The Lord's Prayer: Introduction

The Lord’s Prayer

A life of prayer is central to being a Christian.  Martin Luther reminds us of this fact in his Large Catechism saying, “It is our duty to pray because of God’s command.”

The Lord’s Prayer was the third section of his Small and Large Catechisms; teaching tools he created for the faithful in the 16th century which are still relevant for believers today!  This third section, which follows the Ten Commandments and the Apostles’ Creed, is the prescription for faith and life as a disciple of Jesus Christ.  The Ten Commandments, which represent the Law, show us our human sinfulness.  They convict us of all that is contrary to God’s holy will and they drive us to the foot of the cross of Christ.  The Apostles’ Creed, the second part of the catechisms, is the Gospel, the Word of grace, forgiveness and a transformed life in Christ.  For Luther and the Reformers, there was always a balance of Law and Gospel, never one without the other, so that believers would understand both sin and grace active in their lives.  This third part then, The Lord’s Prayer, is a guidebook for believers in their daily lives.  It instructs us how to approach God, reminding us that God commands us to come to Him daily with all our heartfelt needs because He wants to give us every good gift.  Luther sums up the three parts saying that the Ten Commandments are “what we are to do,” the Creed is “what we are to believe” and the Lord’s prayer is “how we are to pray.”

Luther reminds his readers that no one is able to uphold the Ten Commandments perfectly.  Furthermore, the devil who seeks to distract and derail the believer “resists” the commandments “with all his power.”

  Because of the devil’s constant attacks on believers, Luther urges Christians to continually call upon the Lord and “drum into his ears our prayer that he may give, preserve, and increase in us faith and the fulfillment of the Ten Commandments and remove all that stands in our way . . .”

  What an earthy, playful way to instruct believers to pray.  We are not to approach God with fear but with insistence and faith that He will do what we ask because He is our holy Father and wants to give us everything we need, including house or home, spouse, children, food, drink, suitable work, health, and every good treasure. 

Luther connects the Lord’s Prayer with the Second Commandment insisting that calling on God’s name in praise and thanksgiving is nothing less than prayer.  He insists that praying is not a choice to be made by the believer; it is our duty.  God requires it! “It is our duty and obligation to pray if we want to be Christians, just as it is our duty and obligation to obey our fathers, mothers, and the civil authorities.”

  To not approach God in prayer is a violation of our duty and obligation toward God. Luther reminds his readers that to neglect this duty will bring upon “pain of God’s wrath and displeasure.”

I cannot help but wonder how this news of our obligation toward God is received in our culture where it seems that many do not like to be told what to do, how to do it, or even that they have to be accountable for something so private as prayer.  Thus, I think accepting that prayer is a duty toward the One who loves us most, is a matter of a growing spiritual maturity.  To accept one’s duties and obligations with joy, rather than defensiveness, is a sign of a deeper life in Christ.  As we grow in faith and obedience to Christ, we come to realize that prayer is not a matter of personal choice. . . it is rather an integral facet of the life of faith.  It is striking how Luther phrases this, “If you want to be a Christian, then prayer is part of your obligation toward our heavenly Father!”  (Paraphrase mine.)

Prayer, furthermore, is the form of communication that God has created for us so that we may be in constant contact with Him.  It is certainly not the case that God does not know our hearts and minds, on the contrary!  “God takes initiative and puts into our mouths the very words and approach we are to use” in all matters of faith and life.

  Discernment of God’s will is part of our journey of faith and God uses prayer to communicate with us.  In prayer we also have the opportunity to search our hearts, reflect on situations around us and our part in all of those situations, we can better see the big picture as God reveals important insights to us.  Coming before God in prayer and humility is a vital part of figuring out who we are, what we are called to do and be, and which way we should go in difficult and easy situations alike.  We bring our joys to God as well as our laments, not because we need to inform God of what is happening to us, but because God desires for us to be aware of our deepest needs and come to Him for help.  

A church that is actively seeking to move toward greater health and mission will be a praying church.  In prayer we become more open to God’s call on our lives and the collective life of the congregation; we can slow down, calm down, and think more clearly about issues that we are facing as we listen for God’s voice in our midst; we are actively working at being obedient to God and we are waiting more patiently for clear instructions on what to say and the process by which to do what we are called to do.  

The Lord’s Prayer according to Martin Luther addresses all of the “needs that continually beset us, each one so great that it should impel us to keep praying for it all our lives.”