by Dave Huller, Lay Leader
The Lord's Prayer, when spoken thoughtfully, places our focus on the first member of the Triune God, God the Father. In his introduction to the prayer in Matthew 6:9-13, “Jesus clearly draws a contrast between the superficial, boastful spirituality of the Pharisees and the kind of humble spirituality he was trying to model for his followers.” - Don Underwood, Pray Like Jesus – Rediscovering the Lord’s Prayer.
In Matthew 6:5-8, Jesus specifically instructs his disciples, “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.”
The next time you recite the Lord’s Prayer, ponder the first words, “Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.” Allow yourself to be “immersed in this image of a transcendent God who has the power to breathe life into the universe and into each and every human being, a God who cares for us and our loved ones more deeply than we can imagine.” - Don Underwood, Pray Like Jesus – Rediscovering the Lord’s Prayer.
Each of us were placed on this earth by a loving God and were a gift to our parents just as our children are gifts to us from “Our father who art in heaven!”
“The first phrase of the Lord's Prayer serves as an antidote to our selfie world. It reminds us of a powerful and transcendent and creative God in whose presence we feel small. It places us spiritually on our knees. It encourages us to adopt the spirit of appropriate humility. Every single day each of us makes a decision, either consciously or unconsciously: will this day belong to me, or will it belong to God? Will it be a selfie day or God's day? Will I live solely for myself, or will I live as a grateful servant of the one who created me? Meditating for a few minutes on the phrase, “Our father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name” can help us to feel appropriately small in the presence of a big God and to begin our day more faithfully.” - Don Underwood, Pray Like Jesus – Rediscovering the Lord’s Prayer.