The Lord’s Prayer | Matthew 6:5-18

“And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

“When you are praying, do not heap up empty phrases as the gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

“Pray, then, in this way:

Our Father in heaven,

may your name be revered as holy.

May your kingdom come.

May your will be done

on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us today our daily bread.

And forgive us our debts,

as we also have forgiven our debtors.

And do not bring us to the time of trial,

but rescue us from the evil one.

“For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

“And whenever you fast, do not look somber, like the hypocrites, for they mark their faces to show others that they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, 18 so that your fasting may be seen not by others but by your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

---

The Illustrated Dictionary of the Bible defines the Lord’s Prayer as the model prayer which Jesus taught his disciples. In the Gospel of Matthew, the Lord’s prayer occurs in the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus emphasized that prayer should not be an attempt to get God’s attention by repeating the words. Instead, it should be a quiet confident expression of needs to God. Our attitude in prayer is important. It is good to use the Lord’s prayer as a guide and to repeat its words as well.

Growing up the son of a pastor, prayer was a cornerstone of my life. We would pray before each meal and then before bed we would pray the Lord’s prayer together as a family each night. I remember that I knew how to recite and pray the Lord’s prayer even before I could read the words. It became second nature as it was something that I had memorized from a very young age. 

Even when my parents separated and eventually divorced, we would still pray the Lord’s prayer together as a family over the phone each night before bed. As I got older, after we prayed together, I would take time by myself and pray for what I also wanted and needed. I struggled in the community I lived in because I was the only person who had parents who weren’t together, I struggled because of the color of my skin in a community that I definitely stood out in, and I struggled because I was heavier than a lot of my classmates and heard a lot of “fat jokes”.  I would often pray to God and ask God to be like everyone else. I wanted to have a “normal” family life, I wanted to have a lighter skin tone, I wanted to be skinny, I just wanted to fit in. I prayed for all these things often and even though I wasn’t answered in the way I wanted, I was still being heard in the way God knows best. 

Each day I was given daily bread, the strength to face bullies, and, even though there were times of trial, I had an amazing support system of friends and family who were able to help me through. With prayers being answered I was able to experience this community known as Pinecrest who gave me confidence in myself that I would not have found anywhere else. I was rescued by God’s unchanging and loving hand as I continued to grow into the man I am today. It is through those experiences that I have been able to draw strength, that I have been able to draw compassion, that I have been able to help others walking and struggling with their own journey. 

I am reminded of my youth that when we prayed the Lord’s prayer together as a family, no matter where we were and if we were physically together or not, we shared in that same prayer together. In this Lenten season, know that as you lift up your words silently or aloud and pray the Lord’s prayer, you join in a community of people from every time and every place. You are not alone in your prayer, your voice joins with others and you implore God to hear everything you pray for. You might also be surprised that you get an answer maybe not what you hoped for but you get exactly what you need. I pray you experience the endless love God has for you and know with God you are never alone, because God loves you and so do I.

Pastor James Smith

Bethlehem Lutheran Church | Baldwin, NY

Camper 1994 - 2003

Faculty 2007, 2008, 2012, 2013

Staff 2017 - Present