He was praying in a certain place, and after he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, ‘Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.’” vs. 1
Luke 11:1-4
From the gospel record it appears that Jesus began each day with prayer, often getting up before dawn to go off by himself. Obviously his disciples noticed, and one morning when he returned to the group they asked if he would teach them to pray as John had taught his disciples. Jesus responded with a few petitions that have come to be known as the Lord’s Prayer. Presumably this is only a short summary of what Jesus included in his prayers, but these words have become what is likely the best-known prayer in the world. Almost everyone, even the spiritually indifferent, can follow along as it’s said, and for better or worse, it’s used in nearly every liturgical worship service under the sun. It’s good for the Church to have such a prayer. Even with the myriad of theological and liturgical differences that tend to separate the Body, here at least are a few words in which we can find unity. Even though there are some variations in our versions we can say the prayer together, and it feels good to have our voices joined in asking God to bring in the kingdom of peace, provide us with bread, and give much needed forgiveness. In these basics at least we still speak with one voice–and it is an amazing blessing!
Thought for the Day: What does the Lord’s Prayer mean to me?
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