Our world is full of spiritual dangers.
Evil is all around us.
Ephesians 6:12 tells us this:
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the worldly forces of this darkness, and against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.

What are we to do?
Ephesians 6:10-11
¹⁰ Finally, be strong in the Yehova and in His mighty power. ¹¹ Put on the full armor of Yehova, so that you are able to stand against the schemes of the devil.
First of all, we must remember it is the power of Yehova that will defeat evil. We do not do this in or of our own power.
Secondly, we must put on the full armor of Yehova.
Not just the parts and pieces that we like, but the whole armor.
How?
Ephesians 6:13
Therefore, take up the full armor of Yehova, so that you may be able to resist when the times are evil, and after you have done everything, to stand firm.
We must resist, and stand firm!
Ephesians 6:14
Stand firm then! Buckle the belt of truth around your waist, and put on the breastplate of righteousness.
Again, stand firm!
And wear truth and righteousness!
Ephesians 6:15
¹⁵ Strap up your feet in readiness with the Good News of shalom.
Be ready!!
And be ready with the Good News!
Ephesians 6:16
¹⁶ Above all, take up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 
We must have faith!! 
It makes us impervious to the attacks of the evil one!
Ephesians 6:17
¹⁷ And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of Yehova. 
And don’t forget the awaiting salvation, for those who endure until the end.
And more importantly, recognize your weapon.
We do not fight evil with the weapons of men, but with the Word of Yehova!
Ephesians 6:18
¹⁸ Pray in the Ruach on every occasion, with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, keep alert with perseverance and supplication for all the kedoshim.
And do not forget to pray, on every occasion.
Be alert.
Persevere.
And pray for all the saints [kedoshim, the elect, the saved, those in covenant with the Father].

We know from scripture that danger lurks.
We live in this world, but we are not of this world.
In Ephesians 6, we are given instructions on what to do about the evil all around us.
All of the instructions revolve around the good things of scripture, not by focusing on the evil things of this world.

I’ve seen Torah communities take a dreadful turn towards the study of evil.  Instead of concentrating on the scriptures, some have shifted their focus, their time, and their energy to studying the deceit, lies, and evil in this world.
Nonstop.
I did not find this in the instructions above.
Nowhere in Ephesians 6 are we told to go out and search for and study the evils around us.
But that is exactly what many do, and they do so thinking it is a good thing.
This scripture is often quoted as their reason why:
Ephesians 5:11-12
¹¹ Take no part in the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them— ¹² for it is disgraceful even to mention the things that are done by them in secret.
We are told to expose the evil of darkness.
It says so, right there in Ephesians 5.
But does it really?
How do we reconcile this idea with Psalm 101:3?
I will set nothing wicked before my eyes; I hate the work of those who fall away; It shall not cling to me.
How do we not set wicked things before our eyes, and yet seek out, study, and research wicked things in order to expose them?

We are commanded to study and meditate upon the Torah. We are to write it upon our doorposts and teach it to our children.
Nowhere in scripture are we told to chase after and study all the evil and dark things of this world.
But what about that thing in Ephesians 5?
but rather expose them—

Well, let’s take a closer look at that.
When I read Ephesians 5:1-20, I see a very different meaning than if I only consider verses 11-12.

EPHESIANS 5:1-20
Walk in the Light
Therefore be imitators of Yehova, as dearly loved children; 2 and walk in love, just as Messiah also loved us and gave Himself up for us as an offering and sacrifice to Yehova for a fragrant aroma. 3 But sexual immorality and any impurity or greed—don’t even let these be mentioned among you, as is proper for kedoshim. 4 Obscene, coarse, and stupid talk are also out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving. 5 Know for certain that no immoral, indecent, or greedy person—who is really an idol worshipper at heart—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Messiah and Yehova.
6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things Yehova’s judgment comes on the children of disobedience. 7 Therefore do not be partners with them. 8 For once you were darkness, but now in union with Yehova you are light. Walk as children of light 9 (for the fruit of light is in all goodness and righteousness and truth), 10 trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. 11 Take no part in the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather refute [expose] them— 12 for it is disgraceful even to mention the things that are done by them in secret. 13 Yet everything exposed by the light is being made visible, 14 for everything made visible is light. This is why it says,
“Wake up, O sleeper!
Rise from the dead,
and Messiah will shine on you.”
15 So pay close attention to how you walk—not as unwise people but as wise. 16 Make the most of your time because the days are evil. 17 For this reason do not be foolish, but understand what Yehova’s will is. 18 And do not get drunk on wine, for that is recklessness. Instead, be filled with the Ruach, 19 speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making music in your heart to Yehova— 20 always giving thanks for everything to Yehova the Father, in the name of the Yeshua the Messiah.

Context is everything.
Are we told to chase after the evils of the world and expose them?
Nope.
First of all, let’s take a close look at the word “expose” used in verse 11. When we look at the Greek, it appears to be a mistranslation.
If we go to the interlinear, the definition of the word elencho is as follows:
ἐλέγχω elénchō, el-eng’-kho; of uncertain affinity; to confute, admonish:—convict, convince, tell a fault, rebuke, reprove.
Elencho is translated as “expose” in most bibles, but this definition is not included in the Strong’s or Thayer Lexicon.
The word “expose” is used as part of the “Outline of Biblical Usage” and many people think this is a definition. However, it is important to understand that the “Outline of Biblical Usage” simply shows how the word is used in the King James version of the bible, regardless of whether or not it is the right translation.
If we refer to the Strong’s definition and Thayer’s Greek Lexicon, we get the actual definition, not a recording of how the word is used (right or wrong) in KJV.
This changes everything. We are not to go out and research the evil things of this world, looking to “expose” them.
Instead, verse 11 is telling us to refute, confute, and admonish the evil things of darkness. How does this idea line up with the other 19 verses in this passage of scripture?

Ephesians 5 tells us:
– to walk in the light
– how to behave
– not to allow ourselves to be deceived
– it is disgraceful to even speak of these dark things
– tells us to be wise, not unwise
– do not follow false doctrine, but be filled with the Ruach.
– verse 19 is important – do not speak of these disgraceful things, but instead, “speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making music in your heart to Yehova”
– and give thanks

Just as Psalm 101:3 tells us not to place evil things before our eyes, Ephesians 5:19 tells us not to speak of these things.
Does this mean they cannot be mentioned, ever, for any reason, or at any cost?
No, we are to refute them.
If someone tries to introduce evil ways into our body of believers, we are to refute and admonish those evil ways. We do not allow them.
Verse 19 is telling us to not make these things our focus.  We are not to seek them out, study, research, and expose them.
The remainder of verse 19 helps this context by telling us what we are to do. Do we concentrate on and discuss the evils of this world?
Nope.
We are to:
Instead, be filled with the Ruach, 19 speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making music in your heart to the Lord— 20 always giving thanks for everything to God the Father, in the name of the Lord Yeshua the Messiah.

Our focus is to be upon truth and righteousness.
We are to walk in faith, to stand firm!
We are to pray.
We are to wield the weapon of Yehova, and that is His Word.
We are to focus on good things, the things of Yehova.
We do not have to sort out all the evil deceit and deeds of this world.

It is dangerous to extract Ephesians 5:11-12 from all of Ephesians chapters 5 and 6 and create [false] doctrine with them out of context. The mistranslation or misuse of the Greek word ἐλέγχω elénchō does not help, but reading the whole chapters in context will sort that out for us, even without looking it up.

It is extremely important that we study the scriptures, and not just take one or two verses and create new ideas with them as they stand alone.
No, I do not believe we are to expose dark matters.
They exist. Everywhere. All around.
We are not to put them before our eyes.
We are not to speak of these disgraceful things.
Instead, we are to focus on this, just as it is commanded:
Deuteronomy 6:4-9
Shema Israel, ADONAI Eloheinu, ADONAI Echad
⁴ “Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. ⁵ Love Yehova your Elohim with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. ⁶ These words, which I am commanding you today, are to be on your heart. ⁷ You are to teach them diligently to your children, and speak of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down and when you rise up. ⁸ Bind them as a sign on your hand, they are to be as frontlets between your eyes, ⁹ and write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

Now, having said all of this, and looking at a few scriptures, I am not saying we should all stick our heads in the sand…

Yes, evil exists.
Yes, it is all around us.
If a situation arises where it needs to be addressed, or even rebuked, then do so.
Do not ignore it.
The point I’m trying to make today is in regard to those who seek out all of the evil they can possibly find.
People who study it non-stop, and even worse, post it in Torah fellowship groups non-stop, forcing everyone else to have it before their eyes.
If you are one of those people, take stock and determine why you are doing this.
Is it because you find it interesting and fascinating?
Is it because you find it entertaining?
Do you prefer this over a Torah portion study?

Are there really nice people in churches?
Of course there are.
There are really nice people in my neighborhood too.
There are really nice people in hospitals, at restaurants, and just about everywhere else that we go.
Sometimes there are people who are not very nice.
And once in a while, we hear about people who are creepy and evil, usually on the news after they have committed an atrocity.

But let’s concentrate on people in churches.
There are wonderful people who volunteer in the nursery, teach Sunday School, work as greeters, and volunteer in the church coffee bar.  There are other nice people behind the scenes and not as visible.  There are people who show up during off times to clean the church.  There are people who give rides to the elderly and the disabled.  We could go on and on, with many different scenarios.
But suffice it to say, there are many really nice people in church.

Here is my question…
Does it matter?

Really.
Think about it.
Does it matter if people are nice?
It certainly doesn’t hurt, in the context of everyday life.
But what about the context of being in covenant?
What about the context of eternal life?

For these answers, we must go to scripture and not to the thoughts of men and women.

Lots of nice people in churches claim Jesus as their Savior, and they claim to follow Him.
But what does Yeshua Messiah say about it?
Matthew 7:21-23
²¹ “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord!’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. ²² Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in Your name, and drive out demons in Your name, and perform many miracles in Your name?’ ²³ Then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you. Get away from Me, you workers of lawlessness!’”

Most people are familiar with this bit of scripture, but how many slow down to study this, to fully understand what Yeshua Messiah is saying?
This is one of the most important statements in all of scripture, so it is quite imperative that we understand.

First of all, who is being addressed here?
Atheists?
Nope.
Satanists?
Nope.
Pagans?
Nope.
Unbelievers?
Nope.

Messiah is speaking to people who claim to call Him Lord.
He is speaking to people who believe they follow Him.
What does He tell them?
Not everyone calling Him their Master will be allowed into the Kingdom.
Oops.
That’s not good.
Actually, this is horrific!!
Can you imagine thinking you served and followed Messiah for all of your days, only to find out in the end that He didn’t even know you?

Whose fault is this?
This is a disaster of epic proportions for many.
Who is at fault?
Does Messiah tell us?
He does, in fact:
Then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you. Get away from Me, you workers of lawlessness!’
This disaster is not Messiah’s fault.
This tragedy is because people chose to be workers of lawlessness.
This describes the entire mainstream Christian doctrine and population.
They teach the law is done away with…
What does Messiah say about it?
Matthew 5:17
 “Do not think that I came to abolish the Torah or the Prophets!”
Could He be any more clear?
The Torah gives us the law.
The Prophets all teach us to follow the Torah, the law.
Again, could Yehsua Messiah be any more clear in what He is telling us?
No.
In order to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven, we must do the will of the Father.

Churches teach that we are to come to Jesus, and accept Him as our Savior.
And then what?
Nothing.
Go to church.
Give your offerings and donations.
Volunteer in the children’s ministry.
Be nice.

But what does Messiah tell us?
Do we come to Him and stick around forever?
Nope.
He gives us further directions.
John 14:6
⁶ Yeshua said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life! No one comes to the Father except through Me.”
Yes, we must come to Yeshua.
He is the way.
He is the truth.
He is the life.
But then what does He say?
He speaks of going on to the Father.
Messiah is not the end of our spiritual journey.
He is the starting line.
The finish line is the Father.
We must go to Yehova, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
Again, refer to Messiah’s instructions about who gets to be in the Kingdom:
“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord!’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.”
Those who do the will of the Father will be in the kingdom.

This is an easy and simple lesson, with just a few scriptures quoted.
This is not hard.
And yet, it is a lesson that many cannot wrap their heads around.
It is a lesson that many cannot comprehend.
Why?
Because it is scary.
Because it is tragic.
Because it means nice people are not included in the kingdom.

There is nothing wrong with being nice.
It is preferred.
I’d much rather hang out with nice people than a bunch of jerks.
But eternity is not based on being nice.
Here is where it gets confusing.
Those who follow the words and the ways of the Father are nice, because the words and the ways of the Father result in nice behavior.
But there are people who are nice while rejecting the words and the ways of the Father.
Don’t be confused by this.
To prevent confusion, we are given tests in the scriptures to see if we understand this concept. One test is in the Torah, part of the Old Testament, and one test is given in the New Testament.
There is no excuse for being unaware of this test.

Deuteronomy 13:4-5
…for Yehova your Elohim is testing you, to find out whether you love Yehova your Elohim with all your heart and with all your soul. ⁵ Yehova your Elohim you will follow and Him you will fear. His commands [mitzvot] you will keep, to His voice you will listen, Him you will serve and to Him you will cling.
In Deuteronomy, Yehova equates following His commands and hearing His voice with loving Him.
1John 2:3-6
³ Now we know that we have come to know Him by this—if we keep His commandments. ⁴ The one who says, “I have come to know Him,” and does not keep His commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him. ⁵ But whoever keeps His word, in him the love of Yehova is truly made perfect. We know that we are in Him by this— ⁶ whoever claims to abide in Him must walk just as He walked.
In 1John, we are again told to keep the commandments. This is a test to find out if we really know Him or not.
Knowing Him is equated to keeping the commandments and walking as He walked.
Don’t forget about this direct quote of Messiah:
John 10:14
¹⁴ “I am the Good Shepherd. I know My own and My own know Me…
John 10:27-28
My sheep hear My voice. I know them, and they follow Me. ²⁸ I give them eternal life! They will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of My hand.
Messiah says His sheep know Him and follow Him.
Scripture tells us that to know Him we must keep the commandments and walk as He walked.
Messiah DOES NOT say this:
John 10:14
¹⁴ “I am the Good Shepherd. I know nice people in church and nice people in church know Me…
John 10:27-28
Nice people in church hear My voice. I know nice people in church, and they follow Me. ²⁸ I give nice people in church eternal life! They will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of My hand.

Nope, that isn’t what He says.
Messiah says this:
John 14:15
 “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.”
and this…
John 14:21
²¹ He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me.
and this…
John 15:10
 If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.

In case this is still confusing, we are told directly what is expected of us, in both the Old Testament and the New Testament.
Ecclesiastes 12:13
¹³ Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear Yehova, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.
and again in the New Testament:
Revelation 22:14
¹⁴ Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.
From the beginning of the scriptures to the end of the scriptures, Yehova communicates to us what He wants of us.
He communicates what He requires of us, so that He knows we love Him.

Nice people in churches.
And what do these nice people in churches do?
They teach the opposite of what Yehova, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob says.
They teach the opposite of what the Prophets tell us.
They teach the opposite of what Yeshua Messiah teaches.

We are talking about millions, probably billions of people.
Is it possible for that many people to get things drastically wrong?
Not only is it possible, it was foretold by Jeremiah the prophet.
Jeremiah 16:19-20
¹⁹ O Yehova, my strength, and my fortress, and my refuge in the day of affliction, the Gentiles shall come unto thee from the ends of the earth, and shall say, Surely our fathers have inherited lies, vanity, and things wherein there is no profit.
²⁰ Shall a man make gods unto himself, and they are no gods?
These things that I’m showing you in scripture, that are hard to believe, nearly impossible to wrap our heads around…
And yet, Jeremiah warned us of this situation long ago.
Can Jeremiah be trusted in this?
Jeremiah 1:9
Then Yehova put forth his hand, and touched my mouth. And Yehova said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth.
Yes, we can trust these words, as they are the words of the Creator of all things.
Jeremiah says people will one day realize we have been taught nothing but lies.
Who taught us these lies?
Nice people in churches.
Do these lies cause a bit of confusion, but everything is ok in the end?
Nope.
These lies are worthless and unprofitable.
Nothing good comes from them.
Salvation is good and profitable.
But these lies do not result in good and profitable things.

What do they result in?
We are told in verse 20.
²⁰ Shall a man make gods unto himself, and they are not gods?
These lies (false doctrine) result in man making up their own gods.
But they are not gods.
And if they are not gods, then they cannot grant salvation.
Are we warned elsewhere in the scriptures about our imaginations?
In an indirect (but very important way) we are given these warnings:
Deuteronomy 4:2
You must not add to the word that I am commanding you or take away from it—in order to keep the commandments [mitzvot] of Yehova your Elohim that I am commanding you.
Deuteronomy 12:32
“Whatever I command you, you must take care to do—you are not to add to it or take away from it.”
Proverbs 30:5-6
Every word of Yehova is purified.
He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him.
⁶ Do not add to His words,
or else He will rebuke You and prove you a liar.
Revelation 22:18-19
I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book. If anyone adds to them, Yehova shall add to him the plagues that are written in this book; ¹⁹ and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, Yehova shall take away his share in the Tree of Life and the Holy City, which are written in this book.
It requires the use of our imagination to add to or take away from the Word.  We are instructed not to do so. The consequences shown in Revelation 22 are especially startling…  It will cause you to lose your place in the kingdom, not to mention suffering plagues.
Jeremiah says that using our imaginations to create doctrine and beliefs will result in us making up gods who are not gods.
And if we serve made up gods, they can do us no good.

So, again, what about nice people in churches?
They add to and take away from the Word.
They say the words and the ways of Yehova are obsolete, when Yehova says they are forever.
They say that Yeshua Messiah did away with the law, when Messiah Himself specifically says that He did not.

It is ok to enjoy our friends and family in our lives.
It is ok for us to love and care for nice people in churches.
But it is not ok for us to defy the words of Yehova and Yeshua and decide they are part of the kingdom, when scripture says otherwise.

Pray for them.
Just as Mosheh prayed for and interceded for the people he led.
They rebelled and failed.
Yehova wanted to destroy them.
But Mosheh prayed for them.
Be a leader like Mosheh.
Pray for nice people in churches.
Friends, family, total strangers.
Yeshua says they are not part of the kingdom, and we need to pray they will have a change of heart and pass the tests of knowing and loving Yehova and Yeshua.

 

 

The Scriptures contain much information.
Throughout the ages, men and women have written much about the scriptures, adding thoughts and ideas, and various commentaries.
Some of those writings might be helpful, but much of it is harmful, promoting false doctrine.  Much of these writings are in direct conflict with what the scriptures say.

So how do we sort it all out?
Study of scripture is a good thing.
Discussing scripture with others is a good thing.

But if you find yourself lost in a sea of ideas and opinions, how are you to sort it out and find solid ground?

Here are a couple hints in the scriptures:
Solomon tells us there is no end to the number of books that men have written, and that studying all of it is tiring.
Ecclesiastes 12:11-12
¹ The words of the wise are like goads, and the words of scholars are like well-driven nails, given by one Shepherd. ¹² And further, my son, be admonished by these. Of making many books there is no end, and much study is wearisome to the flesh.
And since Solomon sees the difficulty in wading through endless information, he gives us some advice:
Ecclesiastes 12:13-14
¹³ Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter:
Fear Yehova and keep His commandments,
For this is man’s all.
¹⁴ For Yehova will bring every work into judgment,
Including every secret thing,
Whether good or evil.
Do you see what he is telling us?
Going back to the very basics, in the most simple form, do these things:
1. Fear Yehova [for He will decide our eternal fate]
2. Keep His commands [for this is how He will know we love Him]
For this is the duty of all mankind.
These two things are the big picture.
If we believe and accept these two basic things, and do them, it will go well for us.

We are told a similar idea in Deuteronomy:
Deuteronomy 29:29
“The secret things belong to Yehova our Elohim, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever—in order to do all the words of this Torah.”
Yehova understands His mysteries, and they may not be revealed to us. But it is ok.
We have been given the information we need to to all the words of this Torah.

Referring back to Ecclesiastes, keeping His commands is the whole duty of mankind. Deuteronomy tells us we’ve been given all we need to know to keep His commands, as they are given to us in the Torah.
It does not matter if we understand all the mysteries of the heavens. That is not our purpose, nor is it important.
We may find those mysteries very interesting.
We may study and discuss and ponder.
That is ok, as long as we do not forget our most basic purpose.
Fear Yehova.
and…
Keep His commands.
Praise Yah!

And if you believe these things are no longer relevant, here are a couple New Testament references, written after the death, burial, resurrection, and ascension of Yeshua Messiah:

1John 5:3
³ For this is the love of God—that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.

1John 2:3-6
³ Now we know that we have come to know Him by this—if we keep His commandments. ⁴ The one who says, “I have come to know Him,” and does not keep His commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him. ⁵ But whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God is truly made perfect. We know that we are in Him by this— ⁶ whoever claims to abide in Him must walk just as He walked.

Revelation 22:15 [saying who will be in the kingdom]
Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city. 

How should we pray?

In the midst of a tragedy in 2014, I realized I had been praying wrong my whole life. Instead of making hopeful requests sprinkled with doubt [as I had always done], I learned to pray that night with faith.

To be more specific on how to pray, though, we always need to go to the scriptures to find the answers.
This first verse is HUGE when it comes to prayer.
Proverbs 28:9
One who turns his ear from hearing Torah —even his prayer is an abomination.
We find in the scriptures that if we are not obeying the words and the ways of the Father, then our prayers are an abomination to Him. So step one is to learn and follow the ways of Yehova.

The Lord’s prayer is universally known, but I’m not sure people take it seriously, or even understand it.
Matthew 6:5-13
“When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites; for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners, so that they may be seen by others. Amen, I tell you, they have their reward in full! 6 But you, when you pray, go into your inner room; and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father, who sees in secret, shall reward you. 7 And when you are praying, do not babble on and on like the pagans; for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him. 9 “Therefore, pray in this way: ‘Our Father in heaven, sanctified be Your name. 10 Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us this day our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.
Yeshua Messiah is instructing us to meet privately and intimately with the Father when we pray. We are told to keep it simple and straightforward. There is no need for eloquent, long-winded, wordy prayers, and especially this – – we are not to say ‘fancy’ prayers for the sake of others around us who might hear.
Then we get to specific instructions, the Lord’s prayer. He is not telling us to repeat this sample prayer word for word, as it is often done. He is not showing us what to pray, He is showing us HOW to pray.
‘Our Father in heaven, sanctified be Your name.
This is a simple greeting of reverence for the Creator of all things.

Your kingdom come,
This is an acknowledgment that His kingdom will come, and portrays our anticipation for that day to come.

Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Another acknowledgment of His will [which is His Word, His instructions, His Torah] – and our alignment with His will, that it might be done. Not only in our own lives, but throughout mankind, and that His will would be done on earth, just as pure and holy as His will is in the heavens.

Give us this day our daily bread.
This statement is two fold…
One – a simple prayer that Yehova will meet our needs each day. Food, clothing, shelter – basic needs.
Two – bread is a symbol for the Word all throughout the scriptures. This is a prayer for His Word to be what guides us each day.

And forgive us our debts as we also have forgiven our debtors.
This is a simple prayer for forgiveness, that we would be granted forgiveness when we fail. But at the same time, it is a prayer to state that we have forgiven men/women who have harmed us.
We see the absolute importance of this in Matthew 6:14-15 (directly following the Lord’s prayer)
“For if you forgive others their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your transgressions.”
Our own forgiveness is dependent upon our ability to forgive others. Better get er done…

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. And lastly, a prayer request for strength of spirit to not walk into temptation, and therefore, sin. Paul goes into great detail about living in the spirit and not in the flesh. Our flesh will fail, and will sin. We are told that if we live in the spirit, it is impossible for us to sin.

I did a bible app search for ‘prayer’ and came up with about 142 references. ‘Pray’ came up with 340 references in the scriptures. There is more to learn about prayer in the scriptures than what I’ve covered in this short study, but this is the simple gist of it:
1. Follow the words and the ways of Yehova, otherwise, our prayers are an abomination to Him.
2. Pray in a manner as Yeshua describes above.
Not word for word [as in reciting the Lord’s prayer], but concept for concept as it might apply to your life on any given day.

Why should we consider honoring the Sabbath, observing the biblical feast days, and keeping the Torah [the Law]?

Look for the things that Yehova said are forever, never-ending, for all generations, or a perpetual covenant.
Neither Paul nor anyone else has the authority to override what Yehova said stands forever.

Malachi 3:6
“For I am Yehova, I do not change…”
Numbers 23:19
Yehova is not a man who lies,
or a son of man who changes his mind!

If that isn’t enough, get a red letter bible and read only the words of Yeshua Messiah. Take notes.
You’ll find that Messiah teaches exactly what the Father teaches, which is His Torah, the Law.

John 7:16
16 Yeshua answered, “My teaching is not from Me, but from Him who sent Me.”
John 12:49-50
 “For I did not speak on My own, but the Father Himself who sent Me has commanded Me what to say and speak. 50 And I know that His commandment is life everlasting. Therefore what I say, I say just as the Father has told Me.”

If that isn’t enough, because of what you’ve been taught about Paul’s writings, read 2Peter 3:14-17. We are warned that misunderstanding Paul’s writings [and the rest of the scriptures] will result in our destruction — if we follow the error of the lawless.
¹⁴ Therefore, loved ones, while you are looking for these things, make every effort to be found in shalom, spotless and blameless before Him. ¹⁵ Bear in mind that the patience of our Lord means salvation—just as our dearly loved brother Paul also wrote to you with the wisdom given to him. ¹⁶ He speaks about these matters in all of his letters. Some things in them are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist (as they also do with the rest of the Scriptures)—to their own destruction.
¹⁷ Since you already know all this, loved ones, be on your guard so that you are not led astray by the error of the lawless and lose your sure footing.

If that isn’t enough, read everything Paul wrote.
Take notes.
You’ll find that he fully upholds, obeys, and supports obeying the Torah instructions (the Law), even though some of his writings sound like they are speaking against keeping the law (they are not).

Paul always kept the biblical Sabbath
Acts 17:2
As was his custom, Paul went to the Jewish people; and for three Shabbatot, he debated the Scriptures with them.
Acts 18:4
⁴ And he was debating every Shabbat in the synagogue, trying to persuade both Jewish and Greek people.

Paul believed ALL of the Torah
Acts 24:14
“But this I confess to you, that according to the Way (which they call a sect), I worship the God of our fathers, believing everything written in the Torah and the Prophets.”

Paul Stated that we are to uphold the Torah laws
Romans 3:31
Do we then nullify the Torah through faithfulness? May it never be! On the contrary, we uphold the Torah.

Paul taught from the Torah
Acts 28:23
²³ They set a day to meet Paul and came to him at his quarters in large numbers. From morning until evening he was explaining everything to them, testifying about the kingdom of God and trying to persuade them about Yeshua from both the Torah of Moses and the Prophets.

Paul obeyed the Torah
Acts 21:24
²⁴ Take them, and purify yourself along with them and pay their expenses, so that they may shave their heads. That way, all will realize there is nothing to the things they have been told about you, but that you yourself walk in an orderly manner, keeping the Torah.
Romans 7:25
²⁵ Thanks be to God—it is through Messiah Yeshua our Lord! So then, with my mind I myself serve the Torah of God; but with my flesh, I serve the law of sin.

Paul delights in the commands of the Torah [just like David, a man after God’s own heart]
Romans 7:22
²² For I delight in the Torah of God with respect to the inner man…”

Paul told us to imitate him, which would include knowing, believing, obeying, teaching, and delighting in the Torah.
And this is in the context of Paul imitating Messiah, walking just as He walked
1Corinthians 4:16
¹⁶ I urge you therefore—be imitators of me. 
1Corinthians 11:1
Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Messiah.

If that isn’t enough, you’ll have to decide which Paul you wish to follow.
Pro-Torah Paul
or
Anti-Torah Paul

If that isn’t enough, you can look at what the scriptures say about who will be in the kingdom (and who will not be in the kingdom):
Matthew 7:21-23
21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’
In the kingdom – those who do the will of the Father (Torah)
Not in the kingdom – those who practice lawlessness

Revelation 22:15-15
14 Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city. 15 But outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie.
In the kingdom – those who keep the commandments
Not in the kingdom – various sinners and those who love and practice a lie

What lies are mentioned in Revelation 22?
The lies that Jeremiah warned us about
Jeremiah 16:19-20
19 O Lord, my strength and my fortress,
My refuge in the day of affliction,
The Gentiles shall come to You
From the ends of the earth and say,
“Surely our fathers have inherited lies,
Worthlessness and unprofitable things.”
20 Will a man make gods for himself,
Which are not gods?

Still not good enough?
How about passing the tests given in Deuteronomy 13 and 1John 2
Deuteronomy 13
for the Lord your God is testing you to know whether you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. 4 You shall walk after the Lord your God and fear Him, and keep His commandments and obey His voice; you shall serve Him and hold fast to Him.
1John 2
3 Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. 4 He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5 But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. 6 He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.

Still not enough?
How about simply listening to Messiah and following Him?
John 10:27-28
27 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. 28 And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.

Do you hear His voice and follow the things He says?
John 14:15
“If you love Me, keep My commandments.”
John 14:21
He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me.”
John 15:10
“If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.”

Will you hear, “I never knew you. Depart from Me you workers of lawlessness”?
Or will you hear, “Well done good and faithful servant”?