Meditating on the Lord's Prayer 5
Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us
Remind me my worst enemy is not my fellow human, but my own heart marching to the old music of autonomy and the refusal to admit dependence. I yet believe the old old story that all will be well if I could have what I want. Remind me that the one I call enemy is as loved by You as I am, and that if I understood his circumstances, I might understand what he does. Grant me the wisdom to see where I'm not any better than he.
Meditating on the Lord's Prayer 4
Give us this day our daily bread
Today I have new needs. Give me today what I need today. Grant me wisdom to see that I need you again today. Grant me understanding when you supply my needs but not my wants.
Today I have new needs. Give me today what I need today. Grant me wisdom to see that I need you again today. Grant me understanding when you supply my needs but not my wants.
Meditating on the Lord's Prayer 3
Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven
May your agenda, your mystery of reconciling all peoples in Christ go forward today. May there be a measurable step in that direction this day. May your intricate plan to overrule the powers and practices of this world advance and spread. May the secret of the eternal Word lovingly written on each heart, no matter how weak or lowly or despised, advance until the awareness of You fills the world as the waters fill the sea.
May your agenda, your mystery of reconciling all peoples in Christ go forward today. May there be a measurable step in that direction this day. May your intricate plan to overrule the powers and practices of this world advance and spread. May the secret of the eternal Word lovingly written on each heart, no matter how weak or lowly or despised, advance until the awareness of You fills the world as the waters fill the sea.
Meditating on the Lord's Prayer 2
May your name be holy
Your name is holy, I cannot make it holy, but may I understand how holy it is, may I set myself to living out the awareness of Your holiness. May I remember that as often as you grant me success and keep me from failure, my success or my failure does not really add or detract from your wondrous nature or the glories of your plans.
Your name is holy, I cannot make it holy, but may I understand how holy it is, may I set myself to living out the awareness of Your holiness. May I remember that as often as you grant me success and keep me from failure, my success or my failure does not really add or detract from your wondrous nature or the glories of your plans.
Meditating on the Lord's prayer
Our Father in heaven
O Holy One, the Father of all Fathers, There, in heaven, you are intangible, yet not distant. Master of that unseen realm where our happiness will be complete, where the current hints of goodness in our hearts will be fulfilled and made whole, our contradictory desires reconciled and the current ravages of evil in our hearts will be cleansed and removed.
O Holy One, the Father of all Fathers, There, in heaven, you are intangible, yet not distant. Master of that unseen realm where our happiness will be complete, where the current hints of goodness in our hearts will be fulfilled and made whole, our contradictory desires reconciled and the current ravages of evil in our hearts will be cleansed and removed.
A praise and a prayer
God, I asked you to mentor me, and you did.
You taught me to claim your promises, not complain they aren't fulfilled.
You hold me together when circumstances threaten to break me,
You lead me to peace instead of perplexity.
You make more of me than I can of myself.
I trust myself to you again.
Give me your joy, remind me of your presence and how much I need it.
You taught me to claim your promises, not complain they aren't fulfilled.
You hold me together when circumstances threaten to break me,
You lead me to peace instead of perplexity.
You make more of me than I can of myself.
I trust myself to you again.
Give me your joy, remind me of your presence and how much I need it.
Am I in charge of my prayer life?
Of course not. It ought to be an absurd question. Who am I? Finite, easily distracted, selfish even in my best moments: "Oh, look at me! Aren't I being so good! Why doesn't anyone notice?" Who is God? Infinite in love, power and wisdom, Creator and Lord of all that exists. Who is best qualified to be the senior partner in this relationship? He is.
And yet, Scripture doesn't assume we can be passive in prayer. When the disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray, Jesus didn't say just show up and listen to the Father. Jesus taught them a model prayer, that they could memorize and recite, and we are still using it. Why would Jesus give us a model prayer if it were not up to us most of the time to set the agenda for our conversations with God? Why does Paul "urge" in 1 Timothy 2 "that prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone, – for kings and all those in authority?" The urging shows we decide what we say in our prayer times. God entrusts us with the initiative in prayer. I think this is because in this life where faith in the unseen is so important ("without faith it is impossible to please God"), God limits how much he shows himself in our experience to leave room for faith.
I have heard people talk about the importance of listening to God in prayer. I can't say that I have a lot of experience with this. I believe I've heard God speak audibly or almost audibly once. (Whether it was an actual audible sound, or merely a strong impression in my mind is not something I fret about). But my usual experience of dialog with God is my mind "generating" his voice based on what Scriptures come to mind and how I judge they apply. And I suspect this is probably the normal experience for most Christians on this side of eternity.
And yet, Scripture doesn't assume we can be passive in prayer. When the disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray, Jesus didn't say just show up and listen to the Father. Jesus taught them a model prayer, that they could memorize and recite, and we are still using it. Why would Jesus give us a model prayer if it were not up to us most of the time to set the agenda for our conversations with God? Why does Paul "urge" in 1 Timothy 2 "that prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone, – for kings and all those in authority?" The urging shows we decide what we say in our prayer times. God entrusts us with the initiative in prayer. I think this is because in this life where faith in the unseen is so important ("without faith it is impossible to please God"), God limits how much he shows himself in our experience to leave room for faith.
I have heard people talk about the importance of listening to God in prayer. I can't say that I have a lot of experience with this. I believe I've heard God speak audibly or almost audibly once. (Whether it was an actual audible sound, or merely a strong impression in my mind is not something I fret about). But my usual experience of dialog with God is my mind "generating" his voice based on what Scriptures come to mind and how I judge they apply. And I suspect this is probably the normal experience for most Christians on this side of eternity.
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