How many of us have known "The Lord's Prayer" since we were children?
At last week at the men's conference, one of the pastor's said, "If the disciples were advised to use this prayer as a model of how to pray, how many of us do so on a daily basis?" I was NOT one of the few who raised their hand. Since then, every morning, before I get out of bed and my feet touch the floor, I have sought to pray the prayer but not as a "vain repetition" that the bible warns about in Matthew 6:7 Instead, I have sought to get at the meaning of each line and pray with that meaning in mind.
I prayed the prayed a variation of the prayer this morning, with my son's graduation in mind, petitioning that the encounter between my dad, X and Mr. X in mind would go well. As I prayed, my eyes were again opened to the reverence and awe I need to have for the God of the universe. This awareness led me to share these thoughts with whomever happens to read them.
At the bottom of the post, there is a link to a wonderful video of a two year old citing the prayer. Enjoy the child's innocence and sweetness as she sings "The Lord's Prayer."
Below you will find what my prayer, following the "model," might sound like:
Quote:
Our Father, who art in heaven,
My Lord, Creator, God who is in heaven, waiting for me the moment I depart from this earth
hallowed be thy name.
Precious, sacred, holy and worthy of reverence is Your name
Thy Kingdom come,
I wait, long and desire for Your reign to come
thy will be done,
I am yours, show me Your will. I will accept your will your actions for my life and desire to be used to love those around me, to do your will for those you place in my path.
on earth as it is in heaven
today, tomorrow and all the days of my life on earth as well as for eternity
Give us this day our daily bread.
Lord, I humbly ask that you provide for my needs and the needs of those I see and come into contact with today. Let me focus on today and be anxious not about tomorrow.
And forgive us our trespasses,
Please for give me for any sin I have committed against anyone, any thought or action which separates me from you
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
Lord help me to remain in a spirit of forgiveness to X and Mr. X and I pray for them now that they have their own relationship with you and that they be forgiven in your eyes
And lead us not into temptation,
Please, please put your hedged of protection around me, my loved ones and my friends against the lying deceiving enemy. Provide a way of escape when the tempter does confront me with anything that will separate me from you
but deliver us from evil.
My Lord, please continue to rescue me in my times of distress, anguish or distress as You ALWAYS have.
For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory, for ever and ever.
Your are the eternal, all powerful, merciful, benevolent God of the universe, worthy of all my praise, my total adoration and my absolute obedience.
But Jesus said, "Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven."
May each of you have a blessed day.
(p.s. With all the prayers of many for today's graduation, I anticipate returning with a "Praise Report" on what God is going to do. I approach the day with positive expectation rather than fear. For me fear is a lack of trust that my Father in Heaven knows all and will only allow those things in my life that will ultimately work out so that He receives the glory and praise, for He is good.)
Committed2Him- "C2H" All Things (Back from Spain!)...18
