"Our Father, which 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, for ever and ever. Amen
"Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed
be thy name" Jesus begins this prayer with a plural word “our”. This
is not a “me and Jesus” prayer. Instead we are united with others throughout
the globe, people who pray in a variety of languages and hold customs far
different than ourselves. We seek ways to keep God’s name holy, by using God’s
name for prayer, praise and thanksgiving. But, we may need a push here. We also
keep God’s name holy as we proclaim God’s wonderful deeds. God’s holy name is
not intended to be kept silent.
"Thy Kingdom come" let us pray to be open to
ways God might use us to bring God’s reign to this earth. How might we proclaim
the good news of Jesus Christ to those who do not know of the love of God? How
might we be part of God’s team?
"Thy will be done on earth as it is in
heaven" Much
hinders God’s will, but we pray that we might not be ones who prevent God’s
will from happening. We pray that we are not stumbling blocks for others to
hear of God’s love made known in Christ. Let us pray for wisdom and open
spirits to allow God’s will to be done in and through us.
"Give us this day our daily bread" Evangelism is proclaiming
good news in word and deed. How can someone hear the Good News of Jesus when
her children are starving? How can someone hear the Good News of Jesus when he
is exhausted from thirst?
"And forgive us our trespasses as we
forgive those who trespass against us" By the grace of God, we let
go and embrace the day. Slowly our hardened hearts yield to a life with joy and
hope. By God’s grace, we witness to the freeing power of forgiveness in Christ.
"And lead us not into temptation, but
deliver us from evil. We pray we might not be deceived by all that draws us
from God. It is so easy to confuse our busy schedules with lives which truly
serve Jesus Christ. For our sake, Jesus kept it very simple: Love one another;
Tell everyone about my love. Yet, we succumb to the daily temptation to not be
a witness to Jesus.
"For thine is the
kingdom, and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen" We give God glory by
offering our lives to follow Jesus Christ.