MIDWEEK PRAYER

"Give us this day our daily bread."  This is the start of the second half of the prayer we call the "Lord's Prayer" because it is the one Jesus taught us.  To many, it is known by it's first two words; the "Our Father".  

The second half of the prayer is the asking part.  That's the part most people think is prayer. Gimme, gimme, gimme.  

Do you recognize the first part as a prayer?  "Our Father who is in heaven, hallowed be your name."  To hallow is to make holy, to venerate, to give the greatest respect.  Is that a prayer?  Sure, we are wishing that God's name is always respected.  That is a prayer.   

What else?  We are wishing the this Earth becomes like Heaven; "Thy kingdom come and Thy will be done."  

So the first part of the prayer that Jesus taught us says nothing about what we need; only that we want what God wants.  That is praying. 

The next time you repeat this common prayer, think about the first part - it's more important than the second.  Think about what you can do to make it happen.