I have been saying the Lord’s Prayer for more decades than I like to admit — more than six now. In its original form, it was passed on to the disciples for their training. Hence, it also holds true for us, as modern-day disciples.
Like so many, for me, it started off in primary school, where we were all taught to say it perfunctorily in morning assembly, along with “Good morning Mr./Mrs. …”, etc. To avoid saying it perfunctorily ourselves, we need to think about what it means.
There has been much written about the prayer, breaking it down into its component parts. I want to share my brief overview about it that may help to engage us and make the saying of it more intentional rather than formulaic or a comforting ritual said in haste as we are off into the world.
It seems to me that the prayer comes in two parts, focused on God (Your) and then us/our (emphasis added):
“Pray then like this: ‘Our Father 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 lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.'” (Matthew 6:9-13 ESV)
(1) God is to be revered and worshipped as our Creator, and His kingship is to be recognized as real and over all. As Jesus’ disciples, we are to ask and seek for His will and His kingdom to work in and through us unfettered, as it will be one day in paradise.
(2) We are to petition Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit, as our Provider, to grant us provision for the day. As fallen beings, we will never be worthy in our own right to become residents of heaven. So, we can come to the Trinity only through the grace offered in Jesus. As we, being unworthy, have received mercy and grace, so we have no right or basis to withhold it from others. We have to be careful not to be drawn into things of the world that have their foundation in evil. God’s justice is a separate thing to be prayerfully left in His hands.
Whether through fervency or habitual routine, Jesus hears our prayers and acts on them. That is a consequence of His dying on the cross. He chose us to work with Him, to be with Him, even when we fail to see His plan.
Prayer: Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, for Thine is the kingdom, and the power and the glory, forever and ever. Amen.
Copyright © 2022, by Rod Marshall <roderickhenrymarshall@gmail.com>, first published on the PresbyCan Daily Devotional presbycan.ca .
Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England
Reprinted from PresbyCan with author’s permission
