MY DESCANT ON THE LORD'S PRAYER

MY DESCANT OF THE LORD'S PRAYER: "7 But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. 8 Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him. 9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. 10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. 11 Give us this day our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen." MATTHEW 6: PRAYER IS POWER AND PRAYER IS ALSO VERY POWERFUL. IT FOCUSES OUR SPIRITS, OUR ENERGY. OUR WILL, OUR SOULS. JESUS INSTRUCTS HOW TO PRAY AND HOW NOT TO PRAY IN MATTHEW 6, IN "THE LORD'S PRAYER." 9. "OUR FATHER WHICH ART IN HEAVEN" IS THE SUPPLICATION. IT BESEECHES, INVOKES OUR CREATOR-GOD, WHO SAID IN: Genesis 1:26-28King James Version (KJV) "26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. 28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth." FROM THIS I DEDUCE THAT "FATHER" IS AN IDIOM FOR "MALE & FEMALE" ARCHETYPES, PRINCIPLES, STATED IN GEN. 1:26-28. SIMILARLY, "OUR" REFERS CORPORATELY TO ALL HUMANITY. 10. "THY KINGDOM COME. THY WILL BE DONE IN EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN." THIS IS UNFOLDING DELIVERANCE COSMOLOGICALLY. AS ABOVE, SO BELOW. THE ONENESS, THE UNITY OF ALL THINGS. THE INDIVISIBILITY. CONTINUOUS BECOMING FOREVER. 11."GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY BREAD." SEEKS PROVISION, RENEWAL, REVIVAL, REASSURANCE, REWARD, NURTURE, LOVE FOR THE WHOLE OF MANKIND--"US"--NOT MERELY ME, ALWAYS. 12. "FORGIVE US OUR DEBTS AS WE FORGIVE OUR DEBTORS." SPEAKS TO THE RECIPROCITY OF HUMAN EXISTENCE; "DEBT" BEING MONEY, AND ALL OTHER THINGS GAINED FROM OTHERS, OR THAT OTHERS HAVE GAINED FROM US, BE THEY KNOWN OR UNKNOWN; LIVING OR DEAD; PRESENT OR ABSENT, INCLUSIVE. 13. "AND LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION, BUT DELIVER US FROM EVIL;" THIS IS AN ACKNOWLEDGMENT THAT GOD BOTH LEADS AND DELIVERS US INTO HILLS AND VALLEYS; HIGHS AND LOWS; INTO GOOD THINGS AND BAD THINGS; ALL THINGS THAT GOD HAS CREATED, THOSE REPUGNANT OR THOSE NOT SO. "US" AGAIN BEING TOTALITY, NOT MERELY "ME," INDIVIDUALLY. 14. "FOR THINE IS THE KINGDOM AND THE POWER AND THE GLORY. FOREVER. AMEN." THIS IS THE RECAPITULATION OR DOXOLOGY. IT REAFFIRMS OUR DEPENDENCE ON GOD FOR LIFE, LOVE, WELL-BEING, IN GOOD TIMES AND BAD; IN SPRING TIME AND FALL; IN WET SEASON AND DRY; FOREVER AND EVER. AMEN. MY DESCANT'S CONCLUSIONS: ON THE LORD'S PRAYER: 1. PRAYER IS SHORT. GOD ALREADY KNOWS ALL- V,7-8 2. PRAYER IS CORPORATE AND INVOKING -- V. 9 3. PRAYER IS HUMBLE SUPPLICATION - V.10 4. PRAYER IS SIMPLE, SEEKING SUSTENANCE - V.11 5. PRAYER IS RECIPROCAL, WE, AND ME, AS ONE -V.12 6. PRAYER IS DEFERENTIAL - V.13 7. PRAYER IS CELEBRATORY - V.14