Meditation: The Lord Praying

"Thy will be done."
Simple words which roll off the tongue. Do you ever wonder how many times you have prayed those words? I would not be surprised if  some have said those words over 50,000 times in their life.

However, context makes all the difference. Jesus, in Matthew 6:10, provides us with a prayer model. Called the Lord's Prayer (we Catholics called it the "Our Father" in my day) it provides a simple outline for how one should pray. In truth, though, the Lord's Prayer is really Matthew 26:39. Deeply grieved, Jesus throws Himself to the ground and prayed, "My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; yet not as I will but You." Same basic concept: Your will be done. Different context.

And prayer is always about so much more than saying prayers. In the early church they understood that one could not read the Bible unless one was seriously on the road of ethical Christian living. The Church Fathers said that the scripture is impenentrable to the mind of one who embraces sin. As we explained some time ago, in beginning this latest thread, the first stage of prayer is purgative. It is the process of turning (and being turned by God) from the "flesh" (sinful appetites). The pinacle of purgation is the embrace of God's will. Asking Him to establish His will and choosing to obey His will are two coordinated aspects of one process. To say, "Your will be done" and to "do it" is to pray in word and deed. Otherwise, the words are empty.

Yet, as Jesus demonstrates, such prayers are costly. God's will does not conform to our own. God is not reading His latest "numbers" like a mass-marketed politician seeking votes. God is no respecter of persons, as the Scriptures say. His Kingdom comes with rules and expectations. The cost is high (your life) but worth it. It costs everything, but all we have is as nothing compared to what we receive (relationship with God).

Everytime I pray, "Thy will be done" I try to remember the time Jesus actually prayed those words most intensely. In the Garden, preparing to die, wishing desperately for an alternative. Prayer is serious business. Words have meaning. We must learn to pray for God's will in easy days to prepare to make the same prayer on difficult days. That means we must meditate, ponder and think over the words we speak to God. It is why praying the Lord's prayer can take ten or twenty minnutes. Meditate.