“‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, (Matthew 6:9)
“To this day I feed at the Lord's Prayer like a child suckling its mother, and as an old man eat and drink from it and never get my fill. It is the very best prayer, even better than the psalter, which is so very dear to me. It is surely evident that a real master composed and taught it. What a great pity that the prayer of such a master is prattled and chattered so irreverently all over the world! How many pray the Lord's Prayer several thousand times in the course of a year, and if they were to keep on doing so for a thousand years they would not have tasted nor prayed one iota, one dot, of it! In a word, the Lord's Prayer is the greatest martyr on earth (as are the name and word of God). Everybody tortures and abuses it; few take comfort and joy in its proper use.” (Martin Luther “A Simple Way To Pray”)
This prayer is perhaps the most repeated prayer in the world. It is said by those professing to be Christian Disciples and also by those who are not. It is usually called the “Lord’s Prayer”. However, it is not called the “Lord’s Prayer” because Jesus Himself would have prayed it. Jesus was sinless, and therefore He would have had no need to have said to God, “Forgive us our sins” (Matthew 6:12). It is called the “Lord’s Prayer” because it was given by Jesus as a model for all prayers by those who are following Him. Hence, Jesus saying: “How you should pray” (Matthew 6:9).
Some people suggest the name “the Disciples Prayer” as it is only as we enter into a life of discipleship of Jesus Christ that we can being to fully appreciate its depth and meaning. When it is spoken and prayed, I wonder if some people truly understand what they are praying!
Today we are looking at we should mean when we say “Our Father in heaven, hallowed by your name”. Please doisten or download the mp3 podcast to find out more about this aspect in the prayer life of the Christian.
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