HELP! THANKS! WOW! Amen.

08Oct
Jesus 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.” So he said to them, “When you pray, say:

Father, may your name be revered as holy.
  May 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.”
-Luke 11:1-4 


In the 11th chapter of Luke, the disciples say to Jesus, “Lord, teach us how to pray.” What a simple yet profound request. Shouldn’t the disciples already know how to pray? Shouldn’t I know how to pray? Prayer is difficult sometimes and elusive. It seems to be a lifelong pursuit that I never get quite right. It starts well-intended, but often gets interrupted in my mind by to-do lists, my calendar, or other distractions. Jesus’s response to the disciples is a simple version of what we all know as the Lord’s Prayer

“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.” 


Jesus instructs the disciples and all of us with a simple model to follow. Begin each day with prayer. Give reverence to God and seek God’s kingdom. Trust in God’s provision for us. Ask God’s forgiveness when we have strayed from the path, and forgive those who have hurt us. 


The popular author and activist, Anne Lamott, pared down prayer into three essential elements: HELP! THANKS! WOW! God, help me when I am in need. God, thank you for all the good things in my life. God, I am in awe of the world that you have made. Lemott states, “Prayer is taking a chance that against all odds and past history, we are loved and chosen, and do not have to get it together before we show up.” Thanks be to God for that! In my lifelong pursuit of prayer, I need to follow the lead of the disciples and ask, “Lord, teach me how to pray.” more often. 


Musical Reflection - Baba Yetu (The Lord's Prayer) by Christopher Tin


HELP! THANKS! WOW! Amen.

PrayerPentecost

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