To the Point

Often we rattle off the Lord’s Prayer without much thought. We might recall a couple of Luther’s explanations of the seven petitions of the prayer from a catechism class. Perhaps we heard a pastor say that there are two different versions of the prayer, and that they basically cover the same ground.

Both versions of the Lord’s Prayer call for God’s kingdom to come. This kingdom that we pray for isn’t a celestial place with many mansions and streets paved with gold. The kingdom we pray for is to be built here and now, and we’re supposed to be helping to build it.

The petitions of the Lord’s Prayer are about the relationship between God and God’s children. We begin and end the prayer acknowledging that God is God and we are not. We move on to request that our basic physical needs be met. We recognize our spiritual needs when we ask God to forgive the wrongs we have done. We remember our relationship to God’s other children by asking that we forgive others for being less than perfect. Before concluding the prayer, we ask to remain in a right relationship with God.

Our Father, help us to really pray and not just say the prayer you taught us. Amen. — CKA