Read: Matthew 6:9-15 NRSV
‘Pray then in this way:
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 do not bring us to the time of trial,
but rescue us from the evil one.
For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you; but if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
What if I’m feeling uncomfortable or confused about starting to pray every day? Use the Lord’s prayer as your template. It’s a wonderful summation of our relationship with God, and as we recite it, we can start to fill in the blanks that are more personal to us.
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.
We are establishing our connection with God. Through Jesus Christ we have become children of God, and therefore have the privilege of his ear.
Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Next, we voice our desire for God’s will, which is the establishment of his Kingdom on earth. We are aligning with His cause and actively participating in its emergence.
Give us this day our daily bread.
We ask for our basic needs, thereby acknowledging our absolute dependence on God.
And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
Note the connecting “and” at the beginning of the next statement, which establishes our forgiveness as another basic need, along with our daily bread. It is also interesting to read the NRSV translation of this line: “as we also have forgiven our debtors,” which is an acknowledgement of our responsibility to forgive others, but also implies that God’s mercy is reflective of the mercy we have to others.
And do not bring us to the time of trial, but rescue us from the evil one.
We recognize that we are doomed in any fair trial, and ask God to save us from our own sins.
Now, try it again, but this time, voice all of those specific thoughts that you had when we spoke in generalities.
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.
I long to see your kingdom and a healed earth. Use me to bring about your kingdom. Provide for me and my family. Bring food to our table and raise a shelter over our heads. Wrap us in warmth and security. Forgive all the times that we spoke in pride or anger or vanity. Help us to live like the example of your son, Jesus Christ. Help us to forgive like Jesus, too, who prayed for his enemies. Wipe the grime of sin off our faces so that you can look upon us like your children. Amen.
