The Prayer That Covers All

I recently had a friend give me some wise advice. She said, “Say less in your prayer time. Just sit, lean against Jesus and say, ‘Jesus, you love me.’” Saying less is a difficult concept to understand especially when we think the whole point of prayer is to have a conversation with God; basically “I tell you what I need, God, and you give it to me!” Jesus reminds us today that God already knows what we need before we even ask, and the point of prayer is for the transformation of our own hearts, minds, and wills, not to “babble on like the pagans”. He gives us the “Our Father” as a template, if you will, for our prayer time. 

This is how you are to pray…”Our Father…” right away and yet again, Jesus wants to establish that we are to be in communion with one another, hence the use of the word “Our” in regards to the Father. He invites us to be family with Him and with one another as the first order of business in our prayer life. One little word can hold the entire universe! This call to communion is followed by seven petitions that pretty much cover it all:

1.    Hallowed Be Your Name | First, we acknowledge God as holy, honorable, beautiful, good. Praise, praise, praise. 

2.   Your Kingdom Come | We ask God to be the sovereign of our hearts, minds, and wills so that the kingdom of love will reign. 

3.   Your Will Be Done On Earth As It Is In Heaven | We want God’s will to direct our lives. 

4.   Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread | The Greek word for daily is translated “super substantial” and this petition asks God to give us all that we need to be fortified super substantially in body and spirit. 

5.   Forgive Us Our Trespasses As We Forgive Those Who Trespass Against Us | We are asking God to only forgive us as much as we forgive others! Sit with that a minute. 

6.   Lead Us Not Into Temptation | Jesus knows that sin and temptation are very much a part of our daily lives and so he wants us to acknowledge that in our prayer so that we will allow grace to win over those tests. 

7.   Deliver Us From Evil | Deliverance from evil is probably one of God’s favorite things to do, but we have to ask Him for it. This deliverance is from all our sins, past, present, and future. 

How amazing is it that one prayer can cover all our needs and that one prayer has united all Christians for over two thousand years. The apostles and all the early Christians prayed it and so do we. Jesus is communion. 

In Confirmation Class I used these seven petitions as an outline and would have our candidates re-write their own version of the “Our Father.” I encourage you to do this same thing some time in the next week. It is a beautiful exercise. When we know something so well and by memory, we can often fall into the trap of not really praying it with meaning and the very soul of the prayer is lost in our rote recitation. Reworking the words, but keeping the petition in place, is a great way to revitalize this prayer that covers all. 

As I was reflecting on the gospel today what deeply touched me is that Jesus is such an amazing teacher. He was so intentional with everything he said and taught and showed and imparted to his disciples and to us. His teachings are very simple and yet I am always trying to complicate them with my own thinking. Loving God through Jesus is simple and I offer that to us today as a word of encouragement because often Lent can become a season of complicating things with rules and practices even though it is designed to be a season of less. Let’s keep our eyes on Jesus, the Good Teacher, and practice his Way to Our Father. It is well with my soul.  

Reading 1 IS 55:10-11

Thus says the LORD:
Just as from the heavens
the rain and snow come down
And do not return there
till they have watered the earth,
making it fertile and fruitful,
Giving seed to the one who sows
and bread to the one who eats,
So shall my word be
that goes forth from my mouth;
It shall not return to me void,
but shall do my will,
achieving the end for which I sent it.

Responsorial Psalm PS 34:4-5, 6-7, 16-17, 18-19

R. (18b)  From all their distress God rescues the just.
Glorify the LORD with me,
let us together extol his name.
I sought the LORD, and he answered me
and delivered me from all my fears. 
R. From all their distress God rescues the just.
Look to him that you may be radiant with joy,
and your faces may not blush with shame.
When the poor one called out, the LORD heard,
and from all his distress he saved him.
R. From all their distress God rescues the just.
The LORD has eyes for the just,
and ears for their cry.
The LORD confronts the evildoers,
to destroy remembrance of them from the earth.
R. From all their distress God rescues the just.
When the just cry out, the LORD hears them,
and from all their distress he rescues them.
The LORD is close to the brokenhearted;
and those who are crushed in spirit he saves.
R. From all their distress God rescues the just.

Verse Before The Gospel MT 4:4B

One does not live on bread alone,
but on every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.

Gospel MT 6:7-15

Jesus said to his disciples:
"In praying, do not babble like the pagans,
who think that they will be heard because of their many words.
Do not be like them.
Your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

"This is how you are to pray:

Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name,
thy Kingdom come,
thy 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.

"If you forgive men their transgressions,
your heavenly Father will forgive you.
But if you do not forgive men,
neither will your Father forgive your transgressions."