#thelordsprayer

Here are traditional words of The Lord's Prayer, taken from the Anglican Book of Common Prayer, 1662:

Our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name. Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.

All of us face various types of temptation. The very worst temptation for one may have no effect on another. Even Jesus was tempted. The full account of the temptation of Jesus is described in Luke Chapter 4, which begins:

"And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness for forty days, being tempted by the devil" (Luke 4:1-2, English Standard Version).

Utimately, after Jesus is tempted he never sins. He responds to temptaton by speaking God's Word.

When dealing with temptation, we always have more than one way to respond. We can choose to listen to the Lord's leading. In the 23rd Psalm, David declares "The Lord is my shepherd," who "leads me in paths of righteousness, for His name's sake" (Psalm 23 verses 1 and 3, New King James Version).

Another name for Jesus is The Good Shepherd. We are his flock. "I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd" (John 10:14-16, English Standard Version).

The Good Shepherd can lead us away from temptation. He truly loves us and wants us to hear his voice:

"My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me" (John 10:27, King James Version).

“Give us this day our daily bread…”

If I’m being honest, I have always struggled with this portion of the Lord’s Prayer. I am fully cognizant the Lord is my provider and every good thing comes from Him. I would like to believe I have a heart of gratitude as it pertains to how the Lord has cared for my needs through the years and how I possess several non-essential but nice to have items. The strain I have felt concerning this moment of prayer is not a matter of pride or self-sufficiency. My difficulty is rooted in my life experience. Specifically, I have no idea what it means to go hungry. I have never been wealthy, by American standards, in my childhood or now in adulthood. Yet, I really have no frame of reference for what it looks like to live day-to-day, concerned about essential needs being met.

Asking for daily bread, from a literal standpoint, is lost on me in my middle class existence. I have grief in my heart for those in the grip of poverty. I recall the years Michelle (my wife) taught in the public school system and the struggle so many of the young people under her care endured. Many had great attendance records at school because it was potentially the only guaranteed meal they would have each day. For many in America and around the world, “Give us this day…” is a whisper of desperation.

I do not want to hijack the original intent of this prayer and manipulate it to fit my paradigm. However, Jesus, in offering us this template of conversation, was certainly aware it would be uttered by the rich, the poor and everyone in between. This is a language of prayer given to the believer, the follower of Jesus, not specific to a particular social or economic demographic. Understanding my life experience, how do I approach this element of prayer?

First and foremost, I come to these words with a tremendous amount of humility and a soul filled with thanksgiving. Once I have taken the appropriate heart posture, I lean into the multiple layers represented within these 7 words. Truthfully, the biblical trail connected to daily bread is lengthy and would require more words than I care to type in this writing. For brevity sake I will give you a few punch lines.

To pray for daily bread is to request wisdom, good stewardship of our intelligence and talent, solutions to challenges, favor in dealing with people, savvy in navigating through the systems and structures of the world, answers to difficult questions, creative ideas, and strength for endurance in our job/assignment. If we are blessed with these things, our efforts will be fruitful and provision will be available.

To pray for daily bread is to ask for the leading of Holy Spirit and the self-discipline to operate within the parameters of God’s kingdom system. More simply stated, to consistently and repeatedly implement the precepts and concepts found in scripture. It is the acknowledgement that obedience to the word of God in our handling of money, in integrity, in our treatment of people, in the request for wisdom, plugs us into the system of God’s provision. “I was young and now I am old, and I have never seen the righteous forsaken or his seed begging for bread.” (Psalm 37:25) More often than not, it is our honoring of God’s kingdom systems that lead to provision. Obedience in tithing rebukes the devour, generosity opens heavenly windows, integrity in our dealings sows a seed that yields an incredible harvest.

When I pray for daily bread I touch on the areas above and I even go so far as to pray over the possessions I have that they will not malfunction, causing me to fund their repair. I pray for favor with my authorities. I pray my actions and decisions are of merit to yield blessing and provision for those who serve in the ministry I lead.  I pray for the daily bread of health over my wife and children. And once again, just to make sure it is understood fully, I humble my heart, thanking the Lord for all I have, acknowledging whether directly or through adherence to his better way, it all comes from Him.

***I know many balancing statements can be applied here and different economic situations almost demand different perspective. This writing is from my limited perspective.

***Because I believe it is a matter of integrity, it honors the Lord when we give credit to those from whom we have learned. Listening to this message, linked below, by Robert Morris significantly shaped my approach to the “daily bread”  portion of the Lord’s 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.

I signed up for French class as a freshman in high school, and stayed with it all four years. One day during my senior year, my father casually rattled off the only complete sentence he memorized from his own high school French class:

“J’entre dans la class et je regard autour de moi.”

He said it pretty much perfectly, even after many years, but couldn’t remember what it meant.

“I enter the class and I look around me."

The Lord’s Prayer is one of the first prayers we memorize. It can be recited by rote, without thinking about its meaning or application to life.

Often, however, just saying this prayer comforts and makes people feel better. At a funeral several years ago, the priest was late and the distraught  family was anxiously waiting for him. To calm everyone, the funeral director announced we would say the “Our Father” while we waited. It worked, and still works. Whenever I am overwhelmed with any kind of emotion, saying the Lord’s Prayer changes my focus. It calms me down.

I made a habit of beginning prayer time with the Lord’s Prayer. Although it helped to focus my mind and heart, a nagging feeling persisted that I wasn’t doing it justice. Somehow, I was missing the magnificent forest by circling around a single tree. But what else could I learn from it? 

According to Paul the Apostle, “The whole Scripture is given by inspiration from God; and is profitable for teaching, convicting, correcting, and instructing in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16 Revised Standard Version). The Lord’s Prayer is a prayer found in scripture. 

Saint Paul writes, “No one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us” (1 Corinthians 2:10 New International Version). The Lord’s Prayer is given to us by Jesus himself. 

Additionally, Paul tells us, “Indeed, the word of God is living and active” (Hebrews 4:12 New Revised Standard Version). The Holy Spirit can always provide fresh insight into God’s word. Over and over I discover that I can learn more, especially when I think I know a topic well. Our Father is infinite and so is His Word.

As we might expect with a gift from our precious Lord, the Lord’s Prayer is like a brilliant, shining diamond with many sparkling facets. Its beauty and perfection allow us to focus on a unique facet whenever we pray. Exploring one facet reveals other neighboring facets. The work of the Holy Spirit is breathtaking.

We can use the Lord’s Prayer to catch a glimpse of the Kingdom whenever we pray. Make it your own and use it to share your heart’s desire with God. Listening for his still small voice lets the Holy Spirit touch our hearts again and again.

One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.”

Jesus said to them, “When you pray, say this:

Father:

   May your holy name be honored;

   may your Kingdom come.

Give us day by day the food we need.

Forgive us our sins,

   for we forgive everyone who does us wrong.

   And do not bring us to hard testing,”*

But deliver us from evil.

Why would we pray to any other? Father, you are the creator of the universe and the only one with the power (and the wisdom!) to answer our prayers.

“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1). He created the very dust of the ground, and then made Adam from the dust. He has fashioned us, all of us who make up mankind, in his image. King David declares, “You created every part of me; you put me together in my mother's womb” (Psalm 139:13, Good News Translation).

He knows everything about us, and nothing we do surprises him. David expresses this beautifully to begin Psalm 139: “Lord, you have examined me and you know me. You know everything I do; from far away you understand all my thoughts” (Psalm 139:1-2, Good News Translation).

We all know what kind of thoughts we have. Even so, we are described as “God’s masterpiece” in a letter written by Paul the Apostle: “God has made us what we are [For we are his handiwork/workmanship/work of art]. In Christ Jesus, God made [created] us to do good works, which God planned in advance for us to live our lives doing” (Ephesians 2:10, Expanded Bible Version)

We are works of art! Some of us need to read this verse often because it’s almost too astonishing. Even more astonishing, our Lord, our creator, wants us to call him “Father.” Saint Paul tells us, “Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father” (Galatians 4:6, New International Version).

When we make the Lord our King, his Spirit lives in our hearts and God considers us his sons and daughters. According to the Apostle John, “As many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name” (John 1:12, Christian Standard Bible).

Furthermore, Paul writes, “The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, Abba, Father!” (Romans 8:15, New International Version).

Jesus himself said we should call God “Father.” We truly are his sons and daughters. We are not slaves and should not live in fear. Instead, as his children, we should abide in his love!

“See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are” (1 John 3:1, English Standard Version).

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16, English Standard Version). The Spirit we receive from him lives within us and we will not perish!

Our Father in heaven, your name is Holy! Your Kingdom come and your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive our mistakes as we forgive the mistakes of others. Lead us away from temptation and deliver us from evil. For the kingdom is yours, now and always, and the power and glory are yours alone, forever and ever!

The kingdom is the Lord’s, now and always. In his kingdom, he is the king. And Jesus says, “For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you” (Luke 17:21 New King James Version).

When his kingdom is within us, we want him as king and we joyfully make him our king. We want his kingdom to come into the hearts of others, as well. We want the king’s will to be done on earth as it is in heaven. We want him to sustain us with daily bread, the Bread of Life. We want our king to forgive our mistakes as we forgive the mistakes of others. We want to be led away from temptation and thereby saved from evil. When we belong to his kingdom, we recognize his power and glory.

Anyone who gives their heart to the Lord is counted in his kingdom. We are his precious children. “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God” (John 1:12-13).

Jesus says, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3).

When we make the decision to follow Jesus we are born again, which is a way of saying that we have a new life with Jesus as king. We no longer live our lives separately from God. He has saved us from eternal death and separation from himself. 

Although we may never comprehend how much our King loves us, we simply need to believe it. But how do we possibly respond? Perhaps like David, who worshipped him like this: “Blessed are you, O Lord, the God of Israel our father, forever and ever. Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours.