In Matthew 6 of the Bible, Jesus talks to His disciples about practices that reflect a Godly life. He mentions the different practices that the religious people of His day engaged in, and addresses a problem in the way that these practices are executed.

He talks about different thing like giving to the needy, prayer and fasting.

He begins by saying that should not practice righteousness for the sake of being praised by other people. Then he goes on to tell them how they should do it.

Starting in verse 5, he talks about how they should pray.

I noticed this morning that the focus of this passage of scripture is on matters of the heart, and approaching "righteousness" with the right posture.

There are teachers who encourage people to use "formulas" to approach religion (AKA "legalism").

Some say the prayer Jesus prays in verses 9-13 is a formula. After all, in both places this prayer is quoted in the Bible, Jesus begins by saying "but when you pray, pray like this..." The prayer (known as the Lord's prayer) is the first prayer most young Christians learn. The prayer goes:

"Our father in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. They kindgom come. They will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our tresspasses as we forgive those who tresspass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil."

I have heard many people break this prayer into formulas. Formulas such as ACTS (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving and Supplication) among others have been used to teach people to "pray the Lord's prayer."

The Problem with The Formula Approach

The problem with using the Lord's prayer as a formula that one should use in guiding their prayer "routine" every time they pray is the problem of what Jesus was trying to address in this entire passage of scripture. From the moment God gave his people "the law" promising to bless them for keeping it, people have tried to create boundaries around it to put God into so they do it just right to get the blessing.

There is nothing wrong with formulas inherently. People use formulas when learning mathematics, science and technology to help guide them in solving problems, after all. And for the most part this works out. For example, take a popular formula I learned to remember all the planets in our solar system when I was a child.

My Very Educated Mother Just Showed Us Nine Planets
Mercury Venus Earth Mars Jupiter Saturn Uranus Neptune Pluto

In 2006, however, Pluto was demoted from being a planet. Scientists, after acquiring more information determined that it is basically just a giant ball of ice, and does not fit what their present criteria for planethood.

The formula subsequently became invalid.

That doesn't mean it was a bad formula. It was the perfect formula during the period of time that it worked, but being hung up on the formula and refusing to budge leaves a person in a very ridiculous place when the circumstances change.

God did not create a static world. He created a very dynamic world. Nothing in His world stays still. He is the only true constant.

I believe using a formula to help you understand something is perfectly well and good.

Another formula that is actually an even better example is "order of operations" which is a mathematics formula that I learned in (probably middle) school. The formula goes:

Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally
Parenthesis Exponenets Multiplication Division Addition Subtraction (from left to right)

This formula helps you to remember what to do when you have an math problem like:
3*4+6/2-5

However, there are some equations where some of the elements of the formula don't apply. The example I gave had no "parentheses" for example. It also had no exponents. That doesn't make the formula any less valid, but if you just look at the formula without understanding the intention behind the formula, you will most definitely apply it incorrectly and you might get the answer wrong.

However, if you decide to chuck out the formula all together and do things based off of something thing you make up, you will also fail, because the formula was developed through centuries of work done investigating the purpose and nature of the problem that is solved by the formula.

So, the thing you HAVE TO do to be effective is understand the MEANING and INTENTION behind the formula.

Looking at Our Lord's prayer in context of the entire passage of scripture, you see that it was not given in isolation. Jesus was teaching a lesson to His disciples about the position of their heart while they are practice righteousness. Because of this, I offer you that Jesus is NOT necessarily giving them a "formula" to use to pray. I believe that Jesus is showing them a way of life, and where to position their heart as they pray.

I've said this somewhere before, but I do not think that Jesus (and consequently, God) is not a "quick tip" kind of Person. I think A LOT of modern day preachers try to summarize the words of God into a nice digestible, universal package that everyone can consume (which is common in our post industrial age society). However, I think this approach walks a very dangerous line.

The church I attend teaches discipleship (a teaching relationship), as well as studying the Bible in a personal way and fostering a sincere personal relationship with God. There are no "quick tips" in this way of life, because the application ends up looking dramatically different for each person that goes through it depending on how their life is going.

So, what is Our Lord's prayer about

I believe Our Lord's prayer is actually about positioning your heart on what God wants you to position your heart on as you pray and even as you go through life.

Those things that God wants you to position your heart on include:

• A personal relationship with God based on the foundation of love and respect (Our Father)
• A recognition of God's righteousness (who art in heaven)
• A reverence for God (hallowed be thy name)
• Thy kingdom come (recognition of his sovereignty and desire for this righteous rule)
• Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven (alignment with His intentions)
• Give us this day our daily bread (dependence on Him for your needs, wants, desires and sustenance)
• And forgive us our trespasses (acknowledging our imperfections and dependence on Him for righteousness AKA humility)
• As we forgive those who trespass against us (love and mercy towards our neighbors)
• And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from all evil (desire to do good, and recognition of His power over evil)

Even with what I have written here, I am sure there are parts and pieces that my words have not covered. The only way to know what God truly wants (from you, specifically) is to walk with Him and seek after His will. So, I am not trying to give anybody another formula. I am just saying what I think I have learned today, which is basically that Our Lord's prayer is teaching a way of life, and NOT another routine with boxes you can check to get to heave and/or be blessed.