
During the Lenten season I have encouraged you to pray the Lord’s Prayer every day — even three times a day if you can.
On Sunday we will continue our Lenten worship series on the Lord’s Prayer looking closely at the phrase, “thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”
So what other prayers would Jesus have known? One would have been a prayer that Jews continue to pray to this day. It is the prayer that goes inside a mezuzah that Jewish people place at every door and touch as an act of prayer when they enter the house (see mezuzah outside my office door). The prayer is found in Deuternomy 6:4-5 and is called the Shema: Hear, O Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is One. You shall the Lord your God with all of your heart and with all of your soul and with all of your strength.”
Here’s a link to a brief video (3 1/2 minutes) that explains this prayer and how it is the basis for understanding how we are to pray — how we ask God to listen and what listening to God really means.
https://bibleproject.com/explore/video/shema-listen/
Like the Shema, when we pray the Lord’s Prayer it is an invitation to listen and respond. Praying for each of your to have a holy Lent as your grow deeper in your practice of prayer and work.
Grace and peace,
Pastor Mary