Today,
Jesus gives us an ideal pattern of Christian prayer popularly known as “The
Lord’s Prayer”. It is Jesus’ own prayer which comes from the heart. It is
important to note the significance of the arrangement of this prayer. The first
three petitions have to do with God’s glory and will; the last three petitions
have to do with our needs and necessities. This means that God should be placed
first above our human needs. All we need to do is keep praising Him and allow
His will to sway. “It is only when God is given his proper place that all things
fall into their proper place.”
When
we say this prayer (Our Father…), we bring our present, past and future before
the presence of God. We ask for bread in the present, ask for forgiveness of
sins of the past and pray for protection against future temptations and
misfortunes. Finally, God’s response to our prayer can come in three ways: He
says yes and gives us what we want; He says no and gives us something better;
He says wait and gives us the best. Prayer, therefore, should not be an attempt
to bend the will of God to our wishes. It should be a total surrender to Divine
will.
