The Our Father is a perfect prayer. It comes from Jesus, which, in itself, makes it the most powerful prayer on earth. It is a humble prayer, yet beautiful and powerful in its simplicity. We come before our "Abba" as His beloved children, recognizing His omniscience and majesty while at the same time trustfully placing ourselves in his hands. After acknowledging his greatness we petition Him asking for 7 things:
1. In "hallowed be thy name" we are praising Him and asking that He be recognized as holy throughout the earth.
2. "Thy kingdom come" - we are asking for the coming of his kingdom and for his reign in our hearts
3. "Thy will be done" - we are praying that his will be done here on earth by each of us and that his holy
will may "reign" as it does in heaven
4. "Give us this day our daily bread" - we are petitioning Him here that all our daily needs be met
5. "Forgive us our trespasses" - we are asking God for forgiveness of our sins. But it comes with a catch-
because we pray "as we forgive those who trespass against us". To be forgiven you must also forgive
others. Like father...like son.
6. "Lead us not into temptation" - we are asking him for the grace to resist the temptations of the world and
to help us not sin.
7." Deliver us from evil" - here, we are asking the Lord to protect us and deliver us from the snares of
Satan and the evil spirits.
This is the greatest prayer of all and we should pray it every single day, uniting it with Jesus' praying of the Our Father along with our brothers and sisters throughout the world. Can you imagine the changes that would come about if all people would recite this prayer with truth and from the heart? The entire world would change.
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. Amen
