This, Then, Is How You Should Pray

This, then, is how you should pray:
“‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one." (Matthew 6:9-13)

             As you read this, did you read it stopping every few words like people do when they’re reading it together? They do the same for the Pledge of Allegiance. Someday, I want to read it publicly and as complete sentences, to see how people respond. Of course, to do it right, I should use the King James Version.

            Some people call this “The Lord’s Prayer.” John 17 is more properly called by that title. This is His example of how we should pray. Before we get to the specific requests, consider the form of the requests. Jesus doesn’t mess around with flowery language. His prayer is made of up declarative phrases that could be read as orders: do this, don’t do that. This isn’t the way my prayers go, especially not lately. Recently, there have been a lot of “Please, Lord, please, please, please.” And “WDA, Lord, WDA, WDA, WDA A A A A,” and “Fix me, Lord…. please fix me. Cause me to be a better daughter, Christian, person, etc.” And maybe the key to doing that is in this prayer.

           Jesus begins with our relationship with God. He is our Father. In the world in which Jesus lived, fathers didn’t necessarily love their children. Jewish law forbade exposing children (leaving them on the rocks along a river or sea where they would die) but it was a common practice among the Greeks and Romans.  Whether or not fathers were expected to love or care for their children, children were required to respect and obey their fathers. Even under Jewish law, a child’s rebellion was punishable by death. In Jewish culture two witnesses (the parents) were required. I doubt the Greeks or Romans were restricted in that manner. 

            I am not suggesting that the Father does not love us. God is love, and He does love us. I’m simply saying that when it comes to this prayer, we need to consider the fact that God being our Father means that we are His children, and He has every right to expect whatever behavior He chooses. He also has the right to discipline or punish when we don’t live up to His demands. I think I rely too much on His love. Good thing it is unlimited, but it is hardened by wisdom.

            Prayer focuses fist on the Father and His desires. His kingdom come, not ours. His will be done, not ours. And when it comes to His will being done, it’s done as it is in Heaven, with no But, no Maybe, with nothing but Yes. Lord, lovingly spoken.

            Next, Jesus instructs us to bring our needs: the necessities of physical life, and the necessities if spiritual life.

Give us our daily bread

Forgive us our trespasses

Lead us not into temptation

Deliver us from evil.

            Nothing fancy. Nothing more than anyone else gets. In the middle of our needs, Jesus tells us to limit God. We’re not to just ask for forgiveness for our trespasses. We are to ask for the same sort of forgiveness that we give, in the same measure that we give it. We should ask God to behave no better than we intend to. Forgiveness is a lot like solitude. It’s more difficult than it first seems, but that’s a discussion for another day.