The Lord's Prayer (1 of 8)

For the next eight days, we will be looking at the Lord's Prayer - a prayer that Jesus taught his disciples and that we say out loud together during church services.  We will be looking at how this prayer develops our relationship with God.  There are five parts to it...

1. Identifying the Relationship
2. Offering Praise to God
3. Seeking God's Way
4. Asking for Needs
5. Seeking Forgiveness
6. Seeking Protection

Some interesting things to note is that the prayer is a community prayer: "Our Father..." Also the order Jesus teaches the disciples to pray is interesting.  Many of us - especially those from more rule oriented denominations - have been taught that if we do not ask forgiveness of our sins first, then God will not hear our prayers.  Yet, Jesus puts seeking forgiveness after offering praise, seeking God's way, and asking for daily needs.  

I have enjoyed on special occasions altering the typical Presbyterian Worship Liturgy and organizing a worship service in the order of the Lord's prayer instead.  I have found it to be a refreshing change.

Matthew and Luke both contain versions of this prayer:

Matthew 6:9-13   9 "Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.  10 Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.  11 Give us this day our daily bread.  12 And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.  13 And do not bring us to the time of trial, but rescue us from the evil one. 

Luke 11:1-4  "Father, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come.  3 Give us each day our daily bread.  4 And forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone indebted to us. And do not bring us to the time of trial."