For decades Christians around the world have prayed the Lord’s Prayer. In fact, you likely learned it in childhood and have recited it many times since. However, you might be reciting it mindlessly wondering why Jesus invited us to pray this prayer. Beyond giving us a pattern for prayer, Jesus was inviting us into deeper healing for our souls and closer intimacy with God as our Father. The deep truths taught within this prayer invite us into a much closer relationship with God and others. Each invitation tucked within the prayer applies to our everyday lives. As we return to praying the Our Father every day, our lives are going to be radically transformed.
What Is the Lord’s Prayer?
The Lord’s Prayer, otherwise known as the “Our Father” is the prayer Jesus taught His disciples in Matthew 6:9-13. Most of us have learned the prayer in the old English, and this is the version we most often pray corporately on Sunday morning:
Our Father, who art in heaven,
Hallowed be they name,
They kingdom come, they will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
As we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
But deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
And the power, and the glory,
Forever and ever.
Amen.
Tucked within this mighty prayer are six invitations that if received and accepted, will be life-transforming. Jesus invites us to know God as Father – which was radical theology for those listening. He invites us to make worship our lifestyle, remembering hallowed be thy name. He invites us to surrender – thy kingdom come, thy will be done. He invites us to ask audaciously – give us this day our daily bread. He invites us to find freedom through forgiveness – forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And, finally, He invites us to live victoriously through His power – lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.
Though the words found at the end of the prayer are not found in Matthew 6, through church history we have added it as a glorious benediction. Most bible scholars believe is rooted in 1 Chronicles 29:10-13, where David consecrates his son, Solomon, to build the temple.
But you might be wondering, why? Why should I bother to pray the Lord’s Prayer daily? Isn’t that redundant? Won’t it just become rote reciting? No. It is deeply meaningful if you pray intentionally and authentically, as Jesus taught us to pray. When we pray scripture, we know we are praying according to God’s will, and those prayers seem especially powerful. However, beyond the fact that the Lord’s Prayer is scripture, there are other key reasons to pray the Our Father daily.
Here are three reasons to pray the Lord’s Prayer daily:
1. It Reorders Our Lives Around God’s Priorities
When Jesus taught us to pray the Our Father, beyond teaching us a pattern for prayer, He gave us His priorities for our lives. Jesus wants us to have an intimate relationship with God as our Father, He wants us to live a life of worship. He wants our desire for His kingdom and will to line up with His. He wants us to come to Him boldly in prayer and ask for what we need. He yearns for us to live a life of freedom because we forgive those who hurt us, and He desires that we live life victoriously.
As we pray the Lord’s Prayer faithfully, we are reminded of these priorities, and we can order our lives around these priorities. If we pray the prayer with authenticity and with humility, the Holy Spirit will bring our will into alignment with His.
2. It Reduces Stress and Anxiety
Fear, anxiety, loneliness, and depression are all on the rise. We are stressed-out people living in a hurried, chaotic world. However, praying the Lord’s Prayer reminds us that we have a Father who is good and compassionate and loves us unconditionally. The Lord’s Prayer jogs our memories to remember our true identity as God’s beloved children. Our Father is for us! He is constantly present with us and pursuing us. It is His presence with us that calms our anxious hearts and soothes our souls.
Recently, I was a guest on a well-known radio show. While on the air, a woman called into the station and shared the story of how her parents had taught her to pray the Lord’s Prayer every night before going to bed. She shared on the radio that though she is in the later years of her life, she still continues to pray the Our Father every night before bed. As she prays, the Holy Spirit uses the words she is praying to calm her and help her to sleep.
There are also many stories that have come out since the terrorist attack on 9/11 of folks who, in their fear, returned to the Lord’s Prayer. One such story was about a retired military colonel who directed his coworkers to the stairwell after the first plane crashed. As he continued leading them down the many stairs, his personal pattern of reciting the Lord’s Prayer came to the surface of his mind. As He continued to pray the Our Father, it relaxed him and calmed his fears as he led his coworkers down the stairs.
In this day and age of much fear and anxiety, the Lord’s Prayer can calm our anxious hearts and bring peace to our stressed-out souls.
3. It Reminds Us of the Life Our Father Invites Us to Live
God’s desire is that we live a life of belonging. He desires that we have a secure attachment with Him and that out of that secure attachment, we are able to enjoy life-giving relationships with others. With identity issues on the rise, many are asking the question, “But who am I really?’ The Lord’s Prayer answers that question. It reminds us that we belong to our Father.
As we pray the Our Father, we find healing from our earthly father wounds, and we begin to realize we are part of a bigger family. As a result, we are able to live a more connected life. Our love and security increase as we realize the secure attachment with have with God as our Father. Our peace increases as we realize that God’s will is always better than our own. Our joy increases as our relationships benefit from our forgiving spirit and from living a victorious life within the family of God. As a result, we begin to live the life that God designed us to live.
Friend, there is healing for our souls in the Lord’s Prayer. Dive into the prayer and discover the six invitations extended there. Then may I challenge you? Try praying the Our Father every day for a month. Pray it purposefully and faithfully and see if it doesn’t reorder your life, reduce your stress and anxiety, and remind you of the abundant life, our Father wants you to live.
Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/Matthew Maude
Authentic. Passionate. Funny and Biblical all describe Becky Harling. A best-selling author, Becky is a popular speaker at conferences, retreats, and other events. She is the author of 11 books, including Our Father, Psalms for the Anxious Heart, How to Listen so Your Kids Will Talk, The Extraordinary Power of Praise, and her newest book, Cultivating Deeper Connections in a Lonely World.
Becky is a certified coach with the John Maxwell Team and a seasoned Bible teacher. You can connect with Becky at www.beckyharling.com, www.harlingleadership.com, Facebook https://www.facebook.com/beckyharlingministries, Twitter, @beckyharling, or on Instagram at Becky Harling
This article is part of our Prayer resource meant to inspire and encourage your prayer life when you face uncertain times. Visit our most popular prayers if you are wondering how to pray or what to pray. Remember, the Holy Spirit intercedes for us, and God knows your heart even if you can't find the words to pray.
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