The Lord’s Prayer. Some say it everyday. But we have to do more than just say it. We need to know it, understand it and mean it. God’s word is not a magic formula that you say the words to and they work. We have to believe what these words say. They need to be lived through us.
Below is the Lord’s Prayer with links to a few versions. I want to encourage you to read it slowly. Read it multiple times and let the words affect you. Seek to know their meaning. Click the links and read the whole chapter. Whatever you do don’t receipt them from memory until the words have a personal meaning to you. Jesus was teaching us how to pray. Not to repeat words but how to posture our hearts before our Heavenly Father.
The Lord’s Prayer –Matthew 6 ESV, TLB, NASB
5 “And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 6 But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
7 “And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. 9 Pray then like this:
“Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.
10 Your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our daily bread,
12 and forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
14 For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, 15 but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
Before these verses God talks about giving to the needy but in secret. So we get store up treasures in heaven not on earth. And after he talks about fasting and not being anxious. Both of which are accomplished by submission to God.
When I pray the Lord’s Prayer I often don’t even get through it. I just focus on the first two verses. In short “Glorify God and Build His Kingdom.” In our world it’s easy to focus on ourselves. But he calls us to focus on him. The rest of the verses are about him caring for us. But he only cares for us if we focus and depend on him.
Here is a free download for a screensaver. To help us all focus on our King.