You Spoke God

You Spoke God?

The Lord's Prayer is probably the best known of all prayers, and even those with little or no connection to a church or even a faith. It appears time after time in many films and dramas. How often though is it little more than a repetition of words with little thought behind it? I remember once a terrible moment during an act of worship when I had a memory block. I had led the congregation in the prayer which ended by the congregation joining with me to say the Lords Prayer. All of a sudden almost halfway through I forgot the next line. I stopped speaking and there was a deathly hush as they waited for me to remember the next line, not one voice rose to help me out. I went back to the first line and the whole congregation joined me. I have often wondered if we had really been praying would this have happened?

Another thing I frequently noticed was that left to their own devices the speed of the prayer would increase. I often had to raise my voice to slow them down. it seemed that little if any, thought lay behind the words.

So let me share again the words of the prayer and then a dialogue follows.

The Lord's Prayer

Our father who is in heaven.

Honoured be your name.

Your Kingdon come.

Your' will be done on earth

as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread.

And forgive us our sins,

as we forgive those who have sinned against us.

Lead us not into temptation.

But deliver us from evil.

For yours is the glory forever.

Amen.

Our Father who is in heaven.

Yes, what can I do?

Do not interrupt me please I am praying.

Yes, I know you are praying. I am answering.

Please...... I am praying. Our father who is in heaven

You are at it again, calling me, well here I am.

But I do not mean anything by that. I was just, you know what I mean, saying my prayers. I say that same prayer every day. I feel better having said it. It always seems like a good way to start the day. Say the prayer get it out the way and get on with the day.

Then please continue.

Honoured be your name.

Hold on just a second. What do you mean by that?

By what?

Honoured be your name.

I mean...... I mean. What exactly do I mean? I am not so sure now that you put me on the spot and ask me. To be really honest I have never given that much thought before. It is just there the second line of the prayer What does it mean anyway?

It means that you will respect and give a special place to my name in your daily life and dealing.

Yes, that makes some sense. I can see that now that you explain it to me. it is a strange way to speak about another so it does not come easily.

Honoured be your name. Your Kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

HOLD IT!  Do you really mean all of that?

Of course, why would I not?

Then please tell me what it is you are doing to make that happen?

DOING? DOING? I am doing nothing. I just thought it would be nice if we now and again had a bit of heaven down here now and again. if maybe you took a bit more control once in a while.

Do I have any control over your life?

Well, I attend church almost every Sunday.

Ah but that was not what I asked you. I look at your life and I see that I have not really got much of an influence in the things that you say and do. Most of what you earn you spend on yourself. You seem to have a fair number of habits that do not seem to fit with my having much control over your actions.

Hold on a second, please. You seem to be picking on me. What about all those other hypocrites that I see in the church every Sunday?

Excuse me. I thought this was your prayer. I thought this was about your life. I thought this was about my will being done in your daily life? If that is to happen then it has to begin with you and your relationship with me, never mind the others, that is between them and me.

Yes, I suppose you are correct. I have some bad habits that is certainly true. Things I would be much better without. Some things spring easily to mind and I am sure if I stopped and thought I would be able to come up with a few others that I would be all the better for being rid of. I am sure you have spotted even more.

YES, I have.

I had not really given it much thought if I am being completely honest. There are some things in my life that I continue to do often in spite of promising that I would not do so again. Some things I just keep on doing, and I would be much better if I did not.

That sounds better, now we seem to be getting somewhere. Together we might just manage to make some changes. This sounds positive.

Look, God, I have loads to do today, do you think we could get this prayer over with? Can I please continue? Give us our daily bread.

Now, while we are on that subject. Do you not think that maybe a bit less in the way of eating might do you a bit of good? There might also be a bit more for those who could really do with it.

Please, just a minute. What is this? Is this criticise me day? Here I was doing my religious duty for the day and what happens I find I am being questioned about my actions and my lifestyle. 

Praying is a dangerous business you should know that. If you pray and mean it some things might in fact change. You might actually find demands are being made of you. You ask me things. I listen. Then I answer. That can be dangerous. Let us continue.

I am getting a bit wary of continuing.

Wary of what? What are you afraid of?

The next line, that is what I am wary of. I know what is coming next.

Well, let us continue.

Forgive us our sins

What about Robert.

I knew this was going to happen. I had a feeling the minute I said that his name would crop up. He was as much to blame as I was, for that difference and break up we had. I  wa hurt also in that event.

But what about your prayer/

I did not really mean that.

At least you are being honest for once. But it cannot be at all easy carrying all that anger around with you all the time. All that bad feeling and hatred must be causing you some anxiety?

It is not easy. I am sure I will feel better once I have had the opportunity to even the score. When I get my own back. What was it that somebody said, "Do not get angry, get your own back?" I have many plans to do just that. He will be wishing he had never met me when I am finished with him.

You will not feel one little bit better. The truth is if you do as you say you will probably end up feeling even worse than you do now. If you let me I can change all of that right this minute.

You can? How can you do that?

Forgive Robert. In that instant, I, in turn, will forgive you.

NO! I cannot, can I? Yes, I could. I will forgive him this very minute and when I am finished I will convey that to him. Even as I say that I am aware that he is probably feeling every bit as bad as I have been.

How does that feel? To have forgiven him.

I feel good. So much better than I did before I began this prayer earlier. Truth to be told I already feel better than I have in a very long time. Yes, I feel good.

You have not finished your prayer, please let us continue.

Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.

Yes. That is good I will do exactly what you ask. Remember though it is so much easier if you do not put yourself in the way of temptation.

 Please explain just what you mean by that?

You know exactly what I mean. I mean to keep away from the things that you know you find tempting that every time you give in to the temptation you always feel so much worse because you have given in. I can and will help. But remember I am neither your escape hatch or your crutch.

Again, please explain.

You frequently get yourself into trouble. Often when you do you turn to me. You frequently make promises. If I help you out of this you promise never to do such and such again. Or you say that if I help you this time you promise to do so many things. Promises made but seldom kept.

Yes, I remember. I am aware of the promises I made but when things turned out for the better I did not link that to an answered prayer. I put it down to good fortune.

Well, maybe you will remember in future. Please complete your prayer.

For yours be the power and the glory.

So it will be. if you just remember this prayer and this conversation. If you stop just reciting it but begin to listen to and heed the words. Together we just might begin to make a difference.

AMEN. Thanks be to you.