The eminent Australian philosopher Rai Gaita, generally sympathetic to Christianity, wrote that he cannot himself be a believer because he cannot bring himself to pray.
This is a profound insight, for Gaita understands that Christianity is not merely a set of illogical intellectual propositions, as many atheists suppose, but rather a practical way of life and community.
I am the opposite of Rai – I am an adult convert to Christianity precisely because I find prayer and gratitude a natural orientation in my life.
But there are times and circumstances when I simply don’t know what to pray, how I should petition God. The real world, and especially international affairs, can be too complicated to see through. Then, more than ever, I turn to the Lord’s Prayer – what Catholics call the “Our Father” – the short prayer Jesus taught his disciples.
The traditional English translation is a mere 70 words that cover everything, with beauty and depth but also directness and simplicity. As one theologian wrote, “no part of Scripture is so full, and so simple at the same time, as this”. It features the three central aspects of prayer: praise, confession and petition.
It is easy for familiarity to blind us to just how remarkable Jesus’ teaching is. Take the first two words, “Our father”. How extraordinary is it that believers, so flawed and finite, are invited to call the creator and sustainer of the universe by the family name “father”?
Not only does this describe a relationship with God, it also unites believers as a family – adopted as his children by God, as the Apostle Paul points out.
The prayer then seeks proper recognition of God’s glory (“hallowed be your name, your kingdom come”). In calling for his “name” to be holy, Jesus means the fullness of God’s character – his power, wisdom, holiness, justice, mercy and truth.
Next comes the line I find so helpful when stresses and complications of the human predicament leave me uncertain how to petition God: “Your will be done, on earth as in heaven.” For God alone can draw all the strands into a perfect understanding.
The next line, “give us our daily bread”, shows that it is proper to pray for our physical and spiritual needs – as opposed to our desires for wealth, luxuries or glory – and demonstrates our dependence on God. After all, Jesus also teaches that not a sparrow falls without God being aware; he knows and cares about our needs.
I cannot go through line by line, but other powerful concepts are forgiveness, protection and deliverance, ending with worship. I marvel that we have this model prayer from the very lips of Jesus.
Barney Zwartz is a Senior Fellow of the Centre for Public Christianity.
Barney Zwartz, a senior fellow of the Centre for Public Christianity, was religion editor of The Age from 2002 to 2013.
