The musings of an old woman,a wife, a mother of two sons, a lover of dogs and all God's creatures, a reader of books, a child of the King.
A pilgrim with many rivers yet to cross, on a journey home to Him.
It has only been in recent years that I decided to put some time into the study of this prayer and to really contemplate the wording and flow of it. It is the model prayer that our Lord prayed when His disciples asked Him to "teach us to pray".
Our Father,
Sit quietly and consider this brief opening to the prayer. The Creator, the One who spoke all things into being, the One who is and was and is to come. The Alpha, the Omega, the Beginning and the End.......and we call Him Father.
In heaven,
In heaven, high and lifted up, far above us in might and majesty, full of grace and truth, Ruler of all, think of the majesty and might and grandeur as you speak these two small words.
hallowed be Your name,
Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God Almighty! Isaiah saw a vision of the Lord, high and lifted up, he was so overcome with the holiness of the vision that he cried out " Woe is me! I am undone, for I am a person of unclean lips and I live among a people of unclean lips!" God is holy. His name is holy! As you speak these words consider His holiness and pray that you will proclaim the holiness of His name, that our lives would proclaim the holiness of His name.
Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Pray that the work of God will be done in all areas of your life, in the lives of your loved ones, in the halls of government, in the counsels of the nations. Pray for the strength and wisdom to walk out His will and declare His kingdom. Pray that we His people will show forth to the world a piece of heaven on earth in the manner in which we live and love and have our being.
Give us this day our daily bread,
Consider the things that you have been given and be thankful for them, pray for that which is needed in order to live a life pleasing to God, enough that You might not sin against Him in coveting or thievery, but not so much that you forget that it is in Him that you have life and provision.
and forgive us our debts,
Pause and consider the great debts you owe, and how Christ by His own doing willingly paid your debt. Consider how many times a day you fail to even think of God, consider the things that you ought do but do not do, consider the things that you ought to have said but did not say, consider those things that you ought not to have done but you did do, and the things you said in anger, in frustration, things that ought not have been said. There is much to consider as you read these brief words.
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
Forgive the ones who have wronged you. Remember that this is not a feeling, it is an action and it is difficult. You may not feel it, and I find it sometimes helpful to just tell God, such and such hurt me greatly, I am bruised, I am angry, I am frustrated and I feel no love towards them, Lord help me, I forgive them, I give all this hurt to You and I ask that You would help me work through these things, so that my feelings would become at some point, aligned with my decision to forgive.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
Pray to be spared temptation, pray for eyes that clearly see temptation for what it is, pray for deliverance from temptation, and pray to be kept from evil, to be spared from contending with evil, and pray for discernment to recognize evil.
Our Father, high and lifted up, holy and mighty, may Your name be kept holy in my thoughts words and deeds today, and in the thoughts words and deeds of those I love and of all those who call You Father. May the world in all it's misery see the holiness of Your name when they interact with we Your people. May Your kingdom come today, in my life and in all that I do may I be about bringing Your kingdom to the hurting ones, the hopeless ones, the sick ones, and the desperate ones that You bring into my path this day. May Your kingdom come in such a way that we glimpse a tiny bit of heaven here on this broken earth. May Your will be done in our lives today, as we seek to live for Your kingdom.
Give us this day that which we need to live it well, to live it with purpose, to live it in faith, to live it as a declaration to others of Your grace and Your mercy towards we who have been given the privilege to call You Father. Give us enough that we might not be tempted to sin against You in our want and desire, and not so much that we forget that all that we have is given to us by You, not so much that we think we provide for our families, not so much that we think that we built this life we have.
Forgive us our sins, and help us to be more aware of them. We error against You a multitude of times and do not even pause to realize our error. May we be conscious of our actions always, may we guard our tongues and speak only words of life. Forgive us when we fail, for we will fail in our frailty, in our humanness. Forgive us Father and help us to learn from our mistakes. Lead us away from temptation and into Your truth and light. May we hear Your voice clearly if we are about to stray from the path, may we be given the strength to resist the temptation to go our own way and may we be given the grace to repent should we fail. Deliver us from evil, may we recognize it clearly, may we be given strength and wisdom to always resist it.
For Yours is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever and ever.
Amen
I highly recommend these podcasts if you are interested in studying the depth and riches of the Lord's Prayer. I have found myself going back to these for a listen from time to time.
Five times married, and the scriptures do not say whether her husbands all died, or whether they divorced her and moved on, all we know is that she had gone through five husbands and was currently living with a man who was not her husband.
Regardless of what happened to her husbands, that's a lot of grief and suffering. Death, abandonment, infidelity (hers or theirs) all take their toll upon a soul. I expect it is reasonable to say that this woman had experienced more than her fair share of sorrow.
I expect that she had her moments, face down on the ground, weeping and crying out to God her "why me's" and her "how long's". Since she didn't even bother with the formality of a marriage ceremony with the man she was currently with, I expect she had perhaps given up on things ever changing. Perhaps she thought that she was beyond the hope of her prayers being heard and answered.
I doubt she had very many friends, if any. She went to the well in the heat of the day, the other women of the village would have already come and gone in the early hours, when it was cooler. She probably avoided them. I can certainly relate to the desire to avoid others due to fear of judgment or rejection.
So the woman goes to the well, in the heat of the day to draw water, and low and behold the Messiah, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords meets her there. What an amazing experience for her, a life changing experience, an answer to all the prayers, a source of hope that overcomes all the hardships and sorrows, a friend above any earthly friend.....she, the lowly woman with five husbands and at least one lover, the woman who must go to the well in the heat of the day to avoid the other women, comes face to face with Jesus.
The experience was life changing, for she who came to the well in the heat of the day, now goes out to tell others, Come and see a man who told me everything I ever did. Do you think he might be the Christ?”
Orthodox Church history tells us that the Samaritan woman whom Christ met at the well in the heat of the day, was later baptized by the apostles and took the name of Photini which means “the enlightened one". It is said that she traveled to Rome, preaching the gospel and that she was martyred for her faith in the year of our Lord 66.
You can read more of the Orthodox church history on Photini here:
In my devotional reading this morning I read about the Samaritan woman at the well and how God is not deaf to our groaning prayers. He will come, He will answer, He will do so in His time, and in just the right manner. If the wait seems long, take heart and do not cease to pray, to not give up, press onwards, for Jesus will come. "So keep praying and cultivate patient, long-suffering faith. There will be a day when you will find Him unexpectedly at the well of your deepest thirst."
Quote is from the book Things Not Seen by Jon Bloom
It is with great difficulty and a heavy heart that I pen this post. It is not the sort of thing that I enjoy posting, the words come hard, for there is much darkness and in the midst of it all it is difficult to see the light, yet as you read these words, and as you join with me in prayer for the people who have been harmed by this evil, remember that God reigns, the serpents head has been crushed and we behold in this world only the damage done by the thrashing of his body in it's angry death throes.
In late July of 2015 horror came to the city of Broken Arrow. In the early morning hours a 911 call was placed by a terrified 12 year old who did not stay on the phone. He couldn't, because he was murdered by his own brothers. When first responders arrived the scene that awaited them was like some crazy demonic horror movie. Five dead bodies, father, mother, the 12 year old boy who made the 911 call, a 7 year old boy and a 5 year old girl, all murdered with knives and hatchets by their 16 and 18 year old brothers. A 13 year old girl was found, horribly mutilated but alive and an unharmed 2 year old upstairs.
The men and women that rushed into this suburban home to render aid shall never forget the scenes that assaulted their souls that day. Scenes that most people never have to witness. Even the law enforcement officers who have given years and years of service had never laid eyes on such scenes before. There is a price to be paid for witnessing such evil. Nightmares, daymares, being unable to erase the scenes from your mind no matter how hard you wish for them to be gone. Those of us who love a combat veteran can attest to the power of violence upon the human mind. It takes a toll.
Shortly after law enforcement arrives on scene a canine and his handler arrive. Footprints on the dew soaked grass out back show tracks and it is hoped that the dog can find the perpetrators of this terrible crime, so that they cannot inflict harm on anyone else. People gather and pray over the canine officer and he and his handler setoff into the night. The two boys are soon found hiding in the bushes.
While all this is going on, people are laboring over the little 13 year old, horribly wounded, they administer first aid, they pray, the ones who found her, the ones who sit with her until medical aid arrives, the ones who administer aid and load her into an ambulance, the ones who meet her at the door of the emergency room, the ones who fight to save her life. The ones who take care of her daily needs. All scarred, all broken by the horror of her circumstances.
And then there are the ones called to investigate, to sit in some small room across the table from these children who did this horrible deed. To sit and try and reason with them, try to understand why they did what they did, to lay out the photographs of the scene time and time again, to listen to these young men talk about what they did and why they did it.
And the community is in shock, the people who lived next door, or down the street, the people who walk past that suburban home every day, horrified at what occurred in their neighborhood, horrified that they had no idea, for surely one should have some sense of evil living next door, but instead they only saw a close knit family, a mom who is said to have loved and doted upon her kids, a father who worked hard to provide for them.
The below was shared by someone who loves someone who is closely connected to this investigation. I do not know the origin of the quote but it is so very applicable to those who stand in harm's way on our behalf. To our combat troops, to our law enforcement officers, to those who go out daily and face the monsters of this world, and to those who have to see and clean up the aftermath of the deeds perpetrated by the monsters of this world.
"MONSTERS Those who fight monsters inevitably change. Because of all that they see and do, they lose their innocence, and a piece of their humanity with it. If they want to survive, they begin to adopt some of the same characteristics as the monsters they fight. It is necessary. They become capable of rage, and extreme violence.
There is a fundamental difference, however. They keep those monster tendencies locked away in a cage, deep inside. That monster is only allowed out to protect others, to accomplish the mission, to get the job done.....Not for the perverse pleasure that the monsters feel when they harm others. In fact, those monster tendencies cause damage...guilt, isolation, depression, PTSD. There is a cost for visiting violence on others when you are not a monster. Those who do so know one thing...The cost inflicted upon society as a whole is far greater without those who fight monsters. That is why they are willing to make that horrible sacrifice so that others may live peaceably."
Pray for the people of Broken Arrow who have beheld the deeds of the monsters of this world, who have been left to try and make sense of it all, to try and bring justice to it all, and who will bear the memory of the things they witnessed that night until their last breath.
Pray for this little 13 year old girl, horribly stabbed and left for dead by her own siblings, who will carry the most horrible scenes in her mind for all the days of her life, she has lost mother and father and sister and brothers. Pray for her, pray that God will carry her through the days to come.
Pray for this little 2 year old, who will probably not remember this event, but who will know of it, and that alone will be a heavy burden to carry as she grows up.
Pray for those men and women that rushed into that house, who laid eyes upon that scene, who had to stay there, amidst the blood and death in order to do their jobs. Pray for them to have peace, to be able to sleep, to be able to speak to someone about the things that trouble their souls.
Pray for those men and women who assisted the 13 year old, who gave first aid and comfort, who prayed, who transported, who labored over her injured body and who administered and still administers to her daily needs as she recovers. Pray for them to have peace, to be able to sleep, and that they might have the words of comfort that she needs to hear to get her through this horror.
Pray for the men and women who have to sit across the table from the ones who did this. Pray for them to have wisdom, pray for them to be able to process the things they hear, pray for them to have peace and to be able to sleep and to be able to do their jobs so that justice might be served.
Pray for the people of Broken Arrow and for all who know and love them, pray for peace, pray for healing, pray that the light of Christ will shine like the sun through this terrible darkness. Pray for unity that they would all stand together, pray for love, that they would love one another.
Pray for these two young men, who have discarded all that was in front of them, all that their parents labored to provide for them, all the future joys of family and fellowship, all that is good and right and light, pray for them for of all the souls wounded and broken from the evil inflicted that night theirs must be seared and dead. They have done things that cannot be undone. Although it is difficult, they too need prayer.
Father God, maker of all things, we come before You in humble prayer for the people of Broken Arrow. A great evil has visited them, evil deeds that we cannot wrap our thoughts around, we cannot understand nor comprehend the why of it all. We cannot fathom how it can even be possible for good to come from such tragedy, such wrongness. But we know that You are God and that You are always working in the lives of Your people. Stand close to the people of Broken Arrow. Bind them close together, help them to love one another, help them to process the things they have seen, help them to bring their brokenness to You who is and ever will be the only One able to help.
We thank You for the men and women who rushed to give aid and we pray for their souls that Your peace would be their peace, that they would be able to give the things that trouble their souls to You, and that You would bear them. Meet them in the darkness that their very job requires them to walk in. Meet them there and may they feel Your presence with them.
We give thanks for the two lives saved, and we place them both in Your hands, may You be a father and a mother to them both, may You bring peace, comfort, love and all strength to them both as they grow. May the end result of these two lives saved be a thing of beauty and grace. May they be blessed all their days.
Lord be with each and every soul troubled by these events, be they those directly involved or those who simply grieve for the wrongness of it all. Grant all grace and wisdom to those who are investigating this. Guard their minds, guard their hearts, hold them close to Your heart that they might not be broken forever by the things they witness.
We come to You Lord, on behalf of the people of Broken Arrow, for to Whom would we go but You, for You have the words of Life. Bring Life to all these souls wounded by this terrible act of violence.
Lord I know not how to pray for the two who have done this evil deed, so I leave them to You, I pray Your will be done in their lives, I pray You move them to speak truth, and to fully understand and repent of the evil they have inflicted.
May Your grace fall like healing rain upon the city of Broken Arrow and upon each soul that is troubled by the events that occurred on that day in July in the year of our Lord 2015.
"Healing Rain"
Healing rain is coming down It's coming nearer to this old town Rich and poor, weak and strong It's bringing mercy, it won't be long
Healing rain is coming down It's coming closer to the lost and found Tears of joy, and tears of shame Are washed forever in Jesus' name
Healing rain, it comes with fire So let it fall and take us higher Healing rain, I'm not afraid To be washed in Heaven's rain
Lift your heads, let us return To the mercy seat where time began And in your eyes, I see the pain Come soak this dry heart with healing rain
And only You, the Son of man Can take a leper and let him stand So lift your hands, they can be held By someone greater, the great I Am
Healing rain, it comes with fire So let it fall and take us higher Healing rain, I'm not afraid To be washed in Heaven's rain
To be washed in Heaven's rain...
Healing rain is falling down Healing rain is falling down I'm not afraid I'm not afraid...
Today, while walking
to a meeting I passed one of the cleaning ladies in the hallway. She was
sitting on a bench talking to someone on the phone. She was weeping. She spoke
Spanish into the phone and the words, although I did not understand them,
seeped out grief and sorrow. You could
cut it with a knife. The intensity of the grief and her sobs touched my soul. In
that brief moment of me passing by, I felt burdened with her grief and
compelled to assist her. I wanted to hug her, perhaps I should have, but she
was speaking intently into the phone and I did not want to invade her privacy.
So I prayed for her as I continued on my way.
Her face, the emotion poured out into those unknown words stick with me as I
go, stick with me through the meeting and as at last I tear myself away, and
walk back down that long hallway, I hope to see her, to somehow communicate to
her that I felt her grief, her sorrow, and that I cared.
She was gone, had
moved on to some other area requiring her attention. I find her face still
haunts me, and I can still feel the intensity of the emotion as she cried out
into that phone.
She was one of the
often unseen, the hard working people who clean up after everyone else, how
many people walk past her each day and fail to even speak or smile or acknowledge
her presence, for she is often seen as part of the fixtures, perhaps even I
have walked past her and not noticed her, not seen her. Today I saw her, her
face as she wept her hands as they tightly gripped the phone. I saw her.
Perhaps I have passed her countless times, and I probably smiled at her, said
good morning, or good afternoon, maybe even held a door open for her so she
could get her cart through without struggling….but in all these times I had not
really SEEN her.
Lord, today I saw
her, and my heart hurts for her, hurts for her grief. I wonder how many people
we fail to see each day? Lord open my eyes, open my heart to the needs around
me, to the hurt around me. Help me to see, heal my blind eyes and give me sight
that I might never miss an opportunity to meet someone in their sorrow, even if
it is just a prayer.
Lord bless this
woman, ease her burden, I know not what is afflicting her so but the sorrow was
raw, the pain real.
Friends, join me in
praying for this lady, that she might find comfort and peace in the midst of
her trial.
No matter the time nor distance, you never forget your best friend from childhood. Mine lives very far away now but she will ever have a special place in my heart. We grew apart, I moved away and we lost touch for many years. I am grateful that God has brought her back into my life.
She is in a trial right now, one of those difficult ones that very few are called to face, she has been walking this uncertain road for some time now, and tomorrow is a milestone in that walk.
Lord,
I am asking for a
special blessing for my best childhood friend. You know her situation Lord, you
know the burden she carries. Tomorrow is a big day for her and her family, a
scary day, an uncertain day, and I ask that she and her family would feel Your
presence strong as they venture into it.
We ask for Your grace
in abundance, and Your presence with each and every person who plays a part. We
ask that You would grant the words to her as she speaks, that in speaking her
heart would be heard and seen by those who listen and that all would be touched
by her words.
We ask for Your
strength to the family, that they might be given all that they need to endure
whatever comes. We ask that the outcome would be in their favor if that is
possible and within Thy will. We ask for Your protection upon them all, and
Your guidance and that whatever happens tomorrow, all would be orchestrated by
You and no other.
Depending on what
happens, there will be various things that will need to be worked out, and we
ask that You would prepare all that is needed.
Bless my friend Lord,
she has been a faithful servant, she is your child, her heart is weary and worn
from all of this mess and she ever looks to You for grace and mercy. Lord be
her Strong Arm tomorrow, be her Comfort and her Peace, be her Deliverer. Give
abundant grace and mercy to all who stand with her, and help hold her up.
Shine tomorrow Lord, shine like the brightest sun. May all
that transpires there be for Your glory and the good of those who love You and
are called by Your name. Lord my friend loves You and is called by You. Bring
great good to her Oh Lord.
I ask these things Lord, with all my heart and soul, I ask
them in faith that You love me, and her and her beloved son.
Lord show Yourself strong tomorrow in the life of my friend
and her son.
All praise, all honor, all glory to You Lord,
In the name above all names, in the name of Jesus my Lord I
pray these things,
Amen
God sent His son, they called Him, Jesus;
He came to love, heal and forgive;
He lived and died to buy my pardon,
An empty grave is there to prove my Savior lives!
Chorus
Because He lives, I can face tomorrow,
Because He lives, all fear is gone;
Because I know He holds the future,
And life is worth the living,
Just because He lives!
How sweet to hold a newborn baby,
And feel the pride and joy he gives;
But greater still the calm assurance:
This child can face uncertain days because He Lives!
Chorus
Because He lives, I can face tomorrow,
Because He lives, all fear is gone;
Because I know He holds the future,
And life is worth the living,
Just because He lives!
And then one day, I'll cross the river,
I'll fight life's final war with pain;
And then, as death gives way to vict'ry,
I'll see the lights of glory and I'll know He lives!
Chorus
Because He lives, I can face tomorrow,
Because He lives, all fear is gone;
Because I know He holds the future,
And life is worth the living,
Just because He lives!
Day by day and with each passing moment, Strength I find to meet my trials here; Trusting in my Father’s wise bestowment, I’ve no cause for worry or for fear. He whose heart is kind beyond all measure Gives unto each day what He deems best Lovingly, its part of pain and pleasure, Mingling toil with peace and rest.
Ev’ry day the Lord Himself is near me With a special mercy for each hour; All my cares He fain would bear, and cheer me, He whose name is Counselor and Pow’r. The protection of His child and treasure Is a charge that on Himself He laid; "As thy days, thy strength shall be in measure," This the pledge to me He made.
Help me then in eve’ry tribulation So to trust Thy promises, O Lord, That I lose not faith’s sweet consolation Offered me within Thy holy Word. Help me, Lord, when toil and trouble meeting, E’er to take, as from a father’s hand, One by one, the days, the moments fleeting, Till I reach the promised land.
The Lord be with you my friend, you shall be in my prayers, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. He loves you so my friend. All things are for a purpose, so trust Him, even in this, trust Him. I shall be with you in spirit.
And we are His portion and He is our prize,
Drawn to redemption by the grace in His eyes,
If his grace is an ocean, we're all sinking.
And Heaven meets earth like an unforeseen kiss,
And my heart turns violently inside of my chest,
I don't have time to maintain these regrets,
When I think about the way...
He loves us,
Oh, how He loves us,
Oh, how He loves us,
Oh, how He loves.
Yeah, He loves us,
Oh, how He loves us,
Oh, how He loves us,
Oh, how He loves.
