One of the habits I have in my personal spiritual formation is using prayer books. I grew up in a “low church” setting so all prayer (except for the occasional recitation of the Lord’s Prayer) was extemporaneous. Anyway, through my studies at the Webber Institute for Worship Studies I’ve been introduced to the tradition of praying the hours. I often use it as my morning quiet time. Instead of racking my brain for what I ought to pray I draw on scripture and the wisdom of the ancient and historical church to put prayers into my heart. The Divine Hours is a great website that lays out a 10 minute prayer service for you. Try it out. I think you’ll benefit from it as I have.
God be with you!

The Lord’s prayer has become a political football in the Ontario Legislature. I find myself unable to muster the requisite amount of outrage over this. I was actually surprised to find out that the Lord’s prayer was still a part of parliamentary procedure. The way things have been going the last several decades maybe we should be grateful it held out this far.

Let’s imagine for a minute that we “win” this battle and the Lord’s prayer is saved. What then? I think it would just continue as perfunctory ritual. Big deal.

The power in the Lord’s prayer is when we live the prayer. I’m currently reading Jesus Creed by Scot McNight. He writes that the Lord’s prayer is something we ask God for, but it is also something that God asks us for. He asks that we would make his name “hallowed”. That we would bring His kingdom, that we would do His will, that we would rely on Him for our needs. That we would repent and seek forgiveness and forgive others, and that we would give him the glory.

I think a real victory with the Lord’s prayer will be when we start living it.