Over the last few years my understanding of prayer has grown and I want to share a quick thought. A piece, you will, of my understanding.
Having grown up a Baptist I had only primarily been exposed to spontaneity in prayer or extemporaneous prayer. Unrehearsed, off the top of the head, or from the bottom of the heart, as each moment brought out or exposed. I cannot recall ever reciting the Lord’s Prayer corporately, although I certainly was made to memorize it as a child.
Yes, the Lord’s Prayer gives us a template, but oh that template is so powerful. As I have sought out teaching on prayer I have found that many wrote out their prayers; practiced, if you will, and yet so much power and humility. Many times music is simply a prayer set to tune, and we might agree that it can lead to an understanding and knowledge that we were yet to see.
Below are three of my favorite prayers:
One from Scripture
One from history
One a song
Our Father in heaven,
your name be honored as holy.
Your kingdom come.
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 into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.
Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me,
Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ on my right, Christ on my left,
Christ where I lie, Christ where I sit, Christ where I arise,
Christ in the heart of everyone who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of every one who speaks to me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me.
Salvation is of the Lord.
Salvation is of the Christ.
May your salvation, Lord, be ever with us.
Seek Understanding 