Day 9: Our Father

And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
This, then, is how you should pray:
“ ‘Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one."
Matthew 6:7-13

N. T. Wright reflected on praying through the Lord's Prayer:
"We often do not know what to pray or how to pray, especially when times are tough. The Lord’s Prayer is Jesus’ own prayer of hope as well as a prayer of confidence. When the worries of life close in, these well-known words serve as a compass to guide us in truth and teach us to pray with confident expectation.
Jesus modeled a very Jewish way of praying that went much deeper than merely reciting certain words or familiar phrases. When we pray the Lord’s Prayer, we are recalling the events from his life and ministry, and in effect, are declaring that we too want to be part of Jesus’ mission. The focus begins to turn from our worries towards his work in the world. We are reoriented towards his will as the main view on the horizon.

With this Jesus-shaped prayer, we draw near to our Father God, the one who cares, provides, protects, and remains deeply interested in our concerns and his purposes for us and his church...
Here is our confident hope: Jesus inaugurated the Kingdom of God on earth as it is in heaven. One day ‘thy kingdom come’ will arrive in all of its fullness. The day of the Lord will be when all things in creation are fully and finally put right. But, until that day, we know that evil, sin, and destructive powers are still forces that must be reckoned with in our daily lives. Our worries prompt us to pray for provision, deliverance, and safety in the middle of it all. It all begins with the hopefulness of drawing near to God in prayer as ‘our Father’ and ends with the confidence of his kingdom, power, and glory forever.
We pray the Lord’s Prayer in faith, knowing that we are not helpless. Real and lasting change is possible by the Spirit’s power. We declare that the work that Jesus has begun in our lives and in the world will continue, even when things are gloomy or uncertain. May we find rest and renewal today as we draw closer to our Lord and his prayer." *

Prayer and or Action Steps:

1. On what specific events from Jesus’ life and ministry might you reflect when praying the Lord’s Prayer? How does this help with the things you worry about?
2. If you never memorized the Lord's prayer start working on that today. If you know it too well that you can say it without hearing it, slow down as you pray through it. Ruminate and chew on each word and thought as you remain with Jesus in the moment.
3. Take time to dwell in the Lords Prayer through the song, "Our Father" 

* Taken from: A Journey From Worry To Confident Hope, by N. T. Wright