The Comfort of Prayer

Do you remember the very first prayer that you were taught?  For me, it was a bed time prayer, “Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep, if I should die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take.”  Then I would bless all my family and friends, “God bless mommy and daddy… God bless grandma and grandpa… and I would continue on like that until I’d mentioned all the people and things that I loved.  Over the years, I’ve learned many different prayers… and ways to pray, but at night when I’m tired and stressed; those are the words that come to my mind.

Jesus’ disciples observed him praying and asked him to teach them to pray.  It’s not that they’ve never prayed before.  They’re observant Jews, taught such things since they were young, but they wanted to learn to pray as Jesus prayed.  In response, Jesus gives them a short prayer.  A prayer that now identifies and unifies us as Christians.  On Sundays and many other days, as we pray the Lord’s Prayer, we pray with Christians in around the world, from Egypt to Albuquerque, from San Francisco to Rome – both in New York and Italy. 
 
For many of us the Lord’s Prayer is the first… or in my case, the second prayer that we learn as children.  It’s amazing how this prayer has become such an integral part of our memory, so much so that it seems to be written in our hearts.  There’ve been times when I visited an elderly person in a nursing home, who was nearly unresponsive, but when I began the Lord’s Prayer, they joined me, praying slowly each word until the end.

Jesus teaches us that prayer is an intimate conversation with God.  He taught us to begin our prayer with, “Our Father.”  Before this, no one had ever spoken to God in such a way.  This is the relationship that Jesus invites us into… reminding us that we are indeed, God’s beloved children.  Jesus invites us to talk with God as we would talk to a loving parent, who listens to us, cares for us, forgives and provides for us.  Jesus reminds us that God, who is infinitely greater, more loving, and generous than we are, responds to our prayers, even with the gift of the Holy Spirit.

You may have noticed that this prayer is not just a comforting, private little prayer, to help us through difficult times.  This is a prayer of community.  It is a prayer for a community of faith, promised the gift of the Holy Spirit.  And together, with the Holy Spirit, this community, this church, is called to be the Body of Christ.  We are called to be light – to shine the Gospel in dark places.  We are called to be salt – to preserve the good news of Jesus Christ for all generations.  We are called to be bread for the world –to feed the hungry with food for the body, as well as the soul. 

Whether we’re praying as a child, for the Lord, “our soul to keep,” or as an adult to Our Father with words written on our heart; we pray, trusting that God will take care of us, even when we don’t fully understand what that means.  We pray to the One who loves us, who is present with us every day… in our joy and hope and in our pain and suffering… We pray to the One who strengthens and supports us as individuals and as a church… providing all that we need – our daily bread.

Psalm 138 reminds of these things.  “God will fulfill God’s purpose for us. Your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of your hands.” We are the work of God’s hands; guided by Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection, and given the gift of the Holy Spirit.  Let us pray for guidance to fulfill God’s purpose for ourselves and our church.  Let us pray for strength to be daily bread for one another and for all of God’s children.  Let us trust in God, as we take our daily worries, needs, and temptations to the Lord in prayer.  Amen.