Dr. J.I. Packer blessed us with an amazing little book, Praying the Lord’s Prayer. Below are quotes from the book that have ministered to me.
- “The Lord’s Prayer in particular is a marvel of compression, and full of meaning. It is a compendium of the gospel (Tertullian), a body of divinity (Thomas Watson), a rule of purpose as well as petition, and thus a key to the whole business of living. What it means to be a Christian is nowhere clearer than here” (p. 11).
- “For God’s child, prayer is no ‘flight of the alone to the Alone,’ but concern for the family is built into it” (p. 31).
- “All right-minded praying starts with a long look Godward and a deliberate lifting up of one’s heart to give thanks and adore, and it is just this to which ‘Father’ calls us” (p. 31).
- “… when the Creator is said to be ‘in heaven,’ the thought is that he exists on a different plane from us, rather than in a different place” (p. 36).
- “Let your thoughts move to and fro like an accelerating pendulum, taking ever wider swings. ‘He’s my Father—and he’s God in heaven; he’s God in heaven—and he’s my Father! It’s beyond belief—but it’s true!’ Grasp this, or rather, let it grasp you; then tell God what you feel about it; and that will be the worship that our Lord wanted to evoke when he gave us this thought-pattern for the invocation of the One who is both his Father and ours” (p. 38).
- “So God’s kingdom is not a place, but rather a relationship. It exists wherever people enthrone Jesus as Lord of their lives” (p. 50).
- “Jesus is the kingdom of God in person” (p. 51).
- “Every word of the Lord’s Prayer reflects the Lord’s vision of what our lives should be …” (p. 57).
- “… heaven will be an experience of togetherness, closer and more joyous than any we have known so far, whether with our God or with our fellow-believers” (p. 67).
- “The Christian lives through forgiveness” (p. 77).
- “As music can express the whole range of human feelings, so our Lord’s pattern prayer covers the whole range of concerns with which life confronts the Christian disciple” (p. 105).
- “Prayer and praise are like a bird’s two wings: with both working, you soar; with one out of action, you are earthbound” (p. 106).
My prayer
Our Father, what a privilege to be in Your family as Your child. Holy is Your name. Your name is life, love, and salvation to me. Thank You for Dr. Packer and the wisdom You have blessed him with. Bless him, Father, with a double portion of the Holy Spirit. Bless Your children with an intimate relationship with You. Such deep love is beyond our understanding, and yet, it has captured our passion. We love You, Abba, Father. Amen!
Please share how The Lord’s Prayer has influenced your prayer life below.
