The Lord's Prayer

The Disciples asked Jesus to teach them how to pray.  Here is what Jesus said:  (From Matthew 6:9-13)

⁹ “This, then, is how you should pray:

“‘Our Father who art heaven,
hallowed be your name,
¹⁰ your kingdom come,
your will be done,
    on earth as it is in heaven.
¹¹ Give us today our daily bread.
¹² And forgive us our trespasses,
    as we forgive those that have trespassed against us.
¹³ And lead us not into temptation,
    but deliver us from the evil.

(and some add:  For thine is the Kingdom, the power and glory forever"

We say this prayer every Sunday at Church, but really it is meant to be a "template" on how to Pray.

Jesus is telling us that in prayer and in our lives, we need to recognize that God is first and all powerful and that we submit to His will.  It is an opportunity to show thankfulness for all He has blessed you with.

I love verse 11:  "Give us today our daily bread".  It is only recently that I have come to understand that single line.   On the one hand, it is a line that tells us we realize that God will give us all that we need.  But it is deeper than that.   See, just as bread nourishes our body, the Word of God will nourish our soul.  And just as our body needs nourishment daily, our soul hungers for His Word.  And on another level, remember at "The Last Supper", Jesus said "This bread is my body".   So this one verse also show that our soul, that we need a relationship with God / Jesus, on a daily level.

The next verse seems simple enough, we ask God to forgive us, but although we say the 2nd half of that verse, many of us do NOT forgive others.  But it reminds us, that if we expect / want God to forgive us, we MUST forgive others who have hurt us.

And the final verse we ask God to help guide us and protect us from temptations, so that we can maintain a relationship with Him.

Next time you pray, follow the Lord's Prayer as your "Template"

Tell God He is your Lord and Savior, Show Thanksgiving 

Ask for His Word to nourish you

Forgive those who have hurt you, and seek God's Forgiveness for how you have hurt  Him

Ask God to guide you on His path, protecting you from the temptations of this world.