Jan 13, 2008
Reasons to Pray the Our Father Every Day
“Your kingdom come, your will be done…”
“Give us this day our daily bread…”
“And forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us…”
“And Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.”
I’ve been a little selective here, but these lines from the prayer known as the Our Father have been rather significant in my life lately. I find myself praying them at work, driving through town, walking into the book store, and hanging out at home.
Sometimes a set prayer becomes something to parrot and simply get out of the way, having performed a holy obligation. Lately though the Our Father has been a helpful way to redirect my focus, to get myself on the same page with God, and to spark additional prayers.
The Our Father covers quite a bit of ground, including the importance of seeking first the Kingdom of God, combating consumerism by asking God to provide what we need for today, initiating a cycle of repentance and forgiveness, and asking God for protection in our struggle against evil. What a great prayer. It covers so much of what we face every day.
Sometimes the best things are right under our nose, the well-worn, over-used routines that are truly precious, but overlooked in favor of perhaps a cleaner, glittering prayer or method of meditation. Oddly enough, when Jesus’ disciples asked him to teach them how to pray, he delivered.
