The Prayer

Scripture can be found here

Here, in the midst of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus is imparting to us his best recommendation for our prayers.

He is not telling us to set aside an hour, or even a half hour each morning.

He is not telling us to purchase a lovely leather-bound prayer book.

He is not telling us to take a class on prayer, or even, to listen to a sermon.

He gives us… this.  Such a small prayer—only 58 words in the original Greek (69 words in English)![i] So few words.  Jesus says, pray like this.

So we have this prayer that, for Christians, is woven like a gorgeous gold thread through the tapestry that is our life in faith. We learn it as children. Before long, we know it by heart. Soon, it unspools from our lips like a song, we know it so well. It becomes our touch-stone. Our go-to. In anxiety. In fear. Before bed. When we rise. And together, in a community of faith, it binds us together.

We know it so well, it is so hard to unchain the words from years of reciting them. Often, we recite them without thinking a whole lot about what we're saying. This is the danger of knowing something so well. It can become rote, automatic. It can become… not a prayer at all.

This is why I seek out other versions of Jesus’ prayer, other paraphrases and translations to use in my own prayer time, words to wake me up, words to tune my heart again to something I learned long ago. For instance, this one, by Eugene Peterson:

Our Father in heaven,
Reveal who you are.
Set the world right;
Do what’s best—
as above, so below.
Keep us alive with three square meals.
Keep us forgiven with you and forgiving others.
Keep us safe from ourselves and the Devil.
You’re in charge!
You can do anything you want!
You’re ablaze in beauty!
Yes. Yes. Yes.
~ Eugene Peterson,
The Message

Or perhaps this one, by an Australian vicar:

Divine Source of Love and Life, 
Holy is your unspeakable name. 
May your Way of Love resound through earth,
heaven in our midst. 
All we need to live and thrive
we receive from you, Creator; 
forgive us when we turn away,
as we forgive each other. 
Keep us on the path of Wisdom,
away from wicked tyranny; 
Spirit ever breathe through us,
empower us with hope. 
From you, through you and in you, 
are all things, now and always; 
to you be all honor and praise.  Amen.
~ Sarah Agnew

When I pray these, I feel I can hear the prayer better, I can open my heart to it. I hear the opening words that say:

God, we are connected to you—you gave birth to us! Even your name is holy…

Remember, in Jesus’ tradition, the name of God, those four Hebrew letters that translate, “I am who I am,” was not spoken aloud. Not ever. Even today, observant Jews do not write it, or say it aloud. It may well be too holy for us to say out loud, too.

Instead of, “your kingdom come, your will be done,” Peterson says, “Set the world right;” while the Australian vicar prays, “May your Way of Love resound through earth, heaven in our midst.” 

And that is part one, roughly the first half of the prayer: all about God. Then, the pray-er turns to their own, most basic needs.

These needs are pretty much the same today as they were 2000 years ago:

Daily bread… food, enough of it. Peterson asks for “three square meals;” the vicar, “all we need to live and thrive.” The idea of “bread for today” echoes an ancient story, one well-known to Jesus’ followers, and well-known to many of us: the story of manna, bread from heaven, sent by God to people in the wilderness… but, only enough for that very day. When the people rose in the morning, they went out of their tents to collect it. If they collected more than they needed for the day, it spoiled—it went rotten.

Unlike some modern-day evangelists, the ones peddling the prosperity gospel that says, “Be good and you’ll be rich too,” Jesus sticks with the ethic of manna: Bread for today. Only what we need. That’s what we pray for.

Then, we get to the issue of debts, and trespasses, and sin.

Half the Christian world prays, “Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.” The other half, “Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.”

Traditionally, we Presbyterians go with Matthew’s version. For the crowd listening to Jesus’ sermon, the use of “debt” was pointed—it was a not-so-subtle jab at those who held the poorest people hostage by virtue of the debts they owed. The issue of debt was a pressing one for working people then, just as it is now. We know that because debt features in several of Jesus’ parables. Here, in Jesus’ prayer, “debt” is used literally, as well as figuratively. “Forgive us our debts” was a prayer for forgiveness for sin, yes, but also, a plea that God might help with those other debts, too.

The prayer is evergreen… as relevant today as it was when the words first left Jesus’ mouth.

A couple of years ago, there was a controversy when news reports claimed Pope Francis was changing the Lord’s Prayer. In fact, he gave his approval to a new translation, approved by the bishops of France and Italy, for the faithful in their churches. Instead of “lead us not into temptation,” the new translation reads, “do not let us fall into temptation.” The rationale is this: God does not tempt people away from faithfulness. This is similar in feel to the version we will pray together in a few minutes: Save us from the time of trial. The newer translation assumes that God’s motivations are positive. God is on our side.

Jesus’ words in the gospels end there. The part about the kingdom, and the power, and the glory? Someone added that in. I suppose some medieval scholar thought it was just a bit too abrupt, ending on the word “evil.” Much better, Brother Theodosius decided, to add a few words of praise—a brief doxology. And that’s how we know it, and that’s what sounds right to us.

This is the prayer Jesus gives us. It doesn’t require that we set aside forty minutes and light a candle. It doesn’t take more than, oh, say, the time it takes you to wash your hands, to pray it. It is engraved on our hearts. It is there, available to us, whenever we need it—when we are afraid, or when we are grateful, or when we are ready to teach a little person, the next generation, for whom it will be woven through their life of faith. Before long, they will know it by heart. Soon, it will unspool from our lips like a song. It will be their touchstone. Their go-to. In anxiety. In fear. Before bed. When they rise. And in a community of faith, it will binds them together with believers of every time and place.

Thanks be to God. Amen.


[i] The first part (concerning God): 25 words in Greek and 22 in English. The second part (concerning our needs): 33 words in Greek and 36 in English. For what it’s worth.