Matthew 6.7-15
Prayer is a wonderful thing, and a means of drawing closer to God. But it is not always easy to do. All sorts of distractions can get in the way and prevent us from taking the time to listen prayerfully to what God might be saying to us. Equally, we might be so full of words to express our needs and the needs of those for whom we pray, that prayer becomes little more than a list.
Jesus knew this when he gave us what we know as ‘The Lord’s Prayer’. Paradoxically, the prayer is brief and yet all-encompassing, touching within a few short verses, the whole of life and our deepest yearnings. If we could only ever pray one prayer, this is the one.
‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.’ Words that remind us of both the holiness of God, and how God’s very nature calls us into relationship with the divine.
‘Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.‘ Here we are expressing our longing for the reign of God to be fully known, and that the values of the kingdom of God might be fully established here on earth. The values of service, compassion, and justice, in a world where human beings care for each other and for every part of the creation.
‘Give us this day our daily bread.’ This is about us asking God for what we need to live, and not to harbour greed in our hearts. As Martin Luther King Jr once put it, ‘There is enough in the world for all our need, but not for all our greed.’ The prayer invites us therefore, to reflect on and evaluate our footprint in the world. Are we content when our daily needs are met, or do we always want more? Many in our world lack even the necessities of life.
‘And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.’ Without a doubt, this is the hardest part of The Lord’s Prayer as it expresses to God our own desire to forgive those who have wronged us, not least because God longs to forgive us for our own failings. Overcoming hurts inflicted on us by others is never easy and seldom instant, so sometimes we might have to pray this section of the prayer as an aspiration – a direction of travel – until we are one day able to offer that forgiveness which might feel impossible in the present.
‘And do not bring us to the time of trial, but rescue us from the evil one.’ Life brings with it many tribulations, so we pray to God that we never reach that point in life where are overwhelmed to the point where we turn away from God. We are, in effect, asking God to protect us from all that would do us harm. It is an act of trust, and an acknowledgment that God is always present, and we can call on God even in our darkest moments.
Maybe you find prayer an easy discipline. Some people do. But for many, prayer does not come easy – despite knowing how essential it is for our spiritual wellbeing. Jesus knew this, and his giving of the Lord’s prayer recognised our struggles. So, if you are new to prayer, struggling with prayer, wanting to re-connect with prayer, or well-established in prayer, in The Lord’s Prayer we have a priceless treasure to be cherished and used today, and every day.
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