Praying the Jesus Creed
Prayer is pretty simple. It is loving communication with God. All we need is an open heart. But, simple is not always easy. Struggle is often the best description of prayer. But, Jesus gave us an answer to how to pray when the disciples asked him in the midst of their own struggles.
THE KADDISH OF JUDAISM AND THE KADDISH OF JESUS. Jesus takes an ancient prayer and modifies and adds to it to give the disciples what we call the Lord's prayer. Both his additions to the Jesus Creed and the Lord's prayer have to do with others. Forgive us, Lead us, Give us…
The Lord's prayer as a gift for liturgy. Jesus knew the dangers of often recited texts becoming dull and repetitive. But, he gave us the Lord's prayer and told us to "say" it or literally "repeat" it. We learn 4 things when we use the Lord's prayer to mentor our prayer life.
- We learn to approach God as Abba.
- We learn what God really wants. God told us what to pray—clearly that is what the wants. When we meditate on the Lord's prayer, we find out what God wants.
- We learn to think of others.
- We learn what everyone needs. Rather than praying for what we thing others need, we should pray for what Jesus wants for them—adequate provision, spirituality purity, and moral stability.
The Lord's Prayer as a Gift for Action. The Lord's prayer is not intercession, it is enlistment.