September 4, 2013
Matthew 6:9 KJV — After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
We are practicing a version of this best-loved prayer in choir at the moment. It’s a beautiful setting, but I can’t help feeling a little sad that it changes the words I know and love. It prompted me to write a few words about what is usually called the “Lord’s Prayer”, sometimes — perhaps more accurately the “Model Prayer” and to me the “Perfect Prayer”.
I’m sure you’ve read or listened to many studies of the Lord’s Prayer, so much of what follows is probably not new to you. But for me the Lord’s Prayer was a first teacher about how to pray. I just want to share the things that the Lord’s Prayer taught me.
First, prayer — like all of Christianity — is inclusive and relational. It might have started “My Father”, but it doesn’t. It starts “Our Father”. There can be no greater honor than to be the child of Our Father!
Prayer is, of course, God-focused. Let’s look at the whole of the Lord’s Prayer, in Matthew’s version:
After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
It begins and ends by acknowledging who God is, and paying due honor to Him. All prayer needs to do that. Prayer is not like writing a wish list for Santa Claus. It’s a conversation with the only all-powerful, all knowing, all good God!
Perfect prayer includes surrender. “Thy will be done”. With no “ifs, ands, or buts”. Thy will, unconditionally and without qualification, be done.
Prayer is not a wish list for Santa … but it should include an honest statement of our hearts desires. But the Lord’s Prayer has a very interesting way of covering our wishes and wants — “Give us our daily bread”. How do you think that translates today — “Give us 5 slices of Wonder Bread”? I don’t think so. It surely translates as “Whatever you judge we need today, please give us just that”.
Have you noticed that this perfect prayer is peeling back layers of our heart? It has started with worship, moved on to desires and now comes to the opening up of our most secret place — “Father, you know where I have gone wrong, and where I may go wrong. I don’t have to go into details — you know what the issues are, and I just ask for your forgiveness and guidance.”
Praying can be hard. Sometimes it leads to the question “Am I doing it right”. There are hundreds … maybe even thousands … of “how to books”. I can’t say that some of them are not excellent. But I really believe that going to the source and seeing what the Master said is probably the single best education in prayer that anyone can get!