More to Pray

In my walkabout with Jesus, I considered telling Jesus what Wendell Berry's literary character, Jayber, had to to say about His prayer.  I wonder what He would say about once you have prayed, "Thy will be one, there is nothing to pray."  I imagine if I told Jesus what Jayber Crow said in the book bearing his name for a title, He would suggest I look again and think a bit.  I had a good friend who always declared from his reading between the lines of the gospel that Jesus' favorite saying was, "Go figure."   

As complete as "Thy will be done" sounds, there is more to this prayer that Jesus taught when He was roaming the countryside of Galilee.  There is a Word here which reminds us that we are not praying to the warmth of the sun or the gentle breeze, but to God.  Our culture seems ready to address its attempt at praying to many parts of the creation without praying to the Creator.  The prayer teaches us God is to be honored and praised.  It teaches us that in prayer we acknowledge our dependence on that which comes to us bringing us life.  We are reminded within its words to live with gratitude.  

It is also a prayer which causes us to reflect upon our own sin, our need for forgiveness from God, God's grace, and the reminder that as we have received so should we give to others.  Finally, in this prayer of Jesus is that Word which reminds us we cannot make it alone.  We need God's help in seeing where not to walk and His willingness to rescue us when our willful and an unwillful walking leave us in a mess.  Jayber Crow was a thoughtful guy, but there is more to pray after praying, "Thy will be done."  (Matthew 6:9-13)