Skip to main content

How Should We 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

 

The first note for today’s passage is that Jesus doesn’t say that this is what we should pray, but how we should pray. I’ve had some people criticize me because I tend to pray in my life as it is in heaven instead of on earth as it is in heaven. It’s not that I don’t want God’s will to be done on earth, but I want to do God’s will in my life, which is part of things on earth being done according to His will.

But this morning, an idea came to mind as I walked and prayed this prayer. We have the words  of the lesson He taught, but we don’t have the vocal dynamic, the gestures, or the facial expressions. When I pray this prayer, there are times when I feel as though I’m just reading, or even reading in a monotone.

This morning, I returned to a theme I’ve explored before. “Hallowed be Your name.” What does hallowed really mean? Am I praying as if I mean it? How would one know if one was “meaning it” sufficiently, instead of repeating it from rote? Is “Hallowed be Your name” enough or is “HALLOWED be Your name” required? Is it really acceptable for me to change “on Earth” to “in my life”? And what do we do with the fact that “For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever” is not included?

Some might say I’m overthinking the matter. I have to wonder if any of us are thinking about it enough. Or at all. I doubt any extreme is of delivery is desired by God. We shouldn’t repeat it mechanically, but we also shouldn’t strike a pose like some bad comic opera actor and have a psychological or emotional breakdown over every syllable. We need to consider what we’re saying and not say it if we don’t mean it but how we mean it may change from day to day. Today, we may feel “Hallowed be Your name,” but tomorrow, it might be “And led us not into temptation.”

There’s nothing in the text to suggest that Jesus was – theatrical – in His rendition of this prayer. He seems more what I’d call conversational. This doesn’t mean that we can’t be emotional wrecks when we talk to God, just that we don’t have to be. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

"Especially to those who belong to the family of believers."

Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers. (Gal 6:10)   “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.   By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:34-35)           Joshua grinned when he saw Rex standing by the door, studying something on the ground. "Hey, man! Are we ready to do this thing?"          Rex looked up. "Josh, I can't do it. We're still best buds, but I can't stand your fiancée."           I've met "Rex" many times. I've been Rex. Joshua (Jesus) loves the Church. He's not a fool. He knows the Church is far from perfect, but she is His chosen bride. The Rexes of this world, who think themselves His friend, turn away from her. "You don't need the Church to...
Post a Comment
Read more

Ssssssubmmissssssionnn

Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ . (Ephesians 5:21)             "Ssssssubmmisssssssionnn." Can't you just hear the serpent hissing this most horrible of words? If you listen to the serpent or the world, submission means groveling, allowing yourself to be abused, denying yourself your own humanity. Nothing could be worse than submission, could it?             Submission has never been a problem for me, as long as things are going the way I want them to. The rest of the time? Well, let's just say that while I don't know how to fight physically, I don't know how to not fight mentally. One of the fights I've been having with myself for years is about submission.             My first breakthrough took place on a trip to a bookstore. As I walked into the store, my thoughts were very clear. 1) I was goi...
Post a Comment
Read more

Shark Fins, Triple Dog Dares, Heroes, Villains and Sidekicks

Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12)            There's a scene in Jaws in which someone sees a shark fin and starts a panic. As   all the swimmers scramble to shore, boats surround the fin, which falls over to reveal two kids. With several guns pointed at them, one of the kids points at the other. The message is clear: it was his idea. In Christmas Story, there's a scene in which one kid "triple dog dares" another to do something stupid. Since it's a triple dog dare, well, what choice does the boy have? There doesn't seem to be any end to the trouble that peer pressure can cause. ...
Post a Comment
Read more