“As we pray the Lord’s Prayer, we place ourselves in reality. This is a prayer of faith and hope, where we seek to have faith and hope in what we are praying, even as we recognize ways that our lives may not conform with the words in full.”- Kyle Strobel
Kyle Strobel concludes the Interlude of Where Prayer Becomes Real as he talks about six commands found in the body of the Lord’s Prayer. Above all, we shouldn’t hear these commands as ordering God to do this. Rather we internalize these commands as ways to name our intention.
1. Hallowed be your name. Here we intend to lift up God’s holy name in all we pray and do. As a result, we hold open our desire to see His holiness realized or made more apparent in our lives. And we keep an eye on how this squares with our own desires.
2. Your kingdom come. In the light of God’s kingdom being realized in your life, God calls you to open your needs to Him. Therefore, Kyle counsels, ask yourself, “Do I really care about Jesus being manifested in my request, or do I only care about getting what I want?”
3. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Most of us, Kyle believes, genuinely desire that God’s will be done – regardless of the outcome. However, we also want our desires fulfilled – no matter the cost. Thus, we must rejoice in the thought of God’s will being done. Even if it needs to correct our own.
4. Give us this day our daily bread. Are we really open to God giving us what we need for the day? Or do we want our future wrapped in a bow right now? That way we can rest. Because then we don’t need to lay down our worry and control at God’s feet.
5. Forgive us our trespasses . . . As Kyle observes, this request mirrors the forgiveness we so desperately want but so hesitantly give. We want God’s lavish forgiveness and love all to ourselves.
6. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Finally, this request expresses our desire that God carefully watch over our situation. Because we have no idea where our prayers and requests would lead us if granted, we pray that God keep, preserve, and protect us from the evil one.
Today’s question: How do we place ourselves in reality as we pray the Lord’s Prayer? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: “Speak out of their pain – God’s people”
