Nathan Leal’s audio series, Meat in Due Season, currently is dishing up some savory treats on the Lord’s Prayer, along with timely information concerning the world at large.
Matthew 6:9-13 (and partially in Luke 11:2-4) contains the model prayer of Jesus gave his disciples. Although it is a beautiful prayer, He used it as an example, listing everything that should be in our prayers to the Father: praise, giving glory, and asking for guidance, wisdom, and knowledge.
Six Principles of Prayer Taken from the Model Prayer of Jesus
1. Acknowledge God’s importance in your life.
2. Express your affection for the kingdom.
3. Affirm both submission to, and dependence on God.
4. What should you confess and what should you forgive.
5. Verbally express your need for His power.
6. Express worship to your Heavenly Father.
Using the same structure, I wrote a few as a fun exercise:
- Version #1
Heavenly Father, full of power and grace
May Your Name be precious in our minds.
Your Kingdom is here,
Your desires fulfilled,
In the natural as in spirit.
Feed us the Unleavened Bread of Your Knowledge
And the pure Living Water of Your Wisdom.
As we turn away and avoid sin,
Grant us the mercy we need towards others.
Keep us on the straight, narrow path
And prod us away from the wide one.
You are the Almighty Word, full of logic contrary to this world.
All praise to You forever for that!
Amen.
- Version #2
Dear Abba, we fall on our faces before Your throne.
Many are the names of Your nature.
The Kingdom dwells among Your children
The strength of Your Spirit moves us
Angel and man alike.
We hunger for Your Word Everlasting
And thirst for Your Holy Spirit.
Repentance, death, and renewal cause humility.
Generosity, forgiveness, and truth cause joy and freedom.
Though we need Your chastising,
May it be minimal as we grow in spirit.
We honor You by becoming living sacrifices, purified and tested by You.
Rejoice in His authority for all times.
Amen.
- Version #3
We tremble in Your Presence, Oh Lord of creation!
Believer or not, Your Holy authority directs us all.
To shape us to Your plan
On both the physical and spiritual planes.
Please help us meet our basic needs and overcome sin
As we forgive the sins against us.
May we become Your leaven in the world while resisting the adversary’s pollution.
From Your footstool, we give You all worship, praise, and glory!
Amen.
- Version #4
To the mighty and wise Builder and Maintainer of the earth,
Your name shall be praise above all others.
Your Rule covers the world,
Who can come against it?
All in the spiritual and natural existence combined cannot match the power in one blink of Your eye.
Bless the nourishment we take into our bodies for Your sake.
You suffer so much for our iniquities.
To be like Your Son, we must suffer others as well.
Your Law kills the flesh, freeing the spirit;
Please keep Your desire written in our hearts to repel the enemy.
Almighty Father, Lord Jesus, we raise shouts of glory to You, not for favor, but joy and awe of Your everlasting agape and majesty.
Give glory to His name, always.
Amen.
- Version #5
Abba, we are not worthy to stand in Your throne room.
Your Holy Righteousness brings us to tears.
Obedience is better than sacrifice.
May all Your creation bowed low before Your glory.
Everything we have comes from You, good and bad, as You refine us into the image of Your Son.
We recognize Your loving patience as we learn to be patient ourselves.
Prod us into repentance, Oh Sheppard, that we may drink Your still, cool waters.
You are the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, Who reigns beyond the end of time for You are timeless.
Glory be to God, the true Emperor of all!
Amen.
- Version #6
In comparison to Your great power and nature, we are specks of dust.
As dry clay dampened by Your Son’s blood, You reshape our very existence.
Your angels look upon and rejoice at Your work.
We empty ourselves, starving for Your Living Word.
You fill the void and we become strong in spirit, power, and faith.
The flesh will make mistakes, lessening in time,
But our reformation by Your Spirit endures until the end.
To You in esteem, we give thanks and supplication, Glorious God, You deserve it!
Amen.
- Version #7
The power of life and death rests in Your Hands, Oh Lord of Hosts.
Our prognostications do not hold a candle to Your Holy words.
The rule of man over man fails every time.
By the blessing of faith and truth can we mere mortals ever understand?
Your love and word are more valuable than bread and pleasure.
Break the curses cast over us
As we issue blessings upon our enemies.
Give a foul, sour taste on our impulses while we savor the fruits of obedience to You.
Halleluyah! Shout and cheer for His grace and his Holy Guide; magnify His Kingdom forevermore.
Amen.
- Version #8
Lord Yeshua, Holy One, Wonderful Counselor, we are not good enough to behold Your countenance.
We kiss the floor and speak to You through our souls instead of our filthy mouths, spewing discharge.
Have You found us worthy enough to partake of Your Meal of Bread and Wine?
Are our garments, soaked with Your blood, cleaner than they were before?
Do we demonstrate enough of Your heart?
Does the adversary still have power over us?
Are we under deception or malice?
May we stay humble and observe Your will manifested in Your children, the oil-filled lamps on Your Mountain.
Amen.
A Whisper, Screamed 