In the Gospel reading on Wednesday this week Jesus’ disciples said to him, ‘Lord, teach us to pray.’
Jesus answered the request by teaching his disciples the Lord’s prayer. Coming from Jesus himself, the Lord’s prayer is model prayer and if we are looking for words to say, the Lord’s prayer is the most important and profound prayer of all. It is worth praying slowly, and reflecting on each line.
To pray is to consciously put ourselves in the presence of God. The Old Testament sometimes talks about ‘fear of the Lord,’ accurately interpreted as ‘taking God seriously’, acknowledging God and calling God to mind.
I often say to students that there is no bad prayer, as long as prayer is offered sincerely. We can worry about having the right words to say, or might even ask AI to write the words for us, but the reality is that when prayer is personal, between one person and God, the words do not really matter; after all, God knows the intentions of the heart. The articulation of those intentions can help us, but the words themselves do not add to God’s understanding of the intention.
Jesus often spent time on his own, quietly in prayer. We do not know the words of Jesus’ prayer when he was alone with the Father, but we do know that he was placing himself in the Father’s hands, trusting in the Father.
We are all invited to be people of prayer. The words of prayer can be helpful, but it is the mind and the heart that really matter – acknowledging that we are in the presence of God, placing ourselves in his hands, and entrusting our lives to him. We do not need to be afraid of prayer.
Lord, teach us how to pray. Lord, enkindle within us hearts that turn to you in prayer, this day and every day.
