The Lord's Prayer

I don’t remember too much about church when I was a boy growing up.  However, there are two things that stick out in my mind:  Candles and the Lord’s Prayer.  Candles because I was a "Candle Boy" and had to where a “dress” (robe) and light which seemed like a thousand candles.  It seemed like so many because there was supposed to be two of us and the other kid never showed up.  The other aspect I remember about church was the reciting of the Lord’s Prayer. 

This, I thought, was an awesome thing as “Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name” would thunder across the sanctuary.  It was always done, if I remember correctly, at the beginning of the service and then everyone would sit down and settle in for the sermon.    

The traditional reciting of the Lord’s Prayer is seldom heard across the church landscape today.  It’s a tradition that has been lost and replaced with a multiplicity of other types of traditions.  Although, when the disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray (Luke 11:1), I don’t believe that this was a prayer that was ever intended to be recited as some magical key for the windows of heaven to then pour out upon us.  However, I don’t think it’s a bad idea either.    

It’s not a bad idea, because it reminds us how we are to pray.  Reciting it, helps us to learn how we should pray and why Jesus recited it to His disciples.  And it must have been important to the disciples because you don’t see anywhere else in Scripture where they asked Christ to teach them something.  They saw how often Jesus got away to pray with His heavenly Father.    

I conclude then that we should not neglect the Lord’s Prayer as we have and that the Lord’s Prayer is as relevant today as it was to the disciples 2000 plus years ago.  It is the only pattern prayer the Lord Jesus gave and its purpose and function are timeless.  It is a reminder, of how we are to pray throughout our lives in this present world.  It’s truths do not change. However, their application may.    

Take, for instance, the truth of God as the Father of His children – what a glorious thought.  However, the present down-grading of human fatherhood, demand a careful explanation today of God’s unique and perfect Fatherhood.  The same is true with the other aspects of the Lords’ Prayer.  Our idea of a kingdom is a far cry from the kingdom that Christ will establish when He comes.  God’s will also spoken of as if it were subjective; or it is, on the other hand, identified with material prosperity and personal influence.  Good teaching and preaching needs to be done to rescue it from such erroneous errors and discover the thrill and joy of living both of God’s will and under it.

While most of us live without going to bed wondering where our next meal is going to come from, there is a larger population in the world that most definitely does.  When we sit down and pray before our meals do we really believe that God has provided it?  “Give us day by day our daily bread” can only be genuinely prayed as we relate ourselves seriously to others and their need of bread as well as our own.    

Sin and temptation are a place we don’t go to in today’s church.  It’s not popular and besides the church is there for me and to encourage me and to make me feel good about myself.  Thus the church has moved to the entertainment business to help us to forget about our sins and to feel good about ourselves.  Today the church only politely asks them to lay their sins and temptations at the door where they can be picked up on their way out to lunch.    

Holiness – what’s that?  Is that something that is still a priority for Christians?  It’s not if you want to continue in your sin.  However, the holiness of God is the glorious light of the Gospel (2 Cor. 4:6) that caused us to recognize and repent from our sin and believe in the work Christ on the cross for our salvation.  Holiness is what causes us to forsake our sin and to flee from temptation.  His holiness is that light that leads us not into temptation but guides us closer to the foot of the Cross.    

The Lord’s Prayer is a treasure house of instruction and guidance Christ Jesus has given us.  May we not neglect it but “When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth. Give us day by day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil” (Luke 11:2-4).