Teach us to pray

Luke 11:1-4 KJV
And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.

And he said unto them, When ye pray, say,

Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth. Give us day by day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.

Most of us say the lords prayer every day, not exactly as written in Luke, but something closer to Matthews version. But one question comes to mind,

Q. is the Lords Prayer a stand alone prayer in itself, or is it a 'model' for us to use when praying to the Almighty?

From early childhood many of us were taught at home, school and church to recite the Lords prayer. But perhaps Jesus didn't intend it this way; perhaps He meant for us to use his words as a 'model' or 'guide', showing us how to structure our prayers to God when praying!

One of the reasons for thinking this is that the lord's prayer is recorded in both Luke and Matthews gospels, but they're different! If the Lords prayer was meant to be learnt by rote, then surely the disciples would have repeated the prayer word for word, verbatim! and therefore both Gospels would read the same! Do you think there's merit in this line of thought? Look how Matthew records it,

Matthew 6:7-10, 12-13 KJV
But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.

Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him. 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.
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.

When reflecting on Jesus' words as a model, several things stand out!

'Our Father'

We don't pray 'My', but 'Our' which tells us that as belivers we are united in a personal relationship with the Almighty. And so we are encouraged to approach 'Our Father' having come into a right and proper relationship with Him and also into community with all believers. Yet because He is God, we are to do this with the upmost respect and reverence!

'Hallowed be thy name'

Then we are told to acknowledge God's Holiness! The words 'Hallowed be thy name' remind us that God is Holy! So we should recognise and honour this, as we reflect on His sacredness and the attributes that we can rightly ascribe to Him, which naturally increases our awe and wonder of God through apophatic spiritual understanding! (thats a conversation for another day)

Developing a deeper understanding of who 'God is' naturally increases our desire to do His will, and so Jesus teaches us to honour Him,

'Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done'

Here our focus shifts from seeking our desires to seeking God's purpose! By this we learn to align our prayers with God's divine intentions as we seek to understand His plans and desires for our lives and the world around us. As we obey God's laws and do His will here on earth, we bring His Kingdom ever closer, but for now here on Earth, His Kingdom exists within us!

'Give us this day our daily bread'

Here we are encouraged to express our needs as this petition teaches us to place our reliance and total dependence on God for all our physical and spiritual sustenances. One point of interest here is the phrase translated for us as 'Daily Bread' can just as easily mean 'the things that help us thrive' Perhaps this better highlights for us that we need fed both physically and spiritually in order to grow in our relationship with God and one another.

'And forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us'

In this we are reminded to acknowledge our own shortcomings and extend grace to those who have wronged us! It's important to be gracious in our relationships as it through humility that we find the path to reconciliation when we have wronged others and have likewise been wronged. The scary thing to bear in mind with this petition is in the words 'forgive us as we forgive', Because what we're really asking God to do, is judge us by the measure that we use to judge others! So be careful what you pray for, you just might receive it in return! (So be compassionate!)

'Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil'

The plea to be delivered from evil recongises the reality of the spiritual struggle that exists and our need for God's protection from the powers and principalities of darkness that exist unseen all around us in. All of us need God's constant protection and strength in times of difficulty and temptation!

Throughout the Lords prayer we see the use of 'our' and 'we'. By this Jesus taught us that prayer is not only a personal act but a corporate act in which we are invited to pray for others in the wider community every time we pray privately and collectively.

So having looked closely at the Lords prayer it's clear to see that it can be a model of prayer for us to follow.

Have a great week, keep praying and God bless,

Trev.