praying like Jesus

Good morning brothers and sisters,
After telling the crowd who came out to hear him that they should not give or pray in a way that attracts human praise Jesus gives them another suggestion about prayer. He tells them not to simply pile up pretty phrases in their prayer; God doesn't grade based on length. Then he teaches them a prayer, which is in some ways a crucial model for prayer today. My partner and I were talking about this prayer in the ambulance on Monday. He was making the point that Jesus taught this prayer as a model, but not with the idea of having people just pray these words.

He was right too in his observation that some churches use the Lord's prayer so often that it is drained of meaning and actual prayer. A couple of years ago we did a study on this prayer during Lent as part of Supper and Scripture. The deeper examination helped many of us reclaim the meaning of Jesus teaching. The interesting irony is that when Jesus taught this prayer his point was simple, intimate prayer with God, and that is exactly what we lose if we simply mimic Jesus words. We need to pray about what's on our hearts. We don't need to be careful composers of prayer; we just need to thank God, to tell God what we need, to rest in God's presence. The door for prayer is always open, so keep on praying.

Blessings on your Friday,
Sam

Matthew 6:7-15
7“When you are praying, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard because of their many words. 8Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. 9“Pray then in this way: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. 10Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. 11Give us this day our daily bread. 12And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13And do not bring us to the time of trial, but rescue us from the evil one. 14For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you; 15but if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.