A few Sundays ago, Luke’s gospel chapter 11 was read. In it the Apostles asked Jesus to teach them to pray. This is His response: 

Luke 11:2-4 

King James Version 

²And he said unto them, 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. 

³Give us day by day our daily bread. 

⁴And 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. 

Matthew’s gospel reveals a slightly different and longer prayer, teaching a lesson to the disciples that prayer should come from a humble place in the heart and in secret, so as not to attract attention. Whichever one you choose, they relay the same message. 

The message starts with the first two words. We don’t use the salutation, Almighty God, Heavenly Ruler, Divine Master, King of All. No, the first two words are an intimate identification that we are the children of God! “Our Father” can indicate nothing but that we consider ourselves to be from God. His offspring, His children, His progeny. Wow! What an honor. 

This prayer is the foundation of our relationship with God. He is our Father. He loves us unconditionally, as all fathers do (I hope). We love Him in return and rely on Him for everything in our lives.  

Like all relationships, this one needs to be nurtured to grow and stay strong. Saying the Lord’s Prayer with the reality that you are praying to your Father, not by your choice, but by His, is one avenue to strengthen your relationship. When you say this prayer, take the time to think about the words and what they mean to you.  

Most of us learned this prayer at a tender age. We say it by rote. Now you can say it in awe because it is the foundation of your belief and outlines what you are asking of God your father.  

You are always on His radar, even when it doesn’t feel like He is present. Trust in the love of the Father. Always remember that He loves you unconditionally! 

Terri