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"Pep" Talk

Seeing the world through a theological lens...

Teaching Us to Pray

2/22/2021

4 Comments

 
Picture
Luke 12:1-4
He was praying in a certain place, and after he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.” 
He said to them, “When you pray, say:

​Father, hallowed be your name.

    Your kingdom come.
Give us each day our daily bread.
And forgive us our sins,
        for we ourselves forgive everyone indebted to us.
    And do not bring us to the time of trial.”


We're entering our first full week of Lent and its about the time that some of our best intended Lenten practices begin to fall by the wayside. Whether it's a devotional book, journaling, giving up sugar, or swearing off swearing, it is difficult to keep our disciplines, well, disciplined.  It's not that our intentions are not sincere.  In both our hearts and heads it seemed like a 40 day spiritual journey would be good for us.  But sometimes life happens; we get thrown off our schedule and what we had hoped to do, write, avoid, pray... doesn't happen.

It's in these times that I am grateful for what is commonly called, "The Lord's Prayer."  Even when I have forgotten my daily practice, I can stop what I'm doing for a moment, and pray this prayer, no matter what time it is or where I am.  I know it by heart. I memorized it as a child.  We said it every week in church and almost every time we prayed in Sunday School, Youth Group, and church events.  We said it around my father's death bed.  We've prayed it over my sick children, at communion ceremonies, and even at civic events. 
As a pastor I've been in churches where this prayer was part of the liturgy each week, and I've also relied on it as the go to prayer at funerals and other solemn events. (1)  

There's a reason it's THE prayer for Christians.  Jesus wrote it.  The disciples wanted instruction. "Teach us to pray like John taught his disciples to pray..."  And it's easy to understand why.  The disciples, like us, both want to say the right words when we pray.  We want to express our needs to God with phrases that will yield the best result.  We also want God to know we are sincere when we pray in the hope that God will listen, really listen, and be moved enough to act on our behalf.  

Luke weaves in what we call the Lord's Prayer directly after the parable of the Good Samaritan, and the story of Mary and Martha. So when the disciples ask Jesus to teach them to pray, he gives a distraction free, no frills, "better part" prayer. 
You might notice this version is a bit different than the other gospels.  It is trimmer in content. It leaves out, "thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven"and concentrates more on the here and now needs of the people.   Each day this week we'll be looking at a different line of this prayer, as each one deserves unpacking.  Each phrase honors God, and also instructs us in how to live "on earth" and in Christ. 

For today, why not leave a comment... what does/has the Lord's prayer mean/meant to you? 

(1) Saying the Lord's prayer together often serves 
as a way for grieving attendees to participate in the service and express their sorrow.  Many find it comforting as well. 


4 Comments
Laureen Gibeau
2/22/2021 01:39:02 pm

Good afternoon, Linda. I have tried to pray along aloud with this prayer, but I always get tripped up, because I've heard another version of it when we attended Catholic church services with my stepfather. Are there different versions of this, or am I mistaken?

Reply
Pastor Linda
2/22/2021 07:02:34 pm

Yes Laureen, There are other versions, even in the gospels.In Matthew, it sounds like this:

Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.
10 Your kingdom come.
Your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our daily bread.[a]
12 And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And do not bring us to the time of trial,[b]
but rescue us from the evil one.

The one most people know sounds like this:

Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.

10 Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

11 Give us this day our daily bread.

12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

But you can really say it in whatever version that is most meaningful to you, and is easiest to remember. - PL

Reply
Deb Dempsey
2/23/2021 08:45:14 am

Hi Linda! One thing I've been wondering lately, is why didn't the disciples ask Jesus how to listen to God? I wonder what he would have said.
My favorite part of the Lord's prayer is "Thy kingdom come,
thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven". In the past, when I tried to force my will, I often found it was a bad decision. On the other hand, if I had gone the kingdom way (which brings me back to "knowing" what God wants), the outcome would have been so much more fulfilling.

Reply
Beverly Allegretti
2/23/2021 10:24:29 am

"Give us this day our daily bread"

Growing up in poverty, I saw my parents rely on God to provide for us. Many a time it was what my father grew in his garden that was on the table. My mother was the queen of preparing hamburger meat and making it stretch.

God provides what we need. Whether it be spiritual food or food for sustenance. Amen!!!

Reply



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    Rev. Linda Pepe

    Loving life, light, and laughter... 

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