One evening, during our Vacation Bible School, I asked the children what they would like to pray for. Several raised their hands. They wanted to pray for their pet cats, their pet dogs and their mothers. I’m not sure why fathers were left out. But, I assume it is because mothers, cats and dogs are who the children spend most of their time with. They are likely their best friends. Their request seemed narrow and I was disappointed that the children had not thought about their brothers and sisters, their neighbors or people who are hurting. Let’s be honest. It’s a little premature to expect them to be praying for world peace, an end to racism or help for the world’s poor.
At first I thought their prayers were naïve. These were children who live in a very small world. It makes sense that they wouldn’t be conscious of people at a distance. I wondered, "who is teaching our children to pray?" Children learn by watching adults. Could it be that our prayers do not extend beyond our personal worlds? Perhaps our children’s simple prayers are a reflection of our prayers. Perhaps we adults have not really learned how to pray.
In this gospel lesson Jesus was asked to teach the disciples how to pray. Notice that the prayer that Jesus offers is very brief. There are only 37 words. When compared to the Lord’s Prayer that we say every Sunday it is much shorter. The Church has added a few lines since this original prayer. And Jesus didn’t say "Amen."
The prayer that Jesus gave was not a theological dissertation on the meaning of prayer. It was not a prayer that listed all the ills and problems of the community. It wasn’t a "wish list" of things and desires. It had just a few basic points. (l) God is to be acknowledged, (2) We are free to make an appeal for our daily sustenance, (3) We are to forgive as we are forgiven and (4) We are to seek God’s leadership in our life’s journey.
Note also that Jesus gave no instructions about when or where the prayer was to be said. This prayer can be said anytime or anywhere. It is not reserved for worship or special occasions. There is nothing about how often it should be said or who should say it. It is a prayer for followers, the faithful. Simple enough, right?
If it were so simple it would not be an issue which divides the country. If it were so simple we wouldn’t have emotional tension over the issue of "debts, sins and trespasses." If it were so simple there wouldn’t be so many folks who are reluctant to pray. If it were so simple it would be a natural daily occurrence instead of a religious sacred cow.
I believe that the prayer that Jesus said is very straight forward. We know exactly what it says and we know what it means. The problem is we are unwilling to live it. We are no different than those young children who prayed for their cats, dogs and moms. We live in isolated worlds, indifferent to the needs and problems around us. We are so self sufficient that we do not acknowledge that God has anything to do with our daily lives. We are not listening to God’s direction for our lives and forgiveness is rare in our relationships with others.
Do you ever listen to the Lord’s Prayer when it is said in unison in worship? It is not said with passion and feeling. It is muttered. Everyone says the words, but who believes them? A man once told me that he never says the Lord’s Prayer. He just moves his lips. He is afraid that he will make a mistake and doesn’t want to be embarrassed. I truly think there are some who take the prayer seriously but are not clear about its meaning. Over the centuries it seems to have lost its original intent.
The prayer that Jesus taught is not complex. And we are fully capable of living it out. I said earlier that the children at Bible School were praying for their friends. Actually, these young, naïve, innocent children have a greater grasp of prayer than we realize.
After Jesus presents the words to his prayer he illustrates it with a parable. This simple story is at the heart of what he meant. A man helps a friend in the middle of the night. He is inconvenienced but is willing to help his friend who has taken in another friend for the night. In that culture, hospitality and friendship were high priorities. They wouldn’t think of turning a friend away. Nor would they deny a friend assistance.
What Jesus is saying is that God is like a neighbor who helps us in the middle of the night. In an inopportune time God reaches out asking nothing in return. I don’t know why it should surprise us that the word, "debts" is used in the prayer. When someone helps us we often feel indebted to them. Jesus us is telling us that giving and receiving is at the essence of our faith. It’s about love, its about friendship.
I can remember a time when we used to go to our neighbor’s house to borrow things. My mother would send me next store to get a cup of sugar or flour. I can also remember times when our neighbors came to our house to borrow two eggs or a stick of butter. Now days we get in our cars and drive to the convenience store. We wouldn’t think of asking a neighbor.
Perhaps we are too proud to ask for help when we need it. Rather than be indebted to friends we are indebted to credit card companies. And we all know how forgiving they are. The help we receive is becoming more and more impersonal.
Its because of the complex, impersonal, demanding world we live in we need God now more than ever. Remember the 4 basic points of Jesus’ prayer. First, to acknowledge God. That means humbling ourselves and admitting that we can’t get through life on our own. Second, to ask for what we need. Jesus follows his parable with the famous phrase, "ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened." Third, forgive. Prayer is linked with action. It is not just words but a way of life. And fourth, we ask God to lead us which requires unconditional trust.
The Lord’s Prayer is an expression of faith. It assumes that human beings are not self-sufficient but dependent on God. It is not a sign of weakness to pray but a sign of our humanity. Prayer acknowledges our need for God. Prayer is surrender. In his book, The Reaffirmation of Prayer, E. Glenn Hinson says that "the key to human existence lies in surrender to God, putting one’s self and one’s affairs utterly and with complete child-like trust in God’s hands."
So our children at Bible School may have been much closer to understanding prayer than we think. Their most cherished friends, their cats, dogs and moms, were their best friends, the ones they depend upon, the ones who give them love and purpose. Just as a child surrenders his/herself to his/her mother God wants us to surrender to God. Whether its asking for help, forgiving or trusting, surrender is essential as we place our lives in the will of God.
Dr. Keith Wagner, St. Paul’s United Church of Christ, Sidney, Ohio