Ritualistic prayer or realistic prayer?

I’m going to make an assumption here and it is that a good majority of people reading this column will be able to recite the Lord’s Prayer. In its original context Jesus taught it to his close followers, more specifically, his disciples. Since then, however, a large number of people will have learnt the prayer from childhood and are capable of reciting it at baptisms, weddings, funerals, remembrance services and on other visits to church.

In their Jewish culture, the 12 disciples of Jesus would have been totally familiar with the practice of prayer and yet surprisingly having heard Jesus pray, they asked, ‘Lord teach us to pray’.

It seems that they knew a lot about ritualistic praying but not about realistic praying. Jesus’ response was, ‘When you pray, say "Our Father..." and he taught them what we call the Lord’s Prayer. Ironically, that very prayer has become, for many people, a ritualistic prayer in itself!

I believe that Jesus was giving us a form of prayer to help us pray in a meaningful way, but not the precise words themselves. If you find yourself saying the Lord's Prayer in automatic mode, why not, in the privacy of your own heart, try paraphrasing it for yourself and being real before God. One of my paraphrases would be something like this:

Our Heavenly Father we honour your name.

May your royal rule be established and Your will be done in our lives here on earth, as it is in heaven.

Meet our needs this day, both small and great,

Forgiving us our wrong thoughts, words and actions, while helping us to forgive others their shortfalls.

Lead us into the way of right living and deliver us from that which is rooted in evil.

We gladly give the glory to You.

Let it be so. Amen