by Dave Huller, Lay Leader
Until Jesus came along, the people in early biblical times understood prayer only through the lens of the Pharisees: boisterous, long, self-righteous, and self serving.
Jesus was different as he could spend hours at a time in silence as if he were listening more than he was proselytizing the people to accept thousands of rules to govern their lives! What the people noticed most about Jesus was that, when he rose from his prayers and joined them for the day's activities, he was energized and utterly at peace.
There was an incredibly unique presence about this man who they called the Messiah, and the more time they spent with him, the more they knew it was founded in his practice of daily prayer. So, one day, they asked him to teach the people how to pray and it forever change the trajectory of humanity.
“Our father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever.” Amen. - Matthew 6:9-13
“The most famous prayer in the world can be recited in less than thirty seconds, and it is a virtual treasure of theological and spiritual insight.” - Don Underwood, “Pray Like Jesus: Rediscovering the Lord’s Prayer”
All of us recite this prayer in worship, but have you ever played that recording in your mind in slow motion and prayerfully considered it line by line? I had the honor to lead a Disciple Study on this very topic and would like to share with the congregation in this forum what I and my fellow Disciples learned.
Buckle up and come along for a journey in faith, for as my brother-in-law used to say, “You’ll never walk alone.” Walk with me and vision the Lord’s Prayer in ways you may never have considered!