After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. Matthew 6:9-13

This morning in my reading I came across an anonymous dissection of this prayer that makes it personal:

·       I cannot say ‘Our’ if my life has no room for others and their needs.

·       I cannot say ‘Father’ if I don’t live out that relationship in my daily life.

·       I cannot say ‘which art in heaven’ if my interests and commitments are on earthly things.

·       I cannot say ‘Hallowed be thy name’ if my life does not honor and glorify Him.

·       I cannot say ‘Thy kingdom come’ if I don’t have his kingdom growing in my heart, life, and in my home, country, and world.

·       I cannot say ‘Thy will be done’ if I am unwilling to have it manifested in my life.

·       I cannot say ‘in earth, as it is in heaven’ unless I am truly willing to bring Him everything in my life today.

·       I cannot say ‘give us this day our daily bread’ when I am ignoring the needs of our brothers and sisters.

·       I cannot say ‘and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors’ if I harbor a grudge against anyone.

·       I cannot say ‘and lead us not into temptation’ if I deliberately choose to remain in a situation that is tempting me.

·       I cannot say ‘but deliver us from evil’ if I am not willing to fight with the weapons of the Word and Prayer.

·       I cannot say ‘for Thine is the kingdom’ if I am not willing to be the King’s loyal subject.

·       I cannot say ‘and Thine is the power’ if I fear what those around me will say and do.

·       I cannot say ‘and Thine is the glory’ if I seek my own glory above His.

·       I cannot say ‘for ever’ if I am anxious about the affairs of each day.

·       I cannot say ‘Amen’ unless I can agree that whatever the cost to my life this is my prayer.

Ron Cox – Director of HOPE Ministry