The Lord’s Prayer

5 “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 7 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

9 “This, then, is how you should pray:

“‘Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
10 your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.

Maybe you have heard of the Lord’s Prayer, which Jesus begins to teach his followers in our passage for today. When it comes to praying, sometimes we might think we have to find just the right words, or to say things in just the right way, for God to hear us.

But Jesus shows us that isn’t the case. God is not some remote figure who must be awakened or impressed. There are no magic words; there is no secret formula to memorize in order to get God’s attention. In fact, God is eager to hear from us, and he is ready to welcome us at any time.

That’s because God, the Lord and Creator of the universe, is our Father. He is loving and attentive, and he understands the needs of our hearts.

Because of that, it’s safe to come into God’s presence just as we are. We can pray with confidence, even without knowing a lot about our Father, or knowing what to say. We can enter God’s presence in prayer because he wants to receive us and hear us, just as a loving parent wants with their child. God wants to spend time with us always, even when we are emotional or struggling. Our loving Father who is in heaven invites us into his presence. To pray. And listen. To have a relationship with him. That’s what Jesus has come to offer.

Father, help me to believe that you want to hear from me and receive me, just as I am. Help me to see you as my loving Father who cares for all my needs. Amen.