Discover A Deeper Meaning in Every Word Of The Lord’s Prayer.

We suspect most of you have said the Lord’s Prayer many times during your life. Many of us have been saying this prayer since we were in pre-school. Some churches say it in unison during their services. When we do our prayer time, we always end by saying the Lord’s Prayer together.

“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day, our daily bread, and forgive us our debts as we have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.” Matthew 6:9-23 ESV

Over the past few weeks, we have been delving into a devotion specifically on the Lord’s Prayer, examining each phrase of the prayer and reflecting on its meaning and application in our lives. Neither of us has ever done this before. In this week’s Fist Bump, we are sharing some of our thoughts as we continue to work our way through the devotion and specific aspects of the prayer.

To begin with, the Lord’s Prayer is a profound expression of faith and devotion. Saying this prayer daily or on a regular basis can bring us much closer to feeling the presence of God. We found that when we take time to reflect on each phase of the prayer and how it applies to our lives, it has even more meaning.

We have experienced spiritual growth over the past few weeks by taking the time to gain a deeper understanding of the specific words of the Lord’s Prayer, rather than rushing through it. Previously, we would catch ourselves simply reciting the Lord’s Prayer, as we have done for years, without taking the time to let it truly sink in. God loves it when we slow down and spend quality time with HIM.

“Be STILL and know that I am God” Psalm 46:10

“Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you” James 4:8

“But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father, who sees you in secret, will reward you.” Matthew 6:6 ESV

We have found that by TAKING THE TIME to reflect on the words of the Lord’s Prayer in our prayer time, it has brought so much more meaning and application to our lives.

OK, let’s dive in.

The Lord’s Prayer starts with “OUR father in heaven”.

Not your Father or my Father but OUR Father. We are all part of God’s family. We come to God as a family. This gives us the comfort of BELONGING and not being isolated. Our lives are about community and meaningful relationships with each other and with God.

“For in Christ Jesus, you are ALL sons of God, through faith” Galatians 3:26 ESV.

As you pray the Lord’s Prayer, always remember the importance of your community and relationships.

Next, “hallowed be your name."

Ever think about that? When we talk to God, He wants us to be in WORSHIP. Worship sets the stage. It reorders our priorities and refocuses our hearts.

When we attend church, we spend time singing worship music and preparing our hearts to spend time with God. Hopefully, we put behind us the rush to church, getting up late, and the other challenges of life. Put those issues aside and reflect on the power, love, and Grace of our God.

To Hallow God’s name is to acknowledge his uniqueness.

He is NOT just like us. He is PERFECT. He is holy, he is just, and he is good. Hallowed be HIS name! We spent time this week reflecting on how we can often take the Glory of God for granted in our prayers and get right to our request list. He deserves and expects more from us than that. He is our Father; we are his children, and HE is our creator. May we Hallow His name.

We will continue to share our reflections on the Lord’s Prayer and our prayer life overall in future Fist Bumps. Stay tuned!

Additionally, we would appreciate hearing from you. What is on your heart? Where are you in your faith journey? Please share it with us. We would love to incorporate what is on your heart and your learnings into our Fist Bumps—always respecting confidentiality, of course.

As we state regularly, Gentlemen, it is all about relationships, being vulnerable, and going deeper with those around you —those you love, and those who love you. Take the risk, take the step. We promise you, you will not regret it.