How I Pray the Lord's Prayer

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I’m Doug Apple...and my heart is on fire!  (Luke 24:32)

I pray the Lord’s Prayer nearly every day, and here’s how I pray it.

Our Father, who art in heaven...in the secret place, (Matthew 6:6)
Lord, I’m in my secret place of prayer right now, (Matthew 6:6)
and I’m drawing near to You, and I know that You’re drawing near to me.  (James 4:8)

Hallowed be Thy name, Lord.  Holy is Your name.  Righteous is Your name.

Thy kingdom come, Lord, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
In my life, Lord...as it is in heaven.
In my mind...as it is in heaven.
In my heart...as it is in heaven.
In my family...as it is in heaven.
In my work...as it is in heaven.
In my church...as it is in heaven.
In this city...as it is in heaven.
In this country...as it is in heaven.
Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Lord, give us this day our daily bread, please, and extra to give him who has need. (Ephesians 4:28)

And forgive us our trespasses...Lord, I repent of everything right now, of every sin of omission and commission, Lord, of everything I’ve done or said or thought that was sinful...I repent of it.  And the good I haven’t done, Lord, not loving, not obeying, not taking action when I should, Lord, I repent of it all, I lay it all at Your feet right now, and through the blood of Jesus I just receive Your grace and mercy and forgiveness, fresh and new, clean before You in every way.

As we forgive those who trespass against us.  Lord, right now I forgive everyone for everything; any sin against me, any hurt, any offense, any crime...whether they did it on purpose or on accident or by neglect or just not caring...whatever anyone has done, Lord, I forgive it all, right now.  Their debt is canceled in my mind.  And Lord, whatever anyone WILL do to me, I forgive them now, in advance, PREEMPTIVELY.  God, I forgive them now for whatever offense or crime or hurt or pain...all of it.  I forgive them now so that I am set free to love them with all the power and the force of Your love, loving them through me, with no offense getting in the way because I have already forgiven them.  (Luke 17:1)

And lead us not into temptation...Lord, no temptation.  God, please keep all temptations away from me.  Lord, I want to walk so much in the power of Your Spirit that any temptations will be worthless and powerless, just falling away to the wayside, not pulling my eyes away from You for one second.

But deliver us from evil...Lord, save us and spare us from all evil and harm and sickness and disease and crime and natural disaster and poverty, Lord, all the things that would hurt us and harm us and cause us pain and grief and despair.  Lord, anything that turns our eyes away from You for even one second, God, please keep it far away from us.

For Thine is the kingdom...I love You, Lord.
And the power...I love You, Lord.
And the glory...I love You, Lord.

For ever and ever,
Amen.

May God bless you...as you pray the Lord’s prayer today.

I’m Doug Apple.

(close with the finale of The Lord's Prayer by The Collingsworth Family)