Cranial Dump

The church of my childhood taught me to pray The Lord’s Prayer, however, the importance of memorizing the prayer overshadowed actually understanding those precious words. After years of rote recitation, I read an explanation of the prayer when I was around 28 years old.

Studying the Lord’s Prayer
Once I had a better understanding of what the Lord’s Prayer was asking for, I personally embraced it and started praying those words with intent. I want my daughter to experience this much earlier in her life than I did in mine, but before teaching her the Lord’s Prayer, I felt compelled to study the prayer once again. I chose the book, Lord Teach Us - The Lord’s Prayer and Christian Life by William Willimon and Stanley Hauerwas. The book injects a minimal amount of religious doctrine into the teaching, but primarily relies on Biblical references to back up the teaching. This book is giving me some mind- and heart-opening experiences as it goes in-depth to teach the Lord’s Prayer while using simple language.

The Lord’s Prayer is a Sword
This morning, I read part of a chapter on the part of the Lord’s Prayer that says, “…deliver us from evil”. The authors start the chapter with the valid point that “Christian life is no safe harbor, secure from storms and struggle“. Life here on Earth presents many struggles and hardships, as well as many joys. Pray the Lord’s Prayer and “the “powers that be” rage against such prayer, can’t stand to have one free person running loose who is able to throw off the chains and pray, “our Father…save us”. In other words, pray the Lord’s Prayer with hearty intention and you acknowledge the Almighty God, His presence in your life and how to need and rely on Him. Once you truly grasp the Lord’s Prayer and have those words etched upon your heart, the power of the evil one is diminished and that really ticks him off.

In the words of one of my favorite music artists, Steven Curtis Chapman: Bring it on!

Related References:

• The Lord’s Prayer in Different Languages
• Lyrics: Bring it on!
• Listen to sample of Bring It On by Steven Curtis Chapman
  (click the little arrow head next to song title under MP3 Song)
• Buy Declaration by Steven Curtis Chapman:
  • Declaration - Steven Curtis Chapman on CD
  • Declaration MP3 Download

Tags: christian studies, Christianity, the lords prayer

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Tagged as christian studies, the lords prayer + Categorized as Christianity