Teach us to Pray

"Our Father in Heaven
Hallowed be Your Name
Your Kingdom Come
Your Will be done
on earth as it is in Heaven
Give us this day our daily bread
And forgive us our debts
as we also have forgiven our debtors
And do not bring us to trial,
but rescue us from the evil one"

This prayer is directly followed by the comment.
"For if you forgive others their trespasses,
your Heavenly Father will also forgive you;
but if you don't forgive others,
neither will your Father forgive your trespasses"

These words are part of a passage in the Gospel of Matthew 6: 5 - 15
Prayer is not for show, and nor is prayer valued for many words.

The reason for opening this post is to focus on the importance of this prayer as the alternative to the Ten Commandments among members of the New Covenant. It has far more significance for us than simply a word to be repeated each Sunday. I include this post among JOURNEYS WELL TROD because it is for the new Journey we make which ought to be "well trod"

Bishop Tom Wright has an article "The Lord's Prayer as a Paradigm of Christian Prayer" cf www.ntwrightpage.com which ought to be found and read in association with this post.

If the reference to debtors relates to the Torah principles of Jubilee and Seven year limits on debt then most Christians have to seriously review our understanding of loans and debt.