Most people — Christian or not — have heard the Lord’s Prayer. While I think it important to pray this prayer verbatim, I think it is also extremely important to personalize it. I interpret the little clause before the prayer, “Pray then like this,” as providing the format of how we ought to pray. Begin by praising God, pray for His will, ask for His strength for our daily needs, ask for help forgiving, remember that we are not higher than those who have hurt us (we are very much the same), and asking God’s help to flee from temptation. The “Pray then like this” is showing us a good format to pray well.

“Pray then like this:
‘Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.’” (Matthew 6:9-13)

After reading, reciting and meditating on this passage a lot this week, I have incorporated this format of prayer into my daily prayers. During stressful times, challenges, interpersonal and relational issues and working long shifts this week, I would find myself feeling empty. It was in these times that I remembered that I needed to pray. But not pray in the way that feels comfortable (i.e., asking God for things), but in ways that aren’t as comfortable. I prayed in a way where I spent more time praising God’s holiness and thanking Him for how good He is, when I feel and felt far from joyous.

God the Father in heaven,
God the Son at the right hand,
God the Holy Spirit within me,
You and You alone are
holy, righteous, just, merciful, and good.
Lord, let your will be done on this earth and in my life,
let me live and thrive in your will.
God, for the ways that I don’t understand,
grant me trust that You know better than I
and You will not let me fall from Your provisions.
Get me through today.
When I am attacked by negative thoughts or bouts of anger,
calm my mind and fill me with the Fruits of the Spirit.
Give me trust that You will take care of me.
God, forgive me for the ways that I constantly fail.
Thank you for Your atonement and radical love for me.
Thank you for Your forgiveness.
God, as You have forgiven me, help me to actively forgive those who have hurt me.
When I don’t feel like loving those who persecute me,
grant me patience and forgiveness.
When I don’t feel like trusting those who have hurt me,
grant me patience and forgiveness.
When I don’t feel like living in Your freedom,
let me cast off my fetters You have already broken.
Remove me from temptation.
When I succumb to painful thoughts, anxiety, distrust, anger, and self-pity, deliver me from Satan’s clutches.
For Your are so powerful and I am in awe of Your goodness.
Ravish my heart with Your good, good love, and help me to be more like You.

This is my personalized version of the Lord’s Prayer that I have been comforted by this week. It will change, but personalizing this prayer to align with how my heart is feeling, has taught me more about God.

Bless and be blessed this week.

Pray about what is difficult and ask God to give you strength and trust when you don’t have anything left to give.