Just before Jayber Crow made his departure from Pigeonville College where he was a pre-ministerial student, he experienced a sort of spiritual meltdown. When this character created by Wendell Berry in his book entitled "Jayber Crow" started seriously reading the New Testament, he ran into things he could not simply ignore. One of those things impossible for him to ignore was a moment of insight about prayer. "...I was unsure what it would be proper to pray for, or how to pray for it. After you have said 'thy will be done,' what more can be said. And where do you find the strength to pray 'thy will be done' after you see what it means?"
The prayer which troubled Jayber is one we pray most every week when we gather for worship. But, then it is also a part of prayer that we pray more from rote memory than from the heart. As what we know as "The Lord's Prayer" is reaching toward the "Amen," we speak this word, "Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven" into existence. By that point in the prayer, we are no longer really thinking about what we are praying. We are on auto pilot and inwardly are moving rapidly toward the place where the prayer is done. Regardless of its place in the prayer, these words are powerful life changing words. It is a final petition which declares that we want the will of God to take precedence over anything we might want or think we need.
"Our Father, I pray now for those who read these words. May each one who passes this way be aware in this moment that prayer has been lifted up in their behalf. I know, Father God, that those who come this way bring with them troubles which cannot be laid down, loads that are overwhelming, and fears that take away hope. Bless each one, Father, with Your mercy. Bless each one, Lord Jesus, with Your love. Bless each one, Holy Spirit, with Your healing presence. Bless each one with a deep awareness that the perfect will of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is being worked out in their lives, and so I pray. Amen."
The prayer which troubled Jayber is one we pray most every week when we gather for worship. But, then it is also a part of prayer that we pray more from rote memory than from the heart. As what we know as "The Lord's Prayer" is reaching toward the "Amen," we speak this word, "Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven" into existence. By that point in the prayer, we are no longer really thinking about what we are praying. We are on auto pilot and inwardly are moving rapidly toward the place where the prayer is done. Regardless of its place in the prayer, these words are powerful life changing words. It is a final petition which declares that we want the will of God to take precedence over anything we might want or think we need.
"Our Father, I pray now for those who read these words. May each one who passes this way be aware in this moment that prayer has been lifted up in their behalf. I know, Father God, that those who come this way bring with them troubles which cannot be laid down, loads that are overwhelming, and fears that take away hope. Bless each one, Father, with Your mercy. Bless each one, Lord Jesus, with Your love. Bless each one, Holy Spirit, with Your healing presence. Bless each one with a deep awareness that the perfect will of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is being worked out in their lives, and so I pray. Amen."
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment