The Book of (perhaps not so) Common Prayer

One of the great things about being a pastor for a trans denominational organization is that I get to be exposed to all kinds of different traditions within different Christian Churches. I get to be a guest speaker at churches that are very diverse but yet all hold to the same statement of faith. One of the traditions that exist in many of the denominations represented by CH staff members is the use of a prayer book or of pre-written prayers. Many Christian denominations use prayers that are hundreds if not thousands of years old. Either they pray them in individual times of meditation or they use them corporately. Many Evangelicals (like myself) did not grow up with this tradition. For some it seems strange to have the words they take to God written down for them ahead of time. They may feel that prayer should be spontaneous or that if it is written a head of time the heart element is taken out of it.
Think of it this way. Most wedding vows are pre-written. No one would say they lacked heart. It should also be pointed out that there really are very few denominations that do not use pre-written prayers - it is just that we set them to music and call them songs.
When I was first introduced to pre-written prayers it really helped me stay focused. Some one told me once that pre-written prayers are like coat hangers we drape our own feelings and needs on. When we pray as a group we may all say “give us today our daily bread” but we would likely all be thinking of different needs we need God to meet. One of the great things about pre-written prayers is that you can pray the same prayer at different times and your heart focuses on different parts.
Having said all that what I would like to do over the next few blogs is give you some of my favorite prayers, invite you to pray them and I will give you my thoughts afterwards and I hope some of you will be willing to do the same.
I thought I would start off with a prayer that no one should have a problem praying: the “Our Father” or “Lord’s Prayer” Found in Matthew 6:9-11 from the NIV.

"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.
Forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.”

As I prayed through this familiar prayer I was struck anew by the fact that after opening with praising God’s name it goes directly into “your kingdom come”. I of course knew that those were the next words but it made me wonder how much of my prayer life is really concerned with His kingdom. Most of my prayers are prompted by needs I have. I want to get to the “daily bread” part or even the “forgive my debts” part. Most of my prayers are centered on what would be good for me. Sure, I will usually take on an “if it is your will” or something on the end, but how many of my prayers are centered on His desires? We talk a lot at CH about “Person Centered Support” and that we need to put the individual supported at the center of our decisions. I have realized I need some “God Centered Prayer”. I need to set aside some time to pray for His kingdom and for His will not only in my own life but in His world. The first thing I should discuss with God after praising Him is what He wants - not what I want. Anyway, those are my thoughts on the Lord’s prayer today. Tomorrow they will probably be different. That is one of the beauties of pre-written prayers.

Mark Wallace