On the Lord’s Prayer, you don’t just chant it out verbatim. It’s not like a good luck charm that you say over and over. Said Jesus:
“When praying, do not say the same things overand over again as the people of the nations do,for they imagine they will get a hearing for theiruse of many words. So do not be like them, foryour Father knows what you need even beforeyou ask him.” (Matthew 6:7-8)
On the other hand, it’s not a bad outline, because it shows priorities:
“You must pray, then, this way:“‘Our Father in the heavens, let your name be sanctified. Let your Kingdom come. Let your will take place, as in heaven, also on earth. Give us today our bread for this day; and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And do not bring us into temptation, but deliver us from the wicked one.” (7:9-13)
Sanctification of God’s name and the Kingdom take top billing, for there is where the real answers are. He’s got it all together in heaven, no doubt, but only when “the Kingdom comes” will his “will” take place “also upon earth.” So that takes first place.
Drop down afterward to the personal things. To the extent possible, focus on the “bread for this day,” and not matters many years out (or regrets of things many years ago). We are beings that plan ahead, of course, but even so, the mental health people call it “living in the present” that grounds a person. Do it to the extent you can.
And you’d better not be one always pointing the finger at others. If we would ask the Father to “forgive us our debts,” we must also be ones who “have forgiven our debtors.”
The last item, to not be brought “into temptation” but be shielded from “the wicked one”—it probably goes without saying that you scope out scenarios ahead of time to avoid trouble.
You may not say it verbatim, but it’s a helpful outline to keep priorities straight.
****** The bookstore
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