The Lord’s Prayer

I usually rush into prayer, driven by all I need, and I miss the worshipful focus that Jesus teaches us to begin with in His famous Lord’s Prayer. I want to worship, but I feel so needy. It’s a lofty goal to hallow God’s name when what I really need is daily bread. It sounds too distant to ask for His kingdom when immediate relationships need healing. His will is a foreign path in a world that tempts to define my course.

But if we allow God’s name to inform us about bread, His kingdom to teach us about forgiveness, and His will to guide us into deliverance, we can unite our divided desires and come to God in worshipful neediness.

“Our Father, what kind of love is this to be called Your children!? 

You’re a Father who doesn’t play favorites with Your family, 

yet You lavish me with individual attention as if I’m an only child. 

I am here on earth, but You hold me in your gaze from heaven.

May Your Name be seen as holy when I live in unusual obedience, 

because I believe You for my urgent needs like daily bread.

May all who watch my reactions to life’s lows and to your provision in them,

wonder at the Name I carry.

May Your kingdom come, first ruling in my heart

to reveal who I am: Your debtor turned daughter.

May I draw from the treasury of Your forgiveness of me

to spend it on behalf of any sin against me.

May Your will be done, here in my life on this broken earth 

where temptation is rampant and evil rules the night.

Deliver me to overcome like Your Son from heaven,

because I belong to You, and it all belongs to You.

Amen.”

Matthew 6:9-13; Numbers 20:2-13; Matthew 18:23-35; Matthew 4:1-17