate God by preemptively thanking Him for things not granted.
  • Quote (R.C. Sproul, 09:44): “That's magic. That's not faith. And that does not honor God…Anytime we come before God, we acknowledge that God has the right to say no to our prayers.”
• The Ten Lepers (Luke 17): All healed lepers likely felt gratitude, but only one returned to express it—a model for Christians to actively thank God, not merely feel grateful.
  • Quote (R.C. Sproul, 12:29): “It's not a question of whether those lepers were grateful. They were all grateful. But only one went out of his way to demonstrate his gratitude to Christ.”

4. Supplication & Intercession (15:08–21:45)

• Supplication Defined: Supplication is making requests—either for oneself or others. Intercession is a form of supplication on behalf of others.
  • Quote (R.C. Sproul, 16:37): “Supplication may be a request for ourselves, or it may be for other people…That's why sometimes this fourth element of prayer is called intercession instead of supplication.”
• Trinitarian Nature of Prayer:
  • We pray to the Father, through the Son (High Priest/Intercessor), with the Spirit enabling and guiding prayer.
  • Quote (R.C. Sproul, 18:56): “There's a sense in which prayer is a trinitarian exercise. We address God ultimately in prayer, the Father. But we come to the Father through our high priest, through the Son…The Holy Spirit assists us in praying as we ought.”
• The Lord's Prayer vs. 'ACTS' Acrostic: The Lord's Prayer naturally contains elements of Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, and Supplication.

5. Honoring Our Father in Prayer (21:46–24:29)

• Addressing God as “Our Father”: This is a unique privilege granted through Christ’s work and adoption.
  • Quote (R.C. Sproul, 22:31): “In the Old Testament…not a single example of a Jewish person addressing God in prayer directly as Father, except in the case of Jesus of Nazareth…When you pray, say Our Father. For this reason…you have been adopted into the family of God.”
• Radical Nature of “Father”: Jesus’ approach was considered revolutionary—He invites believers into this intimacy.
• Adoration and Petition: The opening (“Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name”) includes adoration and moves immediately to petition that God's name be honored.
• Priorities in Prayer: Jesus directs us to first seek the honor of God's name, the coming of His kingdom, and the accomplishment of His will—reflecting heaven’s realities on earth.
  • Quote (R.C. Sproul, 23:41): “So rarely in our prayers…do we pray for the honor of God…But Jesus is saying, when you pray, I want you first of all to pray that my Father's name will be regarded as holy by everybody."
  • Quote (R.C. Sproul, 24:08): “Let me just say this right now…The name of God is always regarded as holy in heaven…But Jesus said, I want you to pray these things that they may take place on earth as they already do in heaven.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the heart of Christian gratitude:
  • “Every time we pray, every time we enter into His presence, we need to be thinking about expressing our thanks for the blessings that we have received.” — R.C. Sproul (07:50)
• Critique of manipulative prayer practice:
  • “Anytime we come before God, we acknowledge that God has the right to say no to our prayers.” — R.C. Sproul (10:25)
• On the radical teaching of Jesus:
  • “They were ready to kill him because he had dared to call God Father. That was a radical innovation…when you pray…you, just like I call God Father, can now call God Father.” — R.C. Sproul (22:40)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:00–02:10: Introduction to the episode & The Lord’s Prayer as a model
• 02:10–09:53: Dealing with anxiety through prayer; Paul’s admonition in Philippians
• 09:53–15:08: The necessity and nature of thanksgiving in prayer
• 15:08–18:50: Supplication, requests, and their place in prayer
• 18:50–21:45: The Trinity’s role in the act of prayer
• 21:46–24:29: The address “Our Father,” the honor of God’s name, and the priorities of kingdom prayer

Conclusion

Dr. R.C. Sproul expounds on the deep theological meaning and practical necessity within the Lord's Prayer—urging Christians to move beyond rote repetition. He challenges listeners to embrace a posture of gratitude, recognize the radical privilege of addressing God as Father, and prioritize God’s honor and kingdom in their prayers. Ultimately, Sproul encourages believers to let their prayer lives be conformed to the heart and purposes of Christ, modeling all supplication through thanksgiving, humble dependence, and trinitarian fellowship.