Prayer

Our Father in heaven,
Your name be honored as holy.
Your kingdom come.
Your will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And do not bring us into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
[For Yours is the kingdom and the power
and the glory forever. Amen.]

We've all seen or heard this prayer, either in person or on T.V. It's kind of ironic that by the time the prayer comes to, "and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us"--it seems that we've already fallen into the issues associated with rote memorized prayer. We should realize the gravity of that prayer. We are essentially saying "God, treat me how I treat other people. Just as I have forgiven other people, forgive me." If we reevaluate the "as we also have forgiven our debtors", we realize part of prayer is God opening up the door for us to partner in the answer to the prayer. When we pray "Father your will be done on earth" what if God says "Okay, bring my will to _______" Part of prayer is about partnering with God in what He's already doing on earth, because His Kingdom isn't far away, its at hand.