What are your thouhts on the model prayer... this is how you should pray....Our father...etc
Greetings, dear ST, and peace to you! I am glad to have been of some help to you. The prayer Christ taught is not so much about its form as about its CONTENT. In that prayer, he showed us WHAT we are to ask for:
1. Things pertaining to the glory of God FIRST -
a. "Hallowed be/may YOUR/thy name be cleansed/sanctified/held holy" (so, we KNOW it is not "Jehovah", given what is done IN that name that sullies it SO much, we can even see how those HERE frequently use/refer to/scorn it);
b. "May YOUR/thy kingdom come/arrive/be established" (which is accomplished when Christ returns and the chosen ones are fully gathered, resulting in "New Jerusalem"... coming down [out of] the spirit realm...);
c. "May YOUR/thy will be done" (in the physical realm as it now is in the spirit realm)
2. THEN, things pertaining to ourselves, including FOR ourselves and as TO ourselves -
a. "Give us our DAILY bread/for the day" (which is NOT physical food... but the "manna" from heaven,the flesh of Christ - just as Israel prayed each day to receive manna back THEN);
b. "Forgive us OUR debts/sins/trespasses" (against Him, Christ, and others);
c. "AS we forgive those who sin/trespass against us" (meaning, to the same extent WE forgive others... please forgive us... so it behooves us to be VERY forgiving... if we want to be VERY forgiven);
3. THEN, for help against our Adversary(because as man's ACCUSER, we ARE subject to be tested/tempted by HIM):
a. "Lead us not/do not allow us to be led... into temptation" (do not allow us to be so led, but teach us to resist);
b. "But deliver us from evil/the wicked one" (do not do as with Job and hand us over to the Adversary to be tested so, but deliver us from that Enemy);
c. "For THINE is the kingdom/the kingdom is YOURS... forever and ever" (so you CAN deliver us from such temptation and possible failure, if you only WANT to, because the kingdom IS yours... and you have authority over all. Please, then... "want to"... for OUR sakes...and YOUR glory.)
Besides these things, there really isn't anything else we NEED to pray for... because the Most Holy One of Israel already KNOWS what we NEED. Out of LOVE, however, God... through Christ... allows us to also ask for what we might WANT; however, WE cannot ask in and of ourselves - we need a sponsor... one who is "worthy" of such request(s). And so, we can ask... in CHRIST'S name. However, again, before we can do so, we must gain access... entry... INTO the Most Holy... which we can only do by going THROUGH... the Holy.
It is really the same with the model prayer: we really should approach "Joseph" FIRST... so as to obtain PERMISSION/LEAVE... to go in before "Pharaoh." You can't just barge into the "throne room" - you have either be invited in... or escorted by someone who already has the right to be there. Only the High Priest has the UNLIMITED right to go into the Most Holy (throne room). This High Priest, Christ, however... has authority to take/allow OTHERS in, as well (which was not the case at alll with the Aaronic/Judaic priesthood - then, ONLY the High Priest could enter).
If, however, one is asking to KNOW God... and/or to be known BY God... and to know HIS Truth... as did, say, Cornelius... one can circumvent this "protocol." Because in that case, God will acquiesce and "draw" such one TO Him... by drawing them TO Christ... who, afterward, will LEAD one "in".
People think that you can just utter some words and poof!, you're golden. Doesn't work that way, though, dear one. You must:
1. Believe that the One you're attempting to communicate with exists (and not just "testing" to find out);
2. Understand what it actually is that you should... and are... asking FOR (it CANNOT be merely for the satisfaction of your empirical senses! God is a SPIRIT and so requests for things that satisfy our "sensual" pleasure (please the SENSES), are usually not granted. Rather, it is the things of the SPIRIT that we receive);
3. That if you ARE asking to know Him... be known by Him... and so know HIS Truth (all of which pertain to the SPIRIT)... He WILL respond and lead you to that One;
3. Go THROUGH that One, the Holy One of Israel... who is the Door.
I realize that this may seem like a "lot" to some; however, it really isn't. Given the time we spend learning to, say, program our DVRs, TVs, operate our vehicles, put together a child's toy, install a cabinet, build a... whatever... this is nothing. If we willing, then, to spend the time to "learn" how to do these other things (indeed, attend classes/read entire manuals)... what is it to take a few moments to ponder what Christ was actually saying... and TEACHING... us on this matter? You can read the verses in less than a minute.
But it's not about rote reading/repeating. It's about UNDERSTANDING what he was saying: WHAT we are to pray FOR... more so than how we are to say it. We can repeat the words from here to kingdom come. But if we aren't TRULY asking for these things... IN OUR OWN HEARTS... then we've entirely missed the point. It's not as the WTBTS says, that we "must know what we are praying for." We must WANT the things we are paying for... when we say the "model" prayer. NOT because the WTBTS or other religion SAYS we should want them, but because WE want them.
And it doesn't matter what words are used. It is the CONTENT... SUBSTANCE... and TRUTHFULNESS... that is important when we pray. Not the FORM. So, just saying, "Our Father who art in heaven hallowed by thy name thy kingdom come thy will be done..." yada, yada, yada... is just that: yada... yada... yada.
If you don't BELIEVE it... or MEAN it... and haven't entered in the proper manner... THROUGH THE DOOR... you are merely praying... to yourself.
I hope this helps, dear ST, and again, peace to you (and your partner)!
YOUR servant and a slave of Christ,
SA
