I have found that on the subject of prayer, it seems to be the more I pray and learn about prayer, the more I realize how much more there is to learn. I have been praying my entire life. I can’t even remember the first time I prayed the Lord’s prayer, but it had to be when I was a toddler, because I sat beside my mother every Sunday at Faith Lutheran Church, and I don’t’ think there was ever a Sunday that we did not prayer the Lord’s prayer as a congregation. I certainly didn’t fully understand what I was praying or why, I just knew that it was an important prayer and God liked it when we prayed it to Him. It was the prayer you prayed at church.
I think often when something becomes so familiar to you and you have it memorized, it begins to just become a bunch of words that you say without even thinking about what you are really saying. Don’t get me wrong, I love praying those words. I love singing the words. I had a friend sing the Lord’s prayer at my wedding. But it was like a poem that you recite to make you feel good, rather than a real prayer that you are speaking to your heavenly Father.
Some years ago, Pastor Tim was leading one of our “Day of Prayer” sessions and he had us pray using the Lord’s Prayer as a framework for our prayer. That was the day that the Lord’s Prayer for me took on a whole new meaning. The disciples had been watching Jesus as he spent time in prayer with the Father. I suspect they were seeing not only how important that time was for Jesus, but they probably also saw the amazing effect it had on Jesus. It was most likely what led them to ask, “Lord, teach us to pray.”
This Sunday I have the opportunity to explore with you the powerful words that Jesus gave us as students of the art of praying. Now, every day and sometimes several times a day, I am amazed how much I need those words to open up my heart and my soul to my loving Father in heaven. Jesus is teaching me, and I have so much to learn.
Hope you can join us as we explore together what Jesus has to teach us in His classroom this Sunday.
Blessings,
Pastor Linda Skinner