If Jesus, when asked to teach His disciples how to pray, composed this prayer out of the perfection of His holiness, is this not the perfect prayer? Perfect in comprehensive content, perfect in composition, even perfect in length.
How does it look for me to use this prayer as a template – expanding it as the Spirit leads? Here is one of endless possibilities of personalization.
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. I bow low, prostrate before Your throne. You are my Father, holy, and perfect. I am nothing. You are everything. Unless You enter my world today, it will be of no value.
Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. I see my need right now, Lord. I see my family’s needs. Your kingdom needs to come down to our little place on earth. In Your kingdom, there is righteousness. Thy kingdom come to us. In Your kingdom, there is peace. Thy kingdom come to us. In Your kingdom, there is structure and order. Thy kingdom come to us. May Your will be done here, in every way, just as it is done in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread. Give me hidden manna, Lord. I embrace Your Word to my heart. Open the eyes of my heart to see Your Word and understand it. Give me the grace to apply it. May every member of my family today hunger for your daily bread. Feed them so that they might live in Your abundance. May we be a family who feasts on daily manna.
And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. I stand in the flow of Calvary. Wash me clean, make me holy, that we may fellowship together without restriction. I forgive those who will wrong me in any way today. I put on Your forgiving Spirit as I live out my day. I pray for every member of my family. Mold each of them into a child of Yours who walks in Jesus’ lifestyle of forgiveness.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. I stand on Your promise that you will not give me more than I can bear. The challenges, the sicknesses, the trials have all passed through Your sovereign hand. Wherever I am assaulted, deliver me from evil. Fight for me while I sleep, while I trust, while I do Your kingdom work. Battle the unseen forces that I can’t see. Make me battle ready to take every thought captive today, to put on the armor and stand in the victory You won for me at Calvary.
For Thine is the power, and the kingdom, and the glory forever, Amen.