Jesus prayed that all Christians be one and we’re not very good at being united. But one thing that all Christians have in common is the prayer that Jesus taught us to pray, The Lord’s Prayer, The Our Father. There are great riches in anything God teaches us and surely in this prayer.
A problem with praying the Lord’s Prayer, is that, all of us know it so well that sometimes we don’t even think about what we are saying when we pray it. So I’d like to examine this prayer, so that we can better understand it and pray it from the heart.
The prayer begins with our giving glory and praise to God, and then turns to our own needs.
The prayer starts “Our Father”, just two words, but they say many things. Jesus reveals to us that God is not just an all-powerful God and Creator, but that He is truly a real Father to each of us. Through Baptism and belief in Jesus, we have become adopted children of God the Father, Sons of God. And our relationship with the Father is a family relationship.
Notice, the prayer doesn’t start with “Father” or “My Father”. The prayer starts “Our Father” this tells us that each of us has the same Father in heaven. If this is the case, as sons and daughters of God, we are brothers and sisters with each other and also brothers with Jesus Christ, the Father’s only begotten Son.
God’s family is large, there are many angels and saints in heaven already; they are part of God’s family and part of our family also.
The prayer continues, “Who Art in Heaven”. God is everywhere, so why does Jesus refer to the Father as being in heaven? He wants us to raise our hearts and minds to heaven, because that is where we belong.
Heaven is the Father’s house to where we are all called. Jesus told us that He has prepared a place in heaven for all His disciples. He has prepared a place for us.
“Hallowed be Thy Name”; affirms that God’s name is all Holy. When we pray, Hallowed be Thy Name, we need to recognize that, as God’s children, everything we do reflects back on the Father’s Name. When we do good it reflects on His name, and when we do evil, that also reflects on His name. As His children, we should always desire to make the Father’s Name holy in our lives.
“Thy Kingdom Come”; “Thy Kingdom Come” doesn’t refer to some future event, it refers to the here and now. When Jesus started His ministry He told us, The Kingdom of God is at hand, it’s here, and He promised He would never leave us.
God’s kingdom is active right now, here on earth and over the whole universe.
All of us believe that whenever two or more are gathered in Jesus’ name, He’ll be present in their midst. Jesus is here with us now. And where Jesus, the King of Kings is, that is where you will find the kingdom of God. We are in God’s Kingdom right now. The Kingdom has come and we are part of the kingdom.
“Thy Will be Done on Earth as it is in heaven”; Here, we ask the Father to unite our wills to His. The only thing in the universe that isn’t under God’s control is us. When God made us in His Own Image and He gave us free wills, to accept or reject Him and His Will.
Here, we pray that we may cooperate with the Father’s will in all our thoughts and actions. Most of the time, when we pray, we pray for what we want. When we pray Thy Will be done, we correct that selfish tendency.
And what is God’s will? The Father’s will is simple, it’s love, compassion, and mercy. Jesus summed up the Father’s Will when He said, “Love God with your whole heart and your neighbor as yourself.”
How important was the Father’s Will to Jesus? You know that it wasn’t Jesus’ will to suffer the crucifixion. He fell on His knees and asked the Father to take that cup away from Him, but He immediately added, Thy Will be done, not Mine. It was the very purpose why Jesus came to earth, to do the Father’s Will.
And the Father’s Will is very important for us also. Jesus told us clearly, “Many will call out to Him, Lord, Lord and would not be saved. But those that do the Will of the Father shall be saved. (Matt 7:21)
“Give us this day our Daily Bread”; here we show our trust and dependence on the Father for all our physical and spiritual needs. We look to Our Father to give us what we need to sustain our physical lives, food, clothing, and shelter.
But more importantly, we ask the Father to give us what we need for our spiritual lives, we ask for Jesus Christ, the True Bread of Life. Jesus told us, “I am the true bread from heaven and whoever eats of this bread shall have eternal life. And I will abide in him and He in Me. And I will raise him up on the last day.”
“And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those that trespass against us”; this request to the Father is a two edged sword. We ask for God’s mercy and forgiveness, but only if we are merciful and forgiving to others.
Immediately after teaching the apostles ‘The Lord’s Prayer’ Jesus told them, “If you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.“ (Matt 6:14)
Understand something about the nature of forgiveness. When we truly forgive others for the wrongs they have done to us, we’re not doing them any favors, but ourselves. When we forgive, we take away the chains of the stings, resentments, and the bitterness of the wrongs they have done to us. Our forgiveness frees us from things that make us miserable.
Forgiving our enemies does not mean having to be pals with them or even seeing them again. What it does mean is letting go of hatred and grudges. In your heart, wish your enemies well, say a prayer for them, and move on.
“And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil”; here we ask God to help us not to make the choices that lead to sin and separation from Him. We’re also asking the Father for more than help, we’re asking Him to take total control and deliver us from Satan when our life on earth ends.
“Amen”; is an affirmation that we sincerely believe and mean all we have prayed.
A FINAL NOTE: Notice that, when we pray the Lord’s Prayer, we are never praying just for ourselves, We don’t pray My Father, give me, forgive me, lead me. Instead we pray Our Father, give us, forgive us, lead us. We’re praying for all of our brothers and sisters, for all of God’s family.
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