Praying the Lord’s prayer at night.

⁹ Pray then like this:

     “Our Father in heaven,

     hallowed be your name.

¹⁰   Your kingdom come,

     your will be done,

on earth as it is in heaven.

¹¹   Give us this day our daily bread,

¹²   and forgive us our debts,

as we also have forgiven our debtors.

¹³   And lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from evil. Matthew 6:9-14 ESV.

How many times have you said the words of the Lord’s Prayer without thinking about what you are saying, what are you thinking about? I know I have done this. I remember way back, in the beginning of my teaching career, I had a Pastor that would pause after each petition so the members of the congregation could think about what they were praying for. When we say the Lord’s Prayer in church, we call that corporate prayer. This way we can all pray the same words together. But what about our individual prayers to God and night and in the morning? I believe we can change the Lord’s Prayer to make it more individual, and this is what I have been doing for many, many years. I would like to share this with you at this time, as I let my thoughts lead my prayer.

I come to you God; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; as your dear child needing to talk with you. I know you have promised always to listen and hear me and so I talked to you. You are my God, three persons one substance and you will do what is best for me. I pray and thank you God the Father, for giving me all that my body and soul needs each day. I pray and thank you Jesus Christ for fulfilling what God has demanded for my sins. You have redeemed me a lost and condemned person. I pray and thank you Holy Spirit for giving and building my faith daily through Holy Baptism as you have sanctified me, and made me holy.

Holy is your Name in heaven and on earth. I pray that you may keep your name holy in my life. Help me to lead a holy life in all that I do, say, and think. I know there are many who don’t believe in you and do not hold your name sacred. Help me to share your Name with all the world.

Your kingdom comes and I pray that it will come to me also. I thank you my dear God for your Holy Spirit who has come to me, by your grace. On this earth I pray that I may always live a godly life, but I pray that your Spirit would give me the strength to change my life when I am not living holy.

Oh my God I asked from the bottom of my heart that your will be done in my life all the time. I know I am sinful and do not deserve this. I thank you so much for what you have done for me. I pray that you would stop every evil plan that comes to me in my life and turn it into good. I know I will physically die sometime, but I know that you strengthen me in your Word and faith until that happens.

As I pray each night, my thoughts very as I pray this prayer. It is so amazing how God’s word comes to me as I pray the Lord’s Prayer. It is good that I remember what I was taught in Confirmation and also taught, but it is a good practice to review the Lord’s Prayer as printed in the Catechism. Next week, I will continue and finish the Lord’s Prayer. Let your thoughts be led by the Holy Spirit as you pray this prayer. Sometimes my thoughts go off-track, into other thoughts, but I return to the Lord’s Prayer. I know that the spirit is with me and when I am unable to pray, He prays for me. I will finish verses 11-13 in next week’s blog.

Pray Without Ceasing!

Walk in the Lord each day.