Prayer: Holy, Holy, Holy God. Lord of power and strength. Heaven and earth are full of Your glory. Return to the Lord for the Lord is all tenderness and compassion. Amen.
Read St Luke 11: 1- 4
This section of St Luke is Jesus’ teachings on prayer. The disciples come to Jesus and ask him to teach them a prayer as John taught his disciples. During this time, all teachers would teach their students how to pray and as well giving them a prayer to sustain their calling to discipleship and learning.
Jesus begins by saying, “When you pray say…. Our Father”. What isn’t translated into English is the words “Our Father”. During the time of Jesus, all prayers were addressed to the very formal and only used for religious prayer, “Our Father”. Jesus’ use of the name “Our Father” is actually that of Abba…. Abba is what Jewish children would call their fathers.
The disciples must have been thinking, “Good heavens Jesus! Are you sure we can pray Abba to God?”
The Lord’s Prayer is one that we pray every day and each Sunday at Church. This prayer is composed of Jesus teaching the disciples to begin this prayer in Adoration to God. Father, hallowed be Your name, Your kingdom come. While they can call God, abba, the disciples must come before God in adoration.
Give us each day our daily bread. Then Jesus instructs the disciples to ask for daily bread – for sustanence on the journey.
Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. Jesus also instructs the disciples that they must ask for forgiveness daily. Forgiveness must be not only asking that our sins may be forgiven but forgiveness for those who sin against us.
Wow! Think about this prayer petition for a moment. Forgiveness not only for ourselves but also for those who sin against us. If we truly followed this prayer, would we have fighting or conflict in the Church? Something to think about!
And lead us not into temptation. Jesus instructs the disciples to ask that God will keep them safe from themselves and from making bad choices and from evil.
Today as you say your prayers, remember the Lord’s Prayer given to the disciples so that they would be sustained in their life and work and always giving glory to God for all they do or say.
Prayer: Our Father who is in heaven. Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from all evil. For Your kingdom, Your power, and Your glory. Amen.
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