Father, May Your Name Be Holy

February 21, 2010

Cowboy Poetry  by Bill Jones

Jake, the rancher, went one day to fix a distant fence.
The wind was cold and gusty and the clouds rolled gray and dense.

As he pounded the last staples in and gathered tools to go,
The temperature had fallen, the wind and snow began to blow.

When he finally reached his pickup, he felt a heavy heart.
From the sound of that ignition, he knew it wouldn’t start.

So Jake did what most of us would do if we had been there.
He humbly bowed his balding head and sent aloft a prayer.

As he turned the key for the last time, he softly cursed his luck.
They found him three days later, frozen stiff in that old truck.

Now Jake had been around in life and done his share of roaming.
But when he saw Heaven, he was shocked — it looked just like Wyoming!

Of all the saints in Heaven, his favorite was St. Peter.
(Now, this line ain’t needed but it helps with rhyme and meter)

So they set and talked a minute or two, or maybe it was three.
Nobody was keeping’ score — in Heaven time is free.

“I’ve always heard,” Jake said to Pete, “that God will answer prayer,
But one time I asked for help, well, he just plain wasn’t there.”

“Does God answer prayers of some, and ignore the prayers of others?
That don’t seem exactly square — I know all men are brothers.”

“Or does he randomly reply, without good rhyme or reason?
Maybe, it’s the time of day, the weather or the season.”

“Now I ain’t trying to act smart, it’s just the way I feel.
And I was wondering’, could you tell me — what the heck’s the deal?!”

Peter listened very patiently and when Jake was done,
There were smiles of recognition, and he said, “So, you’re the one!!”

“That day your truck, it wouldn’t start, and you sent your prayer a flying,
You gave us all a real bad time, with hundreds of us trying.”

“A thousand angels rushed, to check the status of your file,
But you know, Jake, we hadn’t heard from you in quite a long while.”

“And though all prayers are answered, and God ain’t got no quota,
He didn’t recognize your voice, and started a truck in Minnesota.”

It is good to keep in touch. We will be thinking about that on the Sundays during Lent this year as we take a look at prayer. Jesus’ disciples noticed that He always spent a lot of time in prayer, recongnized that it was helpful for Him, and they wanted what He had. They must have wondered the same things we do: What makes a good prayer? What can and should you pray about? So they implored Him, “Lord, teach us to pray.”

The reply of Jesus is the most used prayer in Christianity. He gave us the very words we could say, a prayer that is known by young and old alike. We pray it when we gather together for worship. Children learn it at an early age. It is offered at the bedside of the ill and dying. All Christian traditions can identify with this prayer. It is not the only prayer we can use, but because our Lord gave it to us, it is a model for us to follow. 

Is there a right way to pray and a wrong way to pray? Do we need to follow a standardized formula for our prayers to be acceptable? Do we need to be taught how to pray? Yes and No. Prayer should not be a careless recitation or thoughtless repetition. Prayer comes from the heart. Just saying the words Jesus gave us does not make it a true prayer. So let’s think about what prayer is. In the catechism, these are a few of the questions and answers that appear.

What is prayer?

Prayer is speaking to God in words and thoughts.

To whom should we pray?

We should pray to the true God only, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, not to idols, saints, or anything God has created.

What should be the content of our prayers?

In our prayers we should ask for everything that tends to the glory of God and to our own and our neighbor’s welfare, both spiritual and bodily blessings. We should also praise and thank God for who He is and what He has done.

How does God answer prayer?

God hears the prayers of all Christians and answers in His own way and at His own time.

What prayer did Jesus give us to show us how to pray?

Jesus gave us the Lord’s Prayer.

So let’s start our look at this prayer that He gave us.

Our Father who art in heaven

 In this introduction, we affirm our faith in God as our Father. For Christians, this is not simply acknowledging that God is the great Father of everything since He created it all. While that is part of it, there is more. We know that we are God’s loved children through faith in Jesus Christ as our Savior from sin and death. Through Baptism, God claims us as His own, and He is a loving Father, one who wants to help us in all things. This introduction sets the tone for the whole prayer.  We are not approaching God afraid that He will reject us and our requests. We are not begging Him for things. Instead, we approach Him with faith, knowing that for Jesus’ sake He will listen, He will hear us. We come to Him in a faith relationship, as dear children go to their loving Father.

Just so you understand, you can address your prayers to the Father, to Jesus, to the Holy Spirit, or to all three. The reason Jesus phrases it this way is so that whenever we pray we will think of God as that loving Father who is always ready to talk with us.

Hallowed by Thy Name

After the introduction in which we address our prayers to the one true God, the one who is able to hear and answer, there are seven different petitions or “askings.” This first petition is a request for God’s name be Holy. Luther reminds us that God’s name is holy without our prayer, but we are praying here that we may keep it holy among us. How is this done? Of course, there is a connection to the second commandment. We do not want ever want to misuse God’s name, using it thoughtlessly or in an improper way. Instead, we resolve, with God’s help, to live our lives in a way that will bring honor and glory to God. While this may sound like I am stating the obvious, God’s name represents God to the world. As His children, you represent Him to the world. Therefore your actions will influence what others think about God. You should strive to keep God’s name holy by being His obedient children. You know that He has offered His Son to pay for your sins. You respond, then, with lives that do not give offense to Him, but rather lift up His name to a position of honor and respect in our world.

We’ll talk about more of this prayer next time. Until then, Make sure we you keep in touch with God through your prayers.