Pray For Us, Not Me

“This, then, is how you should pray:

“Our Father in heaven, 

hallowed by your name,

your kingdom come, 

your will be done,

   on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us today our daily bread.

And forgive us our debts, 

   as we also have forgiven our debtors.

And lead us not into temptation,

   but deliver us from the evil one.”

Matthew 6: 9-13

I have read this prayer hundreds of times, but I have disregarded a subtle, yet important  aspect to Jesus’ instructions. It took this quote in, When the Church Was a Family, to see it:

“Before all things, the Teacher of peace and Master of unity did not wish prayer to be offered individually and privately as one would pray only for himself when he prays. We do not say: ‘My Father, who art in heaven,’ or ‘Give me this day my bread,’ nor does each one ask that only his debt be forgiven him and that he be led not into temptation and that he be delivered from evil for himself alone. Our prayer is public and common, and when we pray we pray not for one but the the whole people, because we, the whole people, are one.”

-- Cyprian of Carthage, North Africa, c. AD 250

I have had this verse memorized since I was a child. I can say the words. I understand the parts. But it has never occurred to me that this prayer is not just a prayer for me. The model prayer is not a prayer for me to pray about me, it is a prayer to pray for my family, my church family, my Christian brothers and sisters. It is incredible how easy it is for us to make the most important of things simply about us individually rather than about us as a group - us as a family. 

This seems like such a simple, subtle idea and yet the ramifications are huge. Jesus taught us to pray, not with the focus on us as individuals, but instead with the focus on us as a group, as a family. Our prayers should be focused on the benefit of the group, not on us as individuals. How easy it is to be selfish, even in our prayers, and not even realize it!