Luke 11:1-4

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.” He said to them, “When you pray, say:
Father, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone indebted to us. And do not bring us to the time of trial.”

It was not uncommon for a rabbi to teach his disciples to pray. John taught his disciples, and now Jesus’ company would like the same instruction from him.

And thus we are given the Lord’s prayer; that is, the prayer taught by our Lord and given to his disciples then and through the ages. One could write a whole book on this short prayer; indeed, many have. I will point out just two things, each corresponding to the two main parts into which the prayer divides.

The opening petitions recognize God’s holiness and anticipate God’s coming reign. But they are not just words of praise. By saying them the one who prays commits him or herself to acting in a way that demonstrates the holiness of God’s name and lives according to God’s kingdom. Praise and petition are not as far apart as we might imagine. In praising God’s name or invoking God’s kingdom, we are committing ourselves to honoring that name and kingdom in word and deed, and so in the first part of the prayer we ask God for the strength to do just that.

The remaining petitions are simple, concrete, and basic: we pray for bread for the day, right relationship, and safety now and in all things. Bread for the day – not stockpiles of food and supplies, but rather enough to continue in strength, health, and right dependence on God’s bounty and grace. Right relationship is one governed not only by commitment to the well being of those around us, but also provision for receiving and granting forgiveness. We will, we do, we cannot but hurt each other and be hurt by each other. As important as justice is, were that our only recourse we would have no community left, for there are limits to power. And so forgiveness reaches beyond justice to compassion to renew a community that is bound to each other by a commitment to justice and love. And finally safety, protection in those times of extreme trial, that we may remember whose we are and persevere through all manner of stress and difficulty.

This is the prayer the Lord gave us, the prayer we as his disciples offer in thanksgiving and hope. It doesn’t, of course, cover everything, but in its simplicity and depth it asks enough.

Prayer: Dear God, as we borrow the words of our Lord, lend us the strength also to follow his example. In Jesus’ name, Amen.