"Tychicus will tell you everything." Ephesians 6:21

Once upon a time, the great reformer, Martin Luther was getting his hair cut by Peter the Barber.  Peter knew of his spiritual stature so he asked Martin about his own personal devotional life.  Martin answered his question but also wrote him a rather lengthy letter.    The essence of Martin’s answer is as follows.  Each morning he would pray through each line of four texts;  1) The Ten Commandments (See Exodus 20:1-17), 2) The Beatitudes (See Matthew 5:3-12) 3) The Lord’s Prayer (See Matthew 6:9-13) , and 4) The Apostles Creed.

He prayed through each of these four texts in four different ways.  First, he prayed the Lord would teach him what that line meant.  Second, he expressed thanks to the Lord for that truth.  Next he repented of how he had not lived consistently with the truth of that line.  Finally, he prayed the truth of that line into his life and various situations.  Actually, this serves as a great pattern for many texts.

Because of my interest in the Lord’s Prayer, I have gotten much mileage out of praying through it following Martin Luther’s pattern.
I write about this in chapter 12 of Living Prayer.  I invite you to try it.  Here is a chart that shows how I have applied his method.  And here is a blank chart you are welcome to copy and use for yourself and others.

For years, I have used the Lord’s Prayer as a pattern for my own personal prayers.  All of what is found in the book Living Prayer comes out of this experience.  I have had 7 years of good theological training and been exposed to some of the finest teaching possible, but nothing has shaped my life more than taking Jesus’ instruction on prayer very seriously.

Just this morning, as I was praying, I “saw” a chart that condensed many aspects of how I regularly pray through this prayer.  So, after a couple hours of work, here it is.  I call it Using the Prayer.  Please note that it is designed to be a summary for those who have heard more teaching on the topic.  But perhaps it can be helpful as a stand-alone as well.

I would appreciate your feedback.

Last Sunday and Monday I presented the Living Prayer Seminar at Lakebay Community Church, so I preached at their Sunday morning service.  Afterwards Mary (not her real name) came up to thank me.  Within a few words, I noticed that Mary had a very sweet spirit, but did not have what some people might call a “normal” level of intelligence.  We had a nice but simple conversation.

When I returned for the first evening of the Seminar Mary greeted me again.  This time she gave me a piece of notebook paper and explained she wrote down the Scriptures I used that morning.  She presented it to me as a gift.  I felt blessed, thanked her, folded the paper in quarters, and put it in my back pocket.

When I had an opportunity I took a look at it.  It was very legible cursive, but looked like it could have been written by an upper elementary student.  It had seven Scriptures numbered and written covering the front and back sides of the paper.  Mary’s desire was to write out and give me the verses I referred to in my morning message.  But it was clear she did not understand the basics.  For example, instead of John 13:17 she wrote out 1 John 1:3.  In fact, not one Scripture I referred to was one of the seven she had written on that page.

As I held the paper in my hand, a deep appreciation for this gift grew in my heart.  Some people might say Mary had very little capacity.  But she set aside time that Sunday afternoon to give me a gift.  It was a gift of love.  She loved the Scriptures and she was loving me.  This note was her simple way to express both.  It was a simple love.

I am not sure how long I will keep the paper, but my prayer is that I keep that kind of love.  Simple.  Love.  I received other complements from more “normal” people during the seminar, but I did not receive any better gift.  Thank you,  Mary.

I was recently really blessed by something my friend, Ivan, told me.  We were in a conversation on prayer with several others around the table when he said…

“I love your book (Living Prayer).  It changed a despised prayer (because of my upbringing) to one of my favorite ways of praying!”

Frankly, I have received similar comments before, but I am always blessed when the “dust comes off” the Lord’s Prayer and people begin to see the great value of these great instructions by the Greatest Teacher!

One of the fun things I get to do is present the Living Prayer Seminar in various places.  Here are some testimonies of others who have been to a seminar.  June 23-24 I get to go back to my home area and present it at Lakebay Community Church, near Gig Harbor, WA.  Take a look at the information and join us if you can!  Brochure Lakebay 5-8-13.  If you are in the area, come join us.  If not, please pray for us.

Since the early 1980’s I have used the Lord’s Prayer as a pattern of my own personal times of prayer.  In late 2009 Living Prayer: the Lord’s Prayer Alive in You was first published.  I have been very pleased with the responses from people, both to the book and to a companion seminar I have developed.  Posts here will relate to the book, the seminar, and to using the Lord’s Prayer as a pattern of prayer.