This is the prayer that Jesus modelled to his disciples, the “Lords Prayer.” One of the most popular prayers used around the world today that we are all so familiar with. A prayer that reminds us of the importance of the gospel story and summons us to keep our focus on the coming Kingdom of God.

“Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come,
Your will be done,
On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
And forgive us our debts,
As we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
But deliver us from evil.” Matthew 6:9-14

We live in a world that is so full of injustice, hunger, malice and evil. This prayer is a prayer that cries out for justice, bread, forgiveness and deliverance. In Jesus day he was very much filled with the same challenges that we face today.

As I have been reflecting on this prayer recently I have been wondering what it would have been like in that historic moment for Jesus when he prayed this prayer to his Heavenly Father. Jesus had such an ability to read and respond to the signs of the times. He understood his calling and mission and he invited his disciples to follow him and to share in it with him.

This prayer is a prayer that allows us to see who Jesus really was and to discover what kind of mission he was on and his fathers purposes. Even today Jesus invites us to make this prayer our own and there is a challenge for us in doing that. We need to understand more about the life of Jesus and how he set about living the kingdom of God himself.

There is so much more for us to learn from this prayer than simply words for us to pray.

Prayer is a wonderful mystery and as we pursue this mystery there’s no better place to begin to dwell than with the words Jesus taught;

” Our father in heaven “