Prayer is a natural part of human life. It is often an expression of our natural religiosity. Prayers that arise out of our natural religiosity tend to be petitions or an attempt on our part to force God to do what we wish or what we think would be best. Many times, our prayers are an attempt to make ourselves more important before God. We think that by repeating words or sacrifices, we can improve our relationship with God – make ourselves holier.
During the Sermon on the Mount Jesus teaches his disciples how to pray. His first indications seem to be directed towards the spiritual dangers that come from a prayer life rooted in natural religiosity. Jesus says: “don’t babble like pagans”. What a hard saying for us to hear! Our prayer is not a form of instructing God as to what we need. Then Jesus goes on to teach the Our Father.
Given the general background of natural religiosity in our culture and human nature, the Our Father is revolutionary. Jesus’ prayer puts us squarely before our common Father and puts us into a common family as the basis for our prayer. There are petitions (like “daily bread” & “deliverance from evil”). But overall, it is a prayer that inserts us into living the will of the Father. Our prayer and our relationship with the Father are tied to our life with others. This is a prayer that has to be lived. Our holiness is tied not just to our private relationship with God (prayers, sacrifices, devotions) but also to our holiness with others in our local community. This prayer leads us to pardon others and live out the will of the Father with others.
All the saints show how to live out the Our Father – prayer put into action; prayer lived in a daily life. Look at Francis of Assisi, Theresa of Calcutta, or José Sánchez del Río de Mexico.
In praying, do not babble like the pagans…
Your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
Image: https://www.azquotes.com/quote/356524