The Perfect Prayer

Matthew 6: 7-15

“When you are praying, do not heap up empty phrases as the gentiles do, for they think that 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. Pray, then, in this way:

Our Father in heaven,
may your name be revered as holy.
May your kingdom come.
May 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 do not bring us to the time of trial,
but rescue us from the evil one.

For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”

Over the course of my ministry, many people have reached out to me and said that they don’t know how to pray. They ask me questions like, “What words should I use when I pray?” “Should I always kneel when I pray?” “What is okay to ask God for when I pray and what isn’t?” “How long do I need to spend in prayer for it to really count?”

What I often tell people is that there are no rules when it comes to prayer. There are no right words or wrong words when you pray, in fact, you don’t even need to use words. There is no time requirement or correct posture. Rather, you should think of prayer as calling home, calling home to a God who yearns to connect with you the way a loving parent waits and hopes to connect with their child, even if that communication amounts to nothing more than a simple text.

Jesus in our lesson for today gives us what I think is the perfect prayer. It is my go-to prayer in good times and in bad. It is my go-to when I don’t know what to pray. In those moments, I just let Jesus’ words do the praying for me. It reminds me that the world is the way it is because Christ’s Kingdom has not come, and we need that Kingdom of love more than anything. It reminds me that God may not give me everything I want, but I can count on God to give me just what I need to make it through my day. It chastens me to remember that no matter how smug I may feel, I am a sinner and in need of forgiveness. And it puts me in mind of God’s justice because if I want forgiveness then I must be willing to forgive. It is the perfect prayer.

It’s up to us to decide whether to pray or not, but don’t doubt for a second that the God of love waits for us with open ears and bated breath. Amen.

prayer

Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy Name,
thy kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
and the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever. Amen.