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.
Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the Kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever.
Amen.
The prayer, however, serves a much greater purpose than recitation by an individual or congregation. It serves as the model for prayer for all of us. If a person looks at the words and understands their meaning, he can see the outline for prayer, not a "fill in the blank" activity, but a stately, point-by-point idea of what to "cover" while talking to God. It stands as teaching tool from Jesus to us.
It's important to pray from the heart, rather than to offer grandiose, repetitive or pride-filled offerings to God that magnify your vocabulary rather than the Lord to whom you pray. Matthew 6:7-8 states,
"And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him."
A little note, first. Every prayer you breathe or speak during the day may not hit all of these points. When you feel afraid or frustrated, joyful or hopeful, or feel the need for protection, you will usually just express those things, often on the fly. The Lord's Prayer fits the bill of a "full-on" prayer, which would fit for your devotion time, bedtime, or whenever you take that special time to commune with God.Starting at the beginning, the first segment of the prayer above represents glorifying God and recognizing him for who he is.
Our Father, who art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy name.
Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven.
I don't speak King James Bible very well, and my prayer will begin more like:
"Dear God, Thank you for your grace and majesty, and your power that I see every day. I pray to understand your will for me, and to work for the furthering of your kingdom. Please make me a blessing to someone today. Put me on the path you want for me, for your purpose."
Each day, I find it easier to find praises to offer, and sometimes spend more time on that than anything else. I might offer thanks for all the recent blessings in my life, for my children, for my husband, and for life itself. The more you pray, the more prayers will open for you as you communicate with God.
The next section covers the basics. Food and sin, those things we partake in every day -- one on purpose, the other by imperfection.
Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
Your prayer might sound like the following:
"Thank you for the food, clothing and shelter you provide each day, and for my husband's (or your own) job that meets those needs, and keeps us in your care. Please forgive me for my angry outburst at the kids today, when I felt frustrated at how much I had to do. Please guide me in managing my day and my temper. I ask your forgiveness when I listened to gossip with friends today and didn't stand up for what is right. I offer forgiveness to my brother for making so many careless statements today, and pray that he find peace and the right path to follow. I know he is in a difficult place right now."
I often find several sins to mention that I didn't realize until they come out of my mouth. If you think you may have some sins harbored in your heart somewhere, ask God to show them to you so that you can ask forgiveness for them. You may be surprised at the things he reveals, both big and small. Getting them out in the open before Him makes a difference. For those who have children, just hearing them say, "Yes, I took the cookies," relieves you. The truth frees you both. You just want to hear them admit what you already know, and God wants the same from each of us.
The final piece of the prayer involves the protection of God, and some more praise for his attributes.
Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the Kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever.
Amen.
Your prayer might sound something like:
"I pray that you will build a hedge around me today, keeping things that will tempt me away. Help me to get right to work and not procrastinate. Let me focus on my family and not jump online "just to check" and find myself still at it an hour later. I pray for our marriage, that you will keep our hearts in tune to each other, that we will continue to serve each other selflessly. Keep Satan in his place, and when I meet him in the world, help me to immediately recognize and avoid his devices. I ask these things, knowing you are the God of Heaven, and that you know all, see all and can do all. In the name of Christ I pray. Amen."
Don't feel daunted if you think my prayer seems long. My goal is to illustrate and offer enough example for anyone who may like "a little extra". Some days are shorter, others quite long. The general idea falls in what I think of as six basic categories:
Praise
Repentance
Thanks (for blessings, safety, answered prayer, etc.)
Petitions (healing, safety, prayer for others, needs, etc.)
Protection
Glorification
and through all of it, Listening. When God nudges, perk up and pay attention!
Each person's prayer will look or sound different from those of others. I have a friend who prays very simply and beautifully, and when she prays aloud, others just sigh in reverence. She talks to God with complete trust and humility. Knowing comparison is wrong, I find I use her example to learn from, just as I do from most prayers I hear in church or at gatherings.
We learn to pray from others, just as Christ offers this model in the Book of Matthew for us as a guide.
I wish you blessings in your prayer life, as well as in your daily comings and goings. I need a lot of work in my prayer, namely in not skipping the opportunity to sit down and give God that special, undivided attention. When I take that time, my whole day feels the positive effects, I offer more "little prayers" and I feel the guidance from the Holy Spirit more strongly.
We all need to be attentive to this. Why not start now?
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