Thought on the Lord's Prayer

THOUGHTS ON THE LORD’S PRAYER

Lord, I cannot say ‘OUR FATHER’
if my Christianity has no room for other people and their needs.

I cannot say ‘WHO ART IN HEAVEN’
if my attention is focused only on earthly things.

I cannot say ‘HALLOWED BE YOUR NAME’
if I, who am called by your name, am not holy.

I cannot say ‘YOUR KINGDOM COME’
if I fail to acknowledge your sovereignty in my life.

I cannot say ‘ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN’
unless I am truly ready to serve you here and now.

I cannot say ‘GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY BREAD’
without doing an honest day’s work and without considering the needs of those less fortunate.

I cannot say ‘FORGIVE US OUR SINS AS WE FORGIVE THOSE WHO SIN AGAINST US’
if I harbour grievances against my bother or sister.

I cannot say ‘LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION’
if I deliberately choose to remain in a situation where I am likely to be tempted.

I cannot say ‘DELIVER US FROM EVIL’
if I am not prepared to take a stand against injustice and evil in my society.

Lord, I cannot say ‘THINE IS THE KINGDOM, THE POWER AND THE GLORY’
if I do not submit to Christ as King, if I fail to trust you to act in my life, or if in pride, I seek my own glory.

And finally, I cannot say AMEN
unless I can honestly say, come what may, this is my prayer.

“Prayer is exhaling the spirit of man and inhaling the spirit of God” – Edwin Keith

“When I pray, coincidences happen, And when I stop praying, the coincidences stop” – Archbishop William Temple

“Before we can pray,’ Lord, Thy Kingdom came’, we must be willing to pray, ‘my Kingdom go’” – Alan Redpath

Let’s be honest with ourselves, - how often do we go through the motions of using this beautiful prayer which Jesus himself taught us without really thinking what it’s about? Keep this with your Bibles as a reminder.

God bless,
Penny