I’ve received tremendous help in my life from the Lord’s Prayer: “Our Father which art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil; For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever.”
Christian Science founder and healer, Mary Baker Eddy, calls it “…that prayer which covers all human needs.”
Its opening phrase, “Our Father,” was so helpful to me when my dad passed on. I learned that although my human dad was gone, my heavenly Father was always with me. To understand, even in a small degree, that God is always with us and His love comforts, sustains and heals can bring any of us right through times of depression, loss or even illness.
I remember a time many years later, after my mom passed on, that I really felt alone. My two best friends were no longer interested in my career choices. They ignored my calls and efforts to reach out to them, and we drifted apart. Around this time, the weather turned particularly cold and I became ill. I was abnormally tired and weak, and unable to sleep. I lived alone and it became increasingly difficult to care for myself.
One afternoon I snuggled up on the couch under a large blanket and prayed the Lord’s Prayer for quite a while, saying it very slowly and thinking about each line before I went to the next. Starting with “Our Father,” I prayed to include my friends and everyone I knew, as well as the whole world. “Thy will be done” meant to me that God’s will of unfolding opportunities for personal growth and service, as well as health, were mine. When I got to the line about forgiveness, I really prayed to be a more forgiving individual. I went through the prayer for quite a while. My body became warm again and I felt the most incredible peace. I fell asleep, and when I woke up, I was well.
This is why I love The Lord’s Prayer. It shows us that no matter how hard our life may be, God’s love is with us and we can feel and experience its life-affirming healing and goodness.
