Our Father

Using the Lord's Prayer as a Guide for praying

In Matthew 6 and Luke 11, Jesus teaches us to pray what we call “The Lord’s Prayer.” Almost all Christians have prayed this prayer, either corporately in worship services or individually. I believe Jesus gave this prayer to us to both repeat and as a pattern for praying. Each section can be used as a guide for our “Personal Lord’s Prayer.”

"Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be your name."

In an earlier post, I mentioned how our prayers should start with praising God. This is how Jesus said to begin our prayers. Using this as a guide we might pray something like…

Eternal Father, show me today how I can honor, lift up, and glorify You as the Name above all names.

"Your Kingdom come on earth as it is in Heaven."

We live in a world that is blinded and battered by the forces of evil. God desires that our world be as it is in heaven. That happenes as one-by-one people call on his name for salvation and healing and then submit to his rule in their individual lives. I need to realize that God’s rule on earth begins with me, as my greatest influence is myself. Using Jesus’ words as a guide, we might pray…

As I bow before you today, I let you rule in my heart, my mind, and my soul. I pray for the coming of the time when every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is King!

"Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven,"

God’s Kingdom can only come on earth as his will is done on earth. And his will being done on earth begins with each of Christ’s followers obeying his will. This leads us to pray something like…

Today, Lord, let me follow hard after your will. As I bow before you, help me to be obedient to you in all my thoughts, my words, and my actions.

"Give us this day our daily bread."

Peter tells us that God will provide everthing we need in life. “His divine power has given us everything needed for life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.” (2 Peter 1:3 NRSV) Jesus says, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for the kingdom of heaven is theirs.” (Matthew 5:3 CSB). How do we connect these two promises in light of Jesus telling us to ask God to provide for our daily needs? We could pray…

I fecognize the profound poverty in every area of my life. So, today I ask you, Heavenly Father, to provide for…

• My physical needs. Lord, please provide the basic sustenance so that my body can operate - provide  all that is physically necessary for functioning in this world.

• My emotional needs.  Father, help me find my significance and security in You. Help me to always remember that you love me and want me to thrive emotionally.

• My social needs. Because I need to be in community, help me to realize that You will provide community for me. Help me to thrive in the community that you provide.

• My spiritual needs. Lord, you have given  me all that is necessary for living in your Kingdom: Holy Spirit, scriptural understanding,  the "fruit of the Spirit,” a local church community, courage, wisdom, and discernment. Help me to thrive in Your Kingdom.

"Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us."

We are fallen people who live in a fallen world. We sin afainst God and against other people. This should lead us to pray something like…

Lord, today help me to realize that my relationship with you is the most important relationship in my life. And, that my relationship with others impacts my relationship with you. Let me see and repent when I have said “no”to you. Let me forgive others as Christ has forgiven me.

"Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil."

This statement by Jesus is often misunderstood. God cannot lead us into temptation. James says, “No one undergoing a trial should say, "I am being tempted by God," since God is not tempted by evil, and he himself doesn't tempt anyone.” ( James 1:13 CSB)

So what is Jesus saying here? I like Darrell Johnson’s paraphrase of this verse. “Father, as you lead us to the test, do not let the test become a temptation, but rescue us from the one who seeks to destroy our faith, and work in us the same confidence in you that Jesus has." Thus, we can pray…

Lord, as I am tempted, give me power through Holy Spirit to say "no" to every  temptation. As I face trials, give me strength to endure and wisdom to realize how you want to use the trial to grow my character and my faith in you.

"For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen."

This closing doxology is not in the oldest texts and most Bible translations do not include it. Yet, most of us end our recitation of the prayer with these words. There is nothing wrong with doing that. We just need to realize that the words most likely were not said by Jesus. If we want to include a closong doxology as we end our personalization of the Lord’s prayer we can say something like…

Lord, I proclaim that you have ultimate power to bring about your forever kingdom for your eternal glory! Help me to live as your Kingdom citizen right now, but always mindful of the future fulfillment of your forever, perfect Kingdom!

---

I want encourage you to do two things in regard to personalizing the Lord’s Prayer. First, develop your own personal Lord’s Prayer in writing. Use it daily to follow Jesus’ model. Second, use the Lord’s Prayer as a guide for praying spontaneous prayers to him each day. May God richly bless you as you personalize the Lord’s Prayer in your life!