The Lord's Prayer Revisited

The ‘Lord’s Prayer’ is widely recognized as the familiar prayer Jesus taught his disciples when they asked him “how should we pray?”. It remains the standard prayer recited privately and publically by many Christians everywhere. Recited ritually it can become so repetitive that we forget to  take the time to absorb its hidden meanings. A few simple questions about this prayer might help us to unlock its salvific intent.      

“Our Father in heaven” . . . do you think of ‘heaven’ as a separate and distant place from this earth?  Does this prayer not suggest to us that like any loving parent God not only cares for his children but wants them to become responsible adults?

“Hallowed be your name” . . . does this remind you that as a son/daughter of God that you yourself are also hallowed? Is holiness (wholeness) limited only to the righteous, or are we all holy individuals capable of unholy acts?

“Your kingdom come” . . . does this make you think of the 'kingdom' as something to take place in the present or the  future? Does the next line by Jesus not clearly place it here on earth as well as in heaven?   

 “Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” . . . How often do we follow God’s will or instructions to live as ‘kingdom people’ here on earth? Is it possible that by listening to the God within that we can discover that God’s will and our will are perhaps similar?

“Give us this day our daily bread”, . . . do we trust God enough to provide our daily spiritual and physical needs?  Why would God not give us this?  What role (God’s will) do we have to help our neighbours in this regard?

“Forgive us our debts,”.. . . do we really trust God to forgive us for the many errors or mistakes we have made in our life?  If not, are we condemned to carry our pain until death?  What do you make of the following Scriptural passages: Hebrews 8:12 ,Jeremiah 31:34 Isaiah 43:25 , where God reminds us “and I will not remember your sins." ?

“as we also have forgiven our debtors” . . .  Are we able to forgive those who have hurt us and do we realize that God recognizes the burden of holding on to our pain and wants to teach us to let go so that we may be free to live life to the full?

         

“And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil” . . . . now comes the great assurance or comfort that we are not dealing with an entity that will lead us into temptation but rather one who wants to protect us and despite our faults will not punish us but instead is prepared to deliver us from the evil that our ego’s have allowed to come our way. 

The Lord’s Prayer is God’s promise to listen and respond to us while  being fully present in every situation of our daily life – no matter how insignificant or painfully difficult.  The extent to which God is present appears to be entirely up to us. God does not assign any pre-conditions upon our cry for his help or assistance.  This Deity meets us where we are not were others would have us be. Note that this prayer reveals a Creator who completely identifies with us in all our fears, pains and struggles or sins no matter how painful these may be. The same God is equaly present in our hopes, joys and dreams. 

Finally, the Lord's prayer offers a direct line to God’s unconditional love where we will re-discover that we are imbued with the power, but not escape, the  ability to resist evil and do good, to heal and be healed, to forgive and be forgiven, to overcome fear, rejection and temptation, etc.  Did Jesus not also remind  us “Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father”? (John 14:12)

The Wisdom of the CHRISTIAN MYSTICS

In his introduction to ‘The Wisdom of the Christian Mystics, author Timothy Freke describes Mysticism as follows:   

"Mysticism is the spiritual essence of Christianity. The great Christian mystics, however, have often found themselves horribly persecuted as heretics by the established Churches for their outrageous claims and idiosyncratic ways. The mystics are not content to have a relationship with God via priests and institutions, but look inside themselves to know God directly. When they do, God is revealed as an all-embracing love that unites the universe into one indivisible whole. In communion with God, the mystics no longer experience themselves as separate individuals but as expressions of the Oneness. God is the only reality. God is everything. God does everything. This mystical vision is not a psychological anomaly: it is the natural state; human beings fail to experience it only because they believe themselves to be separate from God, when in fact He is their very essence. All mystical practices are designed to dispel this pernicious illusion of separateness.

The teachings that the mystics have left for us are not their opinions about God for us to believe or disbelieve. The 16thThey are testimonies to the possibility of certain intuitive knowledge of the Truth, that may tempt us with their sublime intensity lo make the mystical journey for ourselves. 16-century Spanish mystic, St. John of the Cross, writes, "God does not reserve the high vocation of mystical contemplation for certain souls only. On the contrary he wants all to embrace it, but finds few who will permit Him to work such exalted things for them." The very purpose of human life is to come to knowledge of God, and if we simply turn toward God we will find that He has been waiting for us all along. The 17th-century French mystic, Brother Lawrence, assures us "Knock, persevere in knocking, and 1 guarantee that He will answer".

 In recent years more and more people have come to realize that God cannot be confined to the dogmatic teachings of any religious institution.  The God most people seek today is the God who meets us where we are – not where others would have us be.  At best a religious institution can point the way but it must never become confused with the destination. Knowing God is not about studying religious text, repetitive prayers, elaborate rituals, or withdrawing from family and friends to a desert island or cave. It is not about belonging to a religious institution. While the sound of bells, or the smell of wax candles and incense may cause us to recall a special moment in time, they are not necessary to experience the longing presence of God in the most sacred place in the world – i.e., our heart. Knowing God is the intuitive experience deep within the human DNA or psyche.  It is present in all human beings from the time of creation to eternity.  It is our indestructible soul that moves beyond space and time – ‘I was there when He laid the earth’s foundations’ Proverbs 8: 22-31.  Knowing God does not require anyone to recite or study passages of Holy Scripture, the life of Jesus, Buddha, Mohammed, or Moses.  How can we make these seemingly outrageous claims?  Just think of an infant, perhaps only days old, the young soldier killed in battle, the individual bound by an incapacitating disease or the native born in the remotest forest on the earth – do we really believe God forsakes the least of his people?  Do we believe that people who are incapable or have never read the Bible, the Koran etc., do not share in the mystery of God’s presence?

Knowledge of God has therefore nothing to do with any intellectual knowing.  It is not dependent on any religious status or degrees.  We do not achieve holiness. We simply are!  God created us in his image and we can never be any holier than we already are.  The further we move away from any idea that we are separate from God the closer we will find him in our heart and mind and recognize him in others.  God does not favour anyone or anything over another, nor does He make demands, punish or reward.   God simply is and His love (expression) is found throughout creation and in every human being. God’s love is unconditional.  God does not get upset by the events and happenings of the world.  God simply observes and brings all things to good.  God is the Oneness that brings us all together not just now but for an eternity.

“ The very purpose of human life is to come to knowledge of God, and if we simply turn toward God we will find that He has been waiting for us all along”.  T. Freke


Timothy Freke (born 1959) is a British author of books on religion and mysticism Freke is perhaps best known for his books, co-authored with Peter Gandy, which advocate a Gnostic understanding of early Christianity and the Christ myth theory , including The Jesus Mysteries: Was the "Original Jesus" a Pagan God? and The Laughing Jesus: Religious Lies and Gnostic Wisdom.
Freke also runs experiential seminars in the UK, USA and Europe.