Prayers

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Whenever I pray the ‘Lord’s Prayer,’ I am struck with the wonderful meanings that it conveys each time. The whole teaching of Our Lord, or rather the whole New Testament is put in a nutshell in this prayer.

The seven petitions

The prayer that our Lord Jesus taught us contains all that he taught us on this earth. There are seven petitions in the prayer—three in the first part and four in the second part. The first three are about the kingdom of God and the last three are about the relationship with God and men. In the middle comes the petition for the nourishment of our body and soul. As Jesus has taught us all about the commandments of God, love of God and neighbor is the basis of this prayer. “You shall love the Lord, with all your heart, with your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and the most important of the commandments. But after this there is another one very similar to it; you shall love your neighbor as yourself. The whole Law and the Prophets are founded on these two commandments” (Matthew 22:37-40).

The first three about the Kingdom of God

Jesus said, “Set your heart first on the kingdom and justice of God and all these things will also be given to you.” (Matthew 6:33) In the first three petitions, “Our Father in heaven, (1) holy be your name, (2) your kingdom come and (3) and your will be done.” Before we ask for our bread, we seek the kingdom of God, we glorify the name of God, and we strive to establish his kingdom.

The petition for bread in the middle

The middle part of the prayer is for ‘the daily bread’. This petition is, in away, its peak, and the crest of the prayer wave. The three petitions of the first part lead to the fourth one ‘give us today our daily bread’. It is the fulfillment of those three petitions. Thus when we pray, “Give us this day our daily bread”, the Father’s name is being glorified, his kingdom being established, and his will is being done. And from this petition flow the remaining three.

The last three petitions- the fulfillment of the Kingdom of God

In the first three, we strive for the kingdom of God and in the last three the promise of God is fulfilled. “All these things will be given to you as well.” (Matthew 6:33) What are those three which bring the kingdom of God on the earth? (1) Healing of our relationship with God and others (everything in the past), (2) victory over every temptation (in the present), and (3) deliverance from the evil one (referring to the future). When we are in good relationship with God and men, automatically the kingdom of God is established there.

Give us our daily bread

Bread is man’s principal nourishment to sustain life. It signifies not luxuries of life, but all that is needed for man. It is not just food alone but also clothing and shelter, as well as intellectual, emotional and spiritual nourishment.
Though the Lord’s Prayer may at first seem to be earth-bound, it is really heavenly directed and the fulfillment of God’s promise. It is a call for the establishment of God’s kingdom on this earth.

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