The site hosts discussions on the astonishing findings pertaining to the Lord's Prayer detailed in our book "The Lord's Prayer: A Mathematician's Creed."
Using the Life and Ministry of Pope Francis as a Sign of the Times
Introduction: When God Intervenes from Within
God is not an indifferent spectator of history. He is not passively awaiting the return of His Son while His Church drifts into compromise, confusion, and complacency. The testimony of Scripture is clear: in the end days, God will purify His people, not by wrath but through a holy intervention from within.
This purification, long foretold by the prophets, the apostles, and by Christ Himself, has already begun. And one of the most visible signs of this divine movement may well be found in the unlikely figure of Pope Francis, the 266th pope of the Roman Catholic Church.
I. The Scriptural Basis for Purification in the End Days
1. Judgment Begins in the House of God
“For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God…” —1 Peter 4:17
Before God judges the world, He evaluates His people. This is not judgment unto destruction, but unto refinement, restoration, and readiness.
2. Christ Walks Among the Lampstands
“These are the words of Him who walks among the seven golden lampstands…” —Revelation 2:1
The glorified Christ begins Revelation not with Rome, Babylon, or the nations, but with His own churches. He exposes hypocrisy, calls for repentance, and promises rewards for those who overcome. It is a pattern of internal intervention before external consummation.
3. The Bride Must Make Herself Ready
“His bride has made herself ready…” —Revelation 19:7
The Church’s final act before the return of Christ is not evangelism or expansion, but purification. She must be presented without spot or wrinkle (Eph. 5:27)—something only possible through the sanctifying fire of the Holy Spirit.
II. Pope Francis: A Sign of Internal Intervention
Pope Francis, elected in 2013 as the 266th pope, may be more than a reformer. He may be a divine signpost.
1. A Lifestyle of Simplicity
Rejecting the papal palace, Francis chose a humble guesthouse. He wears plain white robes, washes the feet of prisoners and Muslims, and travels in a modest car. These are not mere personal quirks—they are a prophetic rebuke to centuries of ecclesiastical opulence. His very lifestyle says: Return to Christ. Return to simplicity.
2. Confronting Evil Within
Francis has not only called for transparency and accountability—he has exposed deep layers of abuse, secrecy, and spiritual corruption within the Vatican. From curial reform to financial transparency, his papacy has revealed rot beneath the surface of holiness. In doing so, he has embodied the prayer:
“Deliver us from evil.”
3. A Pattern of the Coming Purification
The significance of 266 is striking. Its Euler Totient is 108—the mirror image of 801 (Alpha & Omega), suggesting an end-time reversal of appearances. And the 266th odd number is 531—a permutation of 153, the number associated with the Remnant, the Sons of God, and the Lord’s Prayer times. Francis is a signal that the Lord of the Church has begun to walk among His lampstands.
III. A Movement Expanding Beyond Rome
What began with Rome will not stay in Rome. Jesus is Lord of all His Church, not just one denomination.
Anglicanism faces a moral and identity crisis.
Methodism is wrestling with fragmentation.
Evangelicalism battles consumerism and celebrity culture.
Pentecostalism, for all its passion, is plagued by unaccountable power.
Just as Christ purified the Temple at the beginning and end of His earthly ministry, He will purify His spiritual temple—the Church—before His return. This is not the death of the Church. This is her rebirth.
IV. The Role of the Invisible Church
In these end days, God is not raising a new denomination. He is awakening the Invisible Church—those who live by the Spirit, love truth, and walk in holiness. They are found across all traditions, races, and nations. They pray the Lord’s Prayer at appointed times, partake of the Lord’s Table in reverence, and yearn for the return of their King.
They understand that:
Unity is not an achievement. It is a resurrection miracle. It is not man-made. It is God-given. It begins when Christ walks among His people once again.
Conclusion: The Fire Has Started in the Sanctuary
“Who can endure the day of His coming? For He is like a refiner’s fire…” —Malachi 3:2
The fire is not coming. It has already been lit. It began with a humble man in white robes. It will sweep through cathedrals and tents alike. It will wound only to heal. And it will leave behind a Bride clothed in splendor, without spot or wrinkle.
Let those who have ears to hear, hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches. The purification has begun.
This post argues that the Lord’s Prayer, often interpreted through a Greek-linguistic lens as a personal petition, is in fact rooted in Jewish covenantal theology. Drawing upon the prophetic promises in Jeremiah 31:31–34 and reinforced by numerical parallels in Hebrew gematria and number theory, we demonstrate that the Lord’s Prayer is not only a model of prayer but the actual fulfillment of the New Covenant—the Torah written on the heart. This reframes the prayer not merely as supplication but as a covenantal declaration—a daily vow to uphold God’s law and will as internalized by the Spirit. The conclusion is clear: the Lord’s Prayer is the sacred voice of covenant renewal for the remnant people of God.
1. Introduction
The Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:9–13) is often seen by Christians as a general model of devotion and supplication. However, when viewed through the lens of Jewish covenant theology, particularly the prophecy of Jeremiah 31:31–34, the prayer takes on a much deeper significance.
Jeremiah proclaims the coming of a New Covenant, unlike the one given at Sinai. This new covenant is defined by internal transformation:
“I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts.” (Jer. 31:33)
This paper contends that the Lord’s Prayer is the very law God promised to inscribe on the hearts of His people. We will show this theologically and mathematically—proving that this ancient Jewish prayer is foremost a covenantal act.
2. The New Covenant in Jeremiah 31:31–34
Jeremiah 31:31–34 is the only place in the Old Testament where the phrase “new covenant” appears. It reads:
“I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they shall be my people.” (v.33)
This covenant is defined by:
Internal Torah (not tablets of stone)
Intimate relationship (“I will be their God…”)
Universal access to God (“They shall all know Me…”)
Total forgiveness (“I will forgive… I will remember sin no more.”)
It is a heart-centered Torah, infused by the Spirit (cf. Ezekiel 36:26–27), realized not through ritual, but through transformed inner life.
3. The Lord’s Prayer as Torah Written on the Heart
From a Jewish perspective, Torah refers to:
The Five Books of Moses
God’s instruction and moral guidance
The covenantal framework shaping Israel’s spiritual identity
The Lord’s Prayer encompasses all these:
Line of the Lord’s Prayer
Torah Principle Fulfilled
“Hallowed be Your name”
Holiness code (Lev. 19:2)
“Your will be done…”
Submission to divine law (Deut. 6:5)
“Give us daily bread”
Trust in provision (Exodus 16)
“Forgive us… as we forgive”
Justice and mercy (Lev. 19:18; Micah 6:8)
“Deliver us from evil”
Moral purity and covenant protection
Thus, praying the Lord’s Prayer is an act of living the Torah from the inside out. It is God’s law written on the heart—not in tablets or scrolls, but in breath and commitment.
4. Mathematical Confirmation: A Hidden Covenant
The Hebrew gematria reveals a stunning correspondence:
The sanctified remnant number 1026 is embedded in both:
The covenant promise (Jeremiah 31:33)
Its fulfillment (The Lord’s Prayer)
Conclusion: The Lord’s Prayer is mathematically and spiritually the Torah written on the heart.
5. Covenant vs. Petition: A Theological Reframing
In Greek thought, the Lord’s Prayer is often treated as:
A petition (requests to a deity)
An individual act of devotion
But in Jewish thought, prayer is:
A covenantal declaration
A communal response to divine grace
A renewal of vows
Each line of the Lord’s Prayer contains a dual covenantal exchange:
God’s Promise
Our Response
“I will be your God”
“Your kingdom come…”
“I will forgive…”
“As we forgive…”
“I will write my law…”
“Your will be done…”
“I will provide…”
“Give us this day our daily bread…”
✨ The Lord’s Prayer is not just prayer—it is covenant renewal.
Line
Ritual Meaning
Covenant Meaning
“Our Father in Heaven”
A generic intro to prayer
I acknowledge God as my Sovereign Father, and I commit to act as His child.
“Hallowed be Your Name”
A statement of reverence
I pledge to honor God’s name in my actions, speech, and daily life.
“Your Kingdom come”
Hope for the future
I surrender my own rule and pray: “Rule through me today.”
“Your will be done on earth…”
Let God do what He wants
I align my life with His will—my desires, plans, and decisions become His.
“Give us today our daily bread”
Ask for physical provision
I rely on God alone for provision, and I commit to contentment and trust.
“Forgive us… as we forgive…”
Ask for mercy
I commit to be an agent of mercy, living in forgiveness as a lifestyle.
“Lead us not into temptation”
Keep me safe
I declare war on sin, and invite God to discipline and direct me.
“Deliver us from evil”
Protect me from harm
I trust God for rescue and spiritual warfare, knowing the battle is real.
Doxology (Matt. 6:13)
Formal ending
I reaffirm God’s sovereignty, power, and glory over my life forever.
💥 When one prays this way, the Lord’s Prayer becomes a daily covenant renewal.
6. The Last Supper and the Inauguration of the Covenant
At the Last Supper, Jesus said:
“This cup is the new covenant in my blood…” (Luke 22:20)
He was directly referencing Jeremiah 31. His death would inaugurate this new internal covenant, not just for Israel but for the remnant of the nations.
Thus, the Lord’s Prayer, given by Jesus before His death, becomes the daily voice of this covenant.
7. Conclusion
The Lord’s Prayer is not a mere model of piety, nor a series of requests. It is:
✅ The Torah internalized ✅ The New Covenant activated ✅ A daily sanctification of the remnant ✅ A vow to live by God’s law ✅ The spiritual bridge between Jeremiah 31:33 and Matthew 6:9–13
To pray the Lord’s Prayer is to renew covenant—to say “yes” to the will of God etched on the heart, and to step into the divine destiny of the remnant.
This post proposes a formal mathematical-theological proof that the Lord’s Prayer, as taught by Jesus in Matthew 6:9–13, is the fulfillment of the New Covenant described in Jeremiah 31:33. By employing biblical mathematics, including Hebrew gematria and the Euler Totient function, we identify a significant numerical linkage between the total gematria of the Hebrew version of the Lord’s Prayer and the covenant verse in Jeremiah. This analysis demonstrates that the sanctification invoked through the daily recitation of the Lord’s Prayer constitutes the actualization of God’s promise to write His law upon the hearts of His people.
Introduction
The Lord’s Prayer is central to Christian spiritual practice. Traditionally recited as a ritual, it is often misunderstood as a formula rather than a covenantal engagement. In Jeremiah 31:33, God promises to establish a new covenant, internalizing His law within His people. This study investigates whether the Lord’s Prayer is the daily mechanism for enacting this promise. We apply a mathematical framework rooted in gematria and number theory to explore and substantiate this claim.
The New Covenant Promise of Jeremiah 31:33
Jeremiah 31:33 declares:
“But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.“
This promise is made by YHWH (the LORD), the covenant-keeping God of Israel. It signifies a shift from the Old Covenant, based on external obedience and rituals, to a New Covenant based on internal transformation. The law is no longer inscribed on tablets of stone but on the hearts of individuals. This New Covenant is reiterated in the New Testament, particularly in Hebrews 8 and 10, and is fulfilled through the mediating work of Jesus Christ.
Theologically, this covenant introduces a relational and grace-based paradigm, establishing identity and intimacy between God and His people. The Lord’s Prayer is positioned within this framework as a covenantal invocation that internalizes divine will, aligning the believer’s heart with God’s law.
Methodology
We adopt the method of biblical mathematics developed in prior research. Key steps include:
Calculating the Hebrew gematria of both Jeremiah 31:33 and the Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:9–13).
Applying the Euler Totient function to both gematria values.
Analyzing divisor sets and their statistical properties.
Comparing arithmetic means and cumulative patterns.
The Euler Totient function φ(n), which counts the number of integers less than or equal to n that are relatively prime to n, is employed here not merely as a mathematical tool but as a spiritual filter. In the biblical context, this function symbolically separates the sanctified remnant from the broader set of values represented by the total gematria. Just as φ(n) isolates the numbers that are free from common divisors, so too does the function spiritually isolate the faithful, unentangled subset of believers—those who are not conformed to the world but are transformed in heart and mind. This method enables us to interpret mathematical purity as a metaphor for spiritual sanctification.
All calculations adhere to the traditional Hebrew letter values for gematria and use the totient function φ(n) to identify spiritually significant subsets.
Numerical Results
Here is a widely accepted Hebrew rendering of the Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:9–13), often used in Messianic Jewish and scholarly circles. It closely follows the original Greek but is rendered in biblical Hebrew:
תְּפִלַּת הָאָדוֹן
(Tefillat HaAdon – The Lord’s Prayer)
אָבִינוּ שֶׁבַּשָּׁמַיִם Avinu shebashamayim Our Father who is in heaven,
יִתְקַדֵּשׁ שִׁמְךָ Yitkadesh shimkha Hallowed be Your name.
תָּבוֹא מַלְכוּתֶךָ Tavo malkhutekha Your kingdom come.
יֵעָשֶׂה רְצוֹנְךָ Ye’aseh retzonkha Your will be done,
כַּאֲשֶׁר בַּשָּׁמַיִם כֵּן בָּאָרֶץ Ka’asher bashamayim ken ba’aretz On earth as it is in heaven.
תֶּן לָנוּ הַיּוֹם לֶחֶם חֻקֵּנוּ Ten lanu hayom lechem chukeinu Give us today our daily bread.
וּסְלַח לָנוּ עַל חֲטָאֵינוּ Uselach lanu al chata’einu And forgive us our sins,
כְּפִי שֶׁסּוֹלְחִים גַּם אֲנַחְנוּ לַאֲשֶׁר חָטְאוּ לָנוּ Kefi shesolchim gam anachnu la’asher chate’u lanu As we forgive those who have sinned against us.
וְאַל תְּבִיאֵנוּ לִידֵי נִסָּיוֹן Ve’al tevi’einu lidei nissayon And lead us not into temptation,
כִּי אִם הַצִּילֵנוּ מִן הָרָע Ki im hatzileinu min hara But deliver us from evil.
כִּי לְךָ הַמַּמְלָכָה וְהַגְּבוּרָה וְהַתִּפְאֶרֶת לְעוֹלְמֵי עוֹלָמִים, אָמֵן Ki lekha hamamlakha vehagevura vehatif’eret le’olmei olamim, amen For Yours is the kingdom, the power, and the glory forever and ever. Amen.
As shown in the table below, the total Hebrew gematria of the Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:9–13) is 10,838.
Hebrew
Transliteration
English
Gematria
Cumulative
אָבִינוּ
avinu
Our Father
69
69
שֶׁבַּשָּׁמַיִם
shebashamayim
who is in heaven
692
761
יִתְקַדֵּשׁ
yitkadesh
hallowed be
814
1575
שִׁמְךָ
shimkha
Your name
360
1935
תָּבוֹא
tavo
come
409
2344
מַלְכוּתֶךָ
malkhutekha
Your kingdom
516
2860
יֵעָשֶׂה
ye’aseh
be done
385
3245
רְצוֹנְךָ
retzonekha
Your will
366
3611
כַּאֲשֶׁר
ka’asher
as
521
4132
בַּשָּׁמַיִם
bashamayim
in heaven
392
4524
כֵּן
ken
so
70
4594
בָּאָרֶץ
ba’aretz
on earth
293
4887
תֶּן
ten
give
450
5337
לָנוּ
lanu
us
86
5423
הַיּוֹם
hayom
today
61
5484
לֶחֶם
lechem
bread
78
5562
חֻקֵּנוּ
chukeinu
our portion
164
5726
וּסְלַח
uslach
and forgive
104
5830
לָנוּ
lanu
us
86
5916
עַל
al
for
100
6016
חֲטָאֵינוּ
chata’einu
our sins
84
6100
כְּפִי
kefi
as
110
6210
שֶׁסוֹלְחִים
shesolchim
we forgive
454
6664
גַּם
gam
also
43
6707
אֲנַחְנוּ
anachnu
we
115
6822
לַאֲשֶׁר
la’asher
those who
531
7353
חָטְאוּ
chate’u
have sinned
24
7377
לָנוּ
lanu
against us
86
7463
וְאַל
ve’al
and do not
37
7500
תְּבִיאֵנוּ
tevi’einu
bring us
469
7969
לִידֵי
lidei
into
54
8023
נִסָּיוֹן
nissayon
temptation
176
8199
כִּי
ki
but
30
8229
אִם
im
if
41
8270
הַצִּילֵנוּ
hatzileinu
deliver us
191
8461
מִן
min
from
90
8551
הָרָע
hara
the evil one
275
8826
כִּי
ki
for
30
8856
לְךָ
lekha
Yours
50
8906
הַמַּמְלָכָה
hamamlakha
the kingdom
140
9046
וְהַגְּבוּרָה
vehagevura
and the power
227
9273
וְהַתִּפְאֶרֶת
vehatif’eret
and the glory
1092
10365
לְעוֹלְמֵי
le’olmei
forever
186
10551
עוֹלָמִים
olamim
and ever
196
10747
אָמֵן
amen
amen
91
10838
The Lord’s Prayer – Hebrew, Transliteration, English, Gematria, and Cumulative Sum
The totient of this value, φ(10838), is 1026.
Here is Jeremiah 31:33 in Biblical Hebrew, as found in the Masoretic Text (Hebrew Bible):
Jeremiah 31:33 – Hebrew, Transliteration, English Translation, and Gematria
The totient of this value, φ(8198), is 4098.
The arithmetic mean of the eight positive divisors of 4098 is 1026, which exactly equals φ(10838).
In addition, since 1026 = 513 x 2, we immediately see the link between it and the number 153 in John 21:11. Indeed, the digits of 513 are in the set {5,1,3}, a permutation of which is the 3-tuple (1,5,3). However, because we can agree on a mathematical rule—namely, that each position in a tuple represents a power of 10—we can convert the list (1,5,3) into the number 153.
Theological Intepretation
Jeremiah 31:33 promises a new covenant: God will write His law upon the hearts of His people. The Lord’s Prayer enacts this covenant daily through sanctification, forgiveness, and submission to God’s will. The gematria and totient linkage reveals that the sanctified remnant, represented by φ(10838), is embedded prophetically within the covenant verse.
This arithmetic mean emerging from φ(8198) is not coincidental. It numerically bridges the covenant (Jeremiah 31:33) and the prayer that fulfills it (Matthew 6:9–13).
The identity of this sanctified remnant has further support in the number 153, as demonstrated in our book The Lord’s Prayer: A Mathematician’s Creed. [5]. There, the number 153 is shown to symbolize the “Sons of God” (John 21:11), representing those chosen by the Father and given to the Son. Remarkably, Ezra 10:35, the only verse in the Bible with a total gematria of 153 (using consonants only), lists names of Israelites forming the remnant after exile. When evaluating the standard gematria of each word using consonants only:
This reveals that 153 is historically and prophetically the number of the faithful remnant. The Lord’s Prayer, as a covenantal invocation, aligns believers with this remnant identity—chosen, sanctified, and preserved by grace.
Visual Representation of the Gematria-Totient Connection
We conclude that the Lord’s Prayer is not merely instructional or devotional, but a covenantal mechanism that activates Jeremiah 31:33 in the lives of believers. The mathematical alignment between their gematria values and totient functions offers a formal and verifiable proof of theological continuity. This discovery affirms the Lord’s Prayer as a daily instrument of covenant fulfillment.
Furthermore, we now affirm that the Lord’s Prayer is not only covenantal but eschatological [6]. It invokes themes of the coming Kingdom, divine judgment, deliverance from evil, and readiness through forgiveness and sanctification. These are not general petitions, but precise preparations for the end-time remnant—those who remain faithful amid global apostasy. Just as Romans 11:5 describes a remnant chosen by grace, and John 21:11 reveals the Sons of God as 153, the Lord’s Prayer numerically and spiritually aligns the sanctified remnant of the present age with their prophetic destiny. Therefore, we affirm that the Lord’s Prayer is indeed an eschatological prayer for a remnant of the present time.
References
The Holy Bible, King James Version.
The Septuagint (LXX) and Hebrew Masoretic Text.
Strong, J. (1890). Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible.
Jones, S. E. (2008). The Biblical Meaning of Numbers from One to Forty.
Vanualailai, J., et al (2018). The Lord’s Prayer: A Mathematician’s Creed.
B. Pitre (2006). The Lord’s Prayer and the New Exodus. Letter & Spirit 2, pp. 69–96
Future Work
Further research may investigate other covenantal passages and their mathematical relationships to liturgical practices. Expanding this method to include Greek isopsephy may also illuminate additional dimensions of biblical covenant theology.
The Last Supper is described in the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke) and briefly referenced in John’s Gospel. The key passages are as follows:
1. Matthew 26:17-30
Preparation for the Passover meal.
Jesus institutes the Lord’s Supper: breaking the bread and offering the cup, symbolizing His body and blood.
2. Mark 14:12-26
Similar account as Matthew, including instructions to the disciples for preparing the Passover and the institution of the Eucharist.
3. Luke 22:7-23
Jesus expresses His desire to share this meal before His suffering.
The words of institution highlight the new covenant in His blood.
4. John 13:1-17
Instead of detailing the meal itself, John focuses on Jesus washing the disciples’ feet, a demonstration of humility and service.
5. 1 Corinthians 11:23-26
Paul provides a concise account of the Last Supper, emphasizing its theological significance as a proclamation of the Lord’s death until He comes.
These passages collectively describe the Last Supper’s events and theological meaning, making it central to Christian liturgy and theology.
It is Mark 14:12-36 that provides the mathematical link with the Lord’s Prayer in Luke 11:2-4. To see this, we note that the Gospel of Mark is the 41st of the Bible. Then the identifiers of the verses in Mark 14:12-36 are 67 to 81, respectively. Hence, the sum of the identifiers is 67+68+69+…+81 = 1110.
The number 1110 is the 923rd composite number. The divisors of 923 are in the set {1, 13, 71, 923}. The sum of the divisors is 1008 = 168 x 6. But 168 is precisely the identifier of Luke 11:2-4, the Lord’s Prayer.
Conclusion. The Lord’s Prayer and the Last Supper are inextricably linked mathematically through the number 168, itself the identifier for the Lord’s Prayer in the Gospel of Luke.
How are they inextricably linked?
The answer to this questions came from the biblical scholar and theologian Ernest Findlay Scott (1868 – 1964), who was “Professor Emeritus of Biblical Theology” of the Union Theological Seminary. In his 1951 book “The Lord’s Prayer: Its Character, Purpose and Interpretation”, he wrote:
Two things in our religion have come to us directly from Jesus himself – the Lord’s Supper and the Lord’s Prayer. He bequeathed to them these two ordinances which they were to preserve just as they had come from his hands – the Supper which tells us what he did for us, and the Prayer which sums up what he taught us. These two acts of worship have a place by themselves in our religion, and are like the two poles of which it turns. A Christian service would be complete if it consisted only of an observance of the Supper and a repetition of the Lord’s Prayer. Between them they represent everything that we believe, and they are necessary to each other. We cannot rightly say the Prayer without remembering the Cross, and we cannot celebrate the Supper unless we mean to follow the way of Jesus in our daily lives. In all times, men have been conscious that in these two gifts Jesus gave us everything, and the chief aim of Christian thought has been to discover the full significance of the Lord’s Supper and the Lord’s Prayer.
In Psalm 69, we read of a soul-searching prayer credited to King David. Verses 10 to 14 are provided below (KJV):
10 When I wept, and chastened my soul with fasting, that was to my reproach. 11 I made sackcloth also my garment; and I became a proverb to them. 12 They that sit in the gate speak against me; and I was the song of the drunkards. 13 But as for me, my prayer is unto thee, O Lord, in an acceptable time: O God, in the multitude of thy mercy hear me, in the truth of thy salvation. 14 Deliver me out of the mire, and let me not sink: let me be delivered from them that hate me, and out of the deep waters.
In this prayer, verse 13 is revealing. The New International Version gives the following:
13 But I pray to you, Lord, in the time of your favor; in your great love, O God, answer me with your sure salvation.
The Benson Commentary provides the following interpretation of verse 13:
Psalm 69:13. But my prayer is unto thee — While they scoff, I will pray, and not be driven from thee, nor from prayer and other duties, by all their reproaches, or any other discouragements. In an acceptable time — Hebrew, עת רצון, gneet ratzon, in a time of grace, of good will, or good pleasure. These words may be joined, either, 1st, With the following, by way of limitation, thus: Hear me in thy accepted time, that is, I do not limit thee to any time; but when thou seest it will be best, hear and help me. Or rather, with the foregoing, as an argument to enforce his prayer: as if he had said, I pray in a time of grace, or acceptance; I seek thee when thou mayest be found, (see Psalm 32:6; Isaiah 55:6,) in a good day, as they said, 1 Samuel 25:8, in the day of grace and mercy: or, in a time of great trouble, which is the proper season for prayer, Psalm 50:15; and while I have thee engaged to me by promises, which thy honour and truth oblige thee to perform. I come not too late, and therefore do thou hear me. In the truth of thy salvation — That is, for, or according to, thy saving truth, or faithfulness; whereby thou hast promised to deliver those who trust in thee.
King David, filled with humility, left it to God to decide when God would listen to him. The verse is telling us that there is a time of prayer that is acceptable or favorable to God!
Indeed, we can deduce the same from 2 Corinthians 6:2. which reads:
2 For He says: “In an acceptable time I have heard you, And in the day of salvation I have helped you.” Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.
This verse is part of Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians, specifically in a section (2 Corinthians 5:20–6:10) where Paul passionately appeals to the Corinthians to be reconciled to God. Paul emphasizes the urgency of responding to God’s grace and reminds them of their responsibility as recipients of God’s salvation.
Purpose: Paul is urging the Corinthians to recognize that the gospel they have received is not something to be taken lightly or postponed. The “day of salvation” is now, and they must live as those reconciled to God.
Old Testament Reference: Paul quotes from Isaiah 49:8, where God speaks of a future time when He will deliver and restore His people. Paul reinterprets this prophecy, declaring that the time of fulfillment has arrived in Christ.
Isaiah 49:8 reads:
8 Thus says the Lord: “In an acceptable time I have heard You, And in the day of salvation I have helped You; I will preserve You and give You As a covenant to the people, To restore the earth, To cause them to inherit the desolate heritages;
This verse is part of the second Servant Song in Isaiah (Isaiah 49:1–13), a passage that describes the mission of God’s Servant, who is widely interpreted as the Messiah. This Servant is called by God to bring salvation not only to Israel but also to the Gentiles, extending God’s covenant and restoring His creation.
Now, here is the most astonishing result. When we calculate the identifiers of Isaiah 49:8 and 2 Corinthians 6:2, we get:
1. Isaiah 49:8
Book Number: Isaiah is the 23rd book of the Bible.
Chapter Number: 49
Verse Number: 8
Identifier=23+49+8=80
2. 2 Corinthians 6:2
Book Number: 2 Corinthians is the 47th book of the Bible.
Chapter Number: 6
Verse Number: 2
Identifier=47+6+2=55
Total Sum of Identifiers
Thus, the total sum of the identifiers is 80+55=135.
Psalm 69:13 serves as a precursor to the themes developed in Isaiah 49:8 and 2 Corinthians 6:2. It introduces the concept of an “acceptable time” when God’s mercy and salvation are particularly accessible. Isaiah expands this theme, tying it to God’s covenant promises, and Paul ultimately declares its fulfillment in Christ, urging believers to respond without delay. Together, these verses underscore the importance of recognizing and acting upon God’s appointed times of grace and favor.
There is no contradiction between the early Christian and ancient Jewish understanding of recognizing God’s appointed times and Paul’s urging to pray continually in 1 Thessalonians 5:17—“Pray without ceasing”— because praying “without ceasing” necessarily include prescribed times of prayer. In other words, these ideas complement each other beautifully, illustrating different dimensions of spiritual awareness and discipline.
Conclusion: The eight prescribed times to pray the Lord’s Prayer, namely, {10.35am,10.53am,1.35pm,1.53pm,3.15pm, 3.51pm, 5.13pm, 5.31pm}, are times acceptable to our Father in heaven to listen to our prayers.