Susan lay in intensive care, barely alert, battling for life after a heart attack. Every minute or two her pulse fell below 51, the heart monitor would shrill, and the nurse would shake her until her heart beat faster again. I stood over my friend, one hand on her heart, the other arm stretched toward Heaven, praying, imploring God for her life. “Our Father, which art in heaven,” then her feeble voice joined mine, “Hallowed be thy name,” she barely whispered the words with me.

Is there anywhere in the world the Lord’s Prayer hasn’t been prayed? In hospitals, churches, battlefields, in bedrooms and boardrooms, in poor huts and palace halls, Christ’s words are sobbed and sung, shouted and whispered. Somewhere, someone is speaking them now . . . and God is listening. He always hears the prayer addressed to Him.

Jesus encouraged us to pray this way:

Our Father

which art in heaven,

Hallowed be thy name.

Thy kingdom come.

Thy will be done in earth,

as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread.

And forgive us our debts,

as we forgive our debtors.

And lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from evil:

For thine is the kingdom,

and the power, and the glory, for ever,

Amen.

(Mt.6:9-13)

This prayer teaches who, where, how, whose, when and what:

Who do we address? Our Father (Jehovah God is Father of all peoples)

Where does God dwell? In Heaven (Heaven is a definite place; He is there)

How do we address Him? Call His name Hallowed (He is holy, honor Him)

Whose kingdom to pray for? Thy kingdom come (Pray for His authority, order)

Where is His will to be done? In earth as in Heaven. (Obey Him instantly, joyfully)

When should we pray? This day (Pray each day for that days needs)

What should we ask for? Our daily bread (physical food, spiritual food)

How to keep relationship? Forgive us as we forgive others

What should we avoid? Deliver us from temptation and evil

Whose kingdom, power, glory? All is His. Kingdom, power, and glory

You become an intercessor when you pray the Lord’s Prayer. Intercessors pray for others. Four times this prayer says our, four times us, and once we. Nowhere will you find me or mine. So as you pray you believe God to meet other’s needs. But He will bless and meet your needs also. He met Susan’s need that day.

There can’t be a better prayer if this is the model prayer Christ taught his disciples. Will you pray it with me? Memorize it? Claim it? Be bold, faith in Jesus and your prayers will change the world. That’s the reason Susan and I and others meet on Thursdays in my dining room to pray. We pray that you will read this column and come to faith in Christ. We pray for countries around the world, and wars to end, and world leaders and God’s kingdom to come on earth, as it is in Heaven. Join our prayer circle. Pray the Lord’s prayer.

To the Father, through the Son,

In the Holy Spirit,

With a clean heart say each prayer

And our God will hear it.

Children’s Song

# # # #

Petey Prater is a Beaverton, OR writer and speaker she can be reached at donprater@juno.com. She writes poetry, articles, and devotionals and contributed to two books available in Bible bookstores or on Amazon.com

Prayers for Troubled Times, compiled by Jeannie St John Taylor, AMG Publishers

101 Stories of Answered Prayer by Jeannie St John Taylor and Petey Prater, AMG Publishers