One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.”
Luke 11:1 NIV
What proceeds (Luke 11:2-4) is Luke’s rendition of the prayer that we have come to know as the “Lord’s prayer”. Although shorter than the version found in Matthew 6 (verses 9 – 13), the similarities in emphasis are the same. Depending on your religious back ground, this prayer would have either been something very familiar or you may not have been aware of it until recently. No matter where you fall on this spectrum, the ideas expressed in this prayer, set as a model by our Lord, are the foundation on which all prayer should be built. I recently studied this prayer in a little more depth and decided that I would put it into my own words – words that reflect my brokenness, vulnerabilities, gratitude and awe for this marvelous God who created me. What follows is the result of that reflection:
My Father who dwells magnificently in heaven;
Your name is uniquely holy, and I will treat it with the reverence that it deserves;
Let your plan of ultimate rule unfold;
Let your will be accomplished in my life and on this earth, as it is accomplished in heaven;
Bless me today with all of the materials, attitudes and spiritual fruit that I will need in every present moment that you gift me;
Help me to avoid tempting situations that appeal to my vulnerabilities and trigger my character defects;
Strengthen me to persevere through unwanted but inevitable circumstances that arise due to the fallen state of the world and the enemy’s attacks;
In all things, help me to remember that you are the ultimate creator and owner of everything seen and unseen. All ability to accomplish, create, sustain and overcome emanates from you;
All praise to you Mighty King, forever and ever into all eternity.
Amen
I would encourage you to read the prayer in Matthew 6 and spend some time reflecting on what those words mean to you. As a further step, try writing your own version of the prayer as I did, so that God’s character, power, majesty and love for you reveal themselves.
