A Dangerous Prayer – Part 1

In praying, do not babble like the pagans, who think that they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them. Your Father knows what you need before you ask Him. This is how you are to pray:

Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name,
Your kingdom come,
Your will be done
On earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread,
And forgive us our debts
As we forgive our debtors;
And do not subject us to the final test,
But deliver us from the evil one. (Mt. 6:8-13)

As some of you know, I have been studying Polish in preparation for a prayer pilgrimage to Poland in April. One of the things I have been doing is learning to pray in Polish, and the Lord’s Prayer has been at the top of the list. (Say it with me, Gloria: Ojcze Nasz, któryś jest w niebie...) Because of the effort needed to learn the new text, or even just pronounce it, I’ve had to give a lot of attention to the meaning of each word. In the process, I’ve concluded that the Lord’s Prayer is very dangerous. It is something we’d best not be praying unless we’re serious about what it says. I’d like to share some thoughts on the first part of the prayer in this blog entry and conclude next week with Part 2.

Our Father in Heaven. Do we really view God as a father? We live in a society where many fathers are absent from their children’s lives. Sometimes it’s from a need to work long hours or far away from home in order to support the family. For some, the job has become their #1 priority. Some fathers, sadly, just don’t want to be involved. Tragically, some fathers have even harmed their children, physically, emotionally, sexually. In those cases, the image of a father is a difficult one to embrace. The Lord’s Prayer gives us a perfect image to replace any negative images of fatherhood that we might have. God is the perfect Father. When we turn to Him in trust, we learn that He is lacking in nothing, that He loves and protects us, and gives us everything according to our needs. What father among you would hand his son a snake, when he asks for a fish? Or hand him a scorpion when he asks for an egg? If you then, who are wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him? (Lk. 11:11-13).

Hallowed be Your Name. These days, the name of God and His Son are often tossed around unthinkingly, or worse, used as expletives. In Old Testament times, to reveal one’s name to another was to make oneself vulnerable in a sense. Using a person’s name is also a measure of respect. I call my friend by her name, I don’t say “Hey you!” because I respect who she is as a person. Isaiah 43:1 tells us that God has called each of [us] by name and that He will be with us to guide and watch over us. God shows His love for us by calling us by name; we owe Him nothing less when using His name. A person's name is a precious thing, and isn’t the name of God the most precious name of all?

Your will be done, on earth as in heaven. This is probably the most dangerous verse of all. Many of us, when praying, present the Lord with a laundry list of things we think we need, or things we would like Him to do for us. There is nothing wrong with bringing our petitions before the Lord; God wants us to do that. After all, Scripture says, Ask and you shall receive (Mt. 7:7). I have often heard people say, “Oh, I pray, but God doesn’t answer my prayers.” But are we praying with the right disposition? Do we really want His will, or our own? God does indeed answer our prayers, but sometimes that answer is a resounding “No.” He won’t always give us what we ask for, but He will always give us what we need and only what is good for us. For I know well the plans I have in mind for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare, not for woe! Plans to give you a future full of hope (Jer. 29:11).

To ask that His will be done means to surrender oneself completely to God. It means giving up control – a frightening proposition in a society that indoctrinates us to believe we must always be in control at all costs. But the Gospel calls us to imitate Christ in His humility. Have among yourselves the same attitude that is also yours in Christ Jesus, Who, though He was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God something to be grasped. Rather, He emptied Himself, taking the form of a slave, coming in human likeness; and found in human appearance He humbled Himself, becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross (Phil. 2:5-8).

Praying “Thy will be done” means dying to ourselves, actively seeking to know His will for our lives, and responding to the grace to do it. Only in losing ourselves in God can we find our true selves. As St. Francis of Assisi wrote, “it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.”

Prayer Request. For those who have given up on prayer, that they would come to know that our heavenly Father loves them and seeks relationship with them.

Prayer. Heavenly Father, we thank you and praise you for calling us by name to be Your children. Help us to surrender ourselves and find our happiness in Your perfect will. We make this prayer through Christ our Lord. Amen.