Today is the National Day of Prayer in the United States. As anyone who has seen a recent newspaper knows, there are plenty of reasons to be praying: the economy, global politics, and various natural disasters—to name a few. While we should be praying every day, today is a great opportunity to take time to express our thanks and concerns about what’s happening in our nation and abroad.
When we look at the Bible, we see that God is very interested in communicating with his people. There are many discussions of when, where and how to pray, and many straight transcriptions of the prayers of His people. Prayer is inextricably woven into the fabric of the Bible.
One prayer that stands out to me is the one that Jesus taught his disciples in Matthew 6:9-13 and Luke 11:2-4. Commonly called the Lord’s Prayer, it’s an elegant template for expressing ourselves before God:
“This, then, is how you should pray:
“‘Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
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 lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.’
He said to them, “When you pray, say:
“‘Father,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come.
Give us each day our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins,
for we also forgive everyone who sins against us.
And lead us not into temptation.’”
It’s a powerful reminder of who God is and what we can rely on God to give us. More often than not, I find that the words of the Lord’s Prayer sufficiently express my thoughts and emotions without any additional commentary from myself.
Besides the Lord’s Prayer, what are some of your favorite prayers from the Bible? Head over to our page on Facebook to let us know!
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