Devotionals

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A Meditation on Praying through the Lord’s Prayer

Our Father in heaven
It is essential that we know who it is we are praying to: our Father, the father of the whole world. This image of God can be difficult, especially if our own father was unloving,dominating, or even abusive. The word ‘father’ instantly brings all kinds of images and impressions to our minds. The Father to whom we pray is the one who loves us extravagantly,unceasingly,totally. He loves us exactly as we are. He doesn’t make conditions: “I will love you if you are good, if you work hard, if you please me, if you are like me.” He loves us because love is his nature; in a sense he can’t help loving us. We are his; we are precious in his sight.

Hallowed be your name
His name is to be hallowed; held as holy; sacred. His name is not to be misused, or taken lightly. In saying this we make a positive statement to God: your name is holy, Lord, you are to be worshipped with reverence - I worship you, I hallow your name.

Your kingdom come
This is the earnest desire of my heart - that your kingdom should come on earth. May your ways and your laws rule on earth, here where I live, in my home, my village, my town, my city, my country. I wish this to happen and I look forward to the day when this prayer is fully realised. In the meantime, I wish your kingdom to rule in my heart and mind. I submit myself with joy in my heart, to your ruling. May you be king in my
heart.

Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven
It is a relief to pray this part of the Lord’s prayer. We are giving over our will to God’s will, accepting that this is the best outcome we could wish for anyone and everyone. If God’s will were truly done on earth, as it is in heaven, we would see
heaven on earth. This is what we wish for, and what we long for. Yes, Lord, may your will be done on earth. Not my will, but yours. May your purposes be brought about, and may I be part of that. May I be part of the solution, and not part of the problem.

Give us this day our daily bread
Our heavenly Father knows our needs. He knows that we need daily bread, daily sustenance, if we are to live this life to the full. Bread in this sense is not just physical food for our bodies, although that is important, and we know there are many in this world who do not have enough food. It is also spiritual food, the nourishment that comes from God, the daily building up of our faith and hope and love. It is important that we ask him for this every day. And for those of us who are fortunate enough to live where there is food in abundance, more than we could possibly consume, it is our duty to pray for daily bread for those who are starving. Yes, Lord, may there be a levelling, a massive adjustment in the cruel imbalance that leaves millions to starve while my cupboard and fridge are full to overflowing.

Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us
If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. It is good to be reminded of this truth every day: that we are sinners. Even when we are not aware of any obvious wrongdoing, still it is true that we sin. We may do much that is good, much that is loving, we may purposely act in self-sacrificing ways every day, and yet we are still sinners. Forgive us Father.

And as God freely and joyfully forgives us our sins, so we must forgive others. This is possibly the hardest of all the sayings of Jesus, the one which most people feel justified in ignoring at some time in their lives. “Forgive him, after what he did to me? Why should I? How can I?” Perhaps it helps to see, that forgiveness is actually not about the other person, it is about us. Our refusal to forgive says far more about us than it does about the thing or person that needs forgiving. And in the final analysis, forgiveness is a gift you give to yourself. When we forgive, we set ourselves free, from the terrible trap of bitterness, anger, resentment, and the urge for revenge.

Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil
Protect me, Lord, from the particular temptations that seem irresistible to me. Strengthen me to resist, open my eyes that I may see the truth about this habit, that addiction, the inclinations of my mind and my body, the situation that makes them so much more difficult to resist. Lead me away from this Lord, into your freedom, the freedom that I will only find within your will. Deliver me from evil both great and small, from the selfish impulses of my heart and from the malevolent forces that would derail my life and lead me away from you.

For the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours, now and forever
You have the victory, despite the apparent flourishing of evil in our world. The enemy will have his day, but in the end he will be conquered, and you have the ultimate power and glory, and the kingdom of this world belongs to you. This is true both now and in the future. In this lies my security and peace of mind. No matter what happens to me or to those I love, you are in charge, the world is yours.

Amen
So be it, Lord. All that I have prayed in the words of the prayer that Jesus taught us, may it be so. May my heart and mind be aligned with yours, may I be a channel through which you can work, for my benefit and the benefit of others. So be it.

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