The Prayer
If you grew up in a Christian family, odds are there was a prayer before meals, or maybe after the meal was finished. At my house my dad called it – “returning thanks.” Some folks called it “grace,” as in “let’s say grace before we eat.” Maybe there was/is no praying around meals in the life of your family. I see people praying in restaurants, hospitals, rest homes, sometimes even when they are driving. . .I am sure that is what is happening when their lips are moving and no one else is in the car.
Imagine hearing Jesus pray. Son to Father, Eternal Savior to Infinite God of creation and life. Of course we have the opportunity to read some of those prayers. . .or hear them read. It’s not the same, but yet, can we learn from that the reality of how much He lloved us, and in return, how much we are to llove Him and one another?
This Sunday (April 22) as we celebrated The Lord’s Supper, our Pastor read the longest recorded prayer of Jesus as He walked among men. It was in the Upper Room, and came either just before, or just after they had eaten the Passover meal. It consists of 26 verses (about 3-4 minutes), but is a prayer (and message) designed for the Disciples to hear. Not all prayers are designed to be heard by others. . .only God. We pray amiss, most of the time, when we design our prayers to be heard by those other than our Father. Loud, long prayers in restaurants come to mind.
If this prayer was spoken prior to the meal, it is possible that many of us might have grown weary of waiting to eat. One’s mind might have wandered, thoughts of other things crowding out the importance of Christ’s words.
Take time to read this prayer. Study the thoughts and intents of the heart of Him who would, in a matter of hours, be dead, slain by God Himself as a ransom for your sin and mine. Take your time. Digest it slowly. Hear the plea of one who gave everything for you. . .paid the price for all the sin, of all people, for all time. His plea was to His Father, His message was to the eleven disciples that walked with Him on Earth, and to us, those who would be His disciples and walk with Him in Spirit and in Truth.
The Lord’s Prayer – John 17:1-26.