Our Father

It is perhaps the most widely used prayer ever – the "Our Father," the prayer Jesus Himself taught His disciples. As a disciple of this same Jesus, do you ever pray this prayer?

Today I want to take you through three elements that come up in this prayer. My prayer is that this helps you to pray your own "Our Father" as well.

Up

The first part of the prayer addresses itself upward. "Up" to God Himself. Our Father, You are in heaven, Your name (which is much more than just the designation of a person) we want to see sanctified and hallowed. We look forward to Your Kingdom coming, and that it will be here on earth modeled on heaven, as You intended it to be.

In

Then we look at ourselves. We need "bread." Food, but you can also take that more broadly: shelter, protection. These are the things Father knows we need, and we ask Him for them because we know He is the Giver. It makes us aware that we are dependent on Him.

In addition, we become aware that we live each day by grace, by forgiveness. "Forgive us our debts. We need to be washed clean every day of that of which we are guilty, consciously or unconsciously. That which creates separation between Him and us. That in which He does not get the place He should. Therefore, we ask for forgiveness and an attitude of forgiveness towards others: 'Forgive me, ... as I forgive others'. A remarkable sentence. How forgiving are we? Do we forgive from an awareness of how much we have been forgiven? We sometimes see it so well in the other person - and forget our own weakness.

Out

Finally, prayer moves outward, so to speak. In my own words, "Father, we will encounter all kinds of trials and temptations in the world. Help us to stand firm in them, not doing evil, but rightly representing You so that the world will see You in us."

I'm filling in a bit, I'm aware of that, but do you feel how this prayer moves? How it moves from above to inside to outside?

Just pray this prayer regularly.

But let the movement of this prayer also be a model for you. When you turn to God, turn to Him first, tell Him what you think of Him. How you love Him. First up. And then, of course, there are all kinds of things you need. God knows that; just ask Him. He loves to hear you. And confess to Him what may have gone wrong. He promises forgiveness for people who come to Him in this way (1 Jn. 1:9).

And from there, you may also move "outside”. At work, at school, in your family or your neighborhood. Ask the Father if you may, where you are now, be a faithful ambassador of His Kingdom.

Take the following questions to think about:

• Do you ever pray the Our Father? Why or why not?
• How can the format of "Up," "In" and "Out" help you in your prayers?
• Praying is turning to God. How can you do that every day?

Prayer: "Lord, thank You for giving me a sample prayer. Thank You that You love to hear us. Thank You that You always listen and that You hear something with our prayers.

Lord, I thank You for who You are.

Lord, I thank You that You provide.

Lord, I thank You for forgiveness.

Lord, I thank You that You are with me.

Amen."