The Lord's Prayer

          And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words. So do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him. Pray, then, in this way:

“Our Father who is in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come.
Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. [For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.’] (Matthew 6:7-13)

          Let’s begin with an explanatory note. The last sentence and the “Amen” are not included in some early manuscripts. For some people, that would be reason enough to throw out the whole Bible. It is found in about 98% of the approximately 15,000 manuscripts, and in a number of writings about the prayer, including the Didache, whose author, according to scholars, was clearly acquainted with the book of Matthew. In addition, the sentence does not change or introduce any doctrines that are not found elsewhere in Scripture, so it is nothing more than a scholarly issue.

          The second point I want to make before discussing the text is the format I’ve used for it. When this prayer is recited, it tends to be recited with no attention to its punctuation in general speech. People say, “Our Father…who is in heaven… hallowed by Your name….” I know it has to do with a group speaking in unison, but when you read it today, read it as it’s punctuated, in whole thoughts. Thank you.

          I decided to include the verses leading up to the prayer because they set the tone. When you pray, don’t be repetitious, and keep in mind that God is God. He knows what we need. A few days ago, I misplaced my keys for the ten millionth time in my life. I’m always misplacing something. I tell myself that it’s because I don’t have a place for everything, but the reality is that my mind has gone on to four different things from the time I unlock my door to the moment I put the keys down. My prayer when I can’t find something is solid repetition. “Lord, I can’t find __________. I need __________. I really need to find ____________ right now. How can I be so stupid? Where is/are ____________” There are minor variations but that’s the basic idea, repeated until I find it/them or give up.

          There’s another sort of prayer I hear – sometimes from my own lips, “Dear Lord, I lift up (name) to You, asking You to be with her. She’s been diagnosed with _______ and has three tests in the next week and a possible operation. Her family can’t afford it, what with Jr’s orthodontic care, and (add fourteen more details.)” We can’t agree in prayer unless we all have all the information, right? I don’t know whether we think we need to inform God, or if it’s just a gossipy way we’ve been taught to pray.

          Instead, Jesus told us to pray along the lines of the prayer that followed. It’s a model. Reciting it confers no special spiritual power. It’s not the equivalent of “Shazam!” granting us superhero status. It’s not even really the “Lord’s Prayer” because that’s what Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane. It’s a teaching prayer, and that’s a good thing because we need to be taught.

          There are probably a number of ways this prayer could be outlined. Here’s one:

          I.       Acknowledge God for who He is

          II.      Place ourselves in subjection to Him

          III.     Ask for what we need

          IV.     Confess our shortcomings and dedicate ourselves to what is right

          V.      Ask for protection

          VI.     Acknowledge God for who He is.

          I’ve tried to focus on part of this prayer over the past couple of months. I can’t say I’ve been consistent, but I’ve been returning to the theme of “Thy will be done.” The request hasn’t been “on earth as it is in heaven.” It’s been “Thy will be done…in my heart, my soul, my mind, my body, my relationships, my circumstances….” I don’t think I can point to any specific and clear answers. I like to pray that way, though, because if things go according to His will, they’ll be OK, and I’ll be OK. I know there are things that I want, have, think, and do that aren’t in His will, and when I’m thinking clearly, I know they’re not good. Rather than saying “Your will be done” and cringing, I am saying it and daring to hope that He’ll manifest His will in spite of me.