I’ve been meditating lately on the Lord’s Prayer as recorded in Luke 11.1 – 4 in The Passion Translation. Here it is, word for word, just with bullets added to set off the six (in this translation) requests:

One day, as Jesus was in prayer, one of his disciples came over to him as he finished and said, “Would you teach us a model prayer that we can pray, just like John did for his disciples?” So Jesus taught them this prayer: 

• “Our heavenly Father, may the glory of your name be the center on which our life turns.
• May your Holy Spirit come upon us and cleanse us.
• Manifest your kingdom on earth.
• And give us our needed bread for the coming day.
• Forgive our sins as we ourselves release forgiveness to those who have wronged us.
• And rescue us every time we face tribulations.”

Over the next few days I may write a little something on each of these, beginning now with the first one:

May the glory of your name be the center on which our life turns. (Luke 11.2, Passion Translation)

Here was my impression: it’s beautiful, but what would that look like? Then I realized, it’s a prayer! I don’t have to know what it looks like! All I have to do is pray it, and maybe over time, God will show me what that looks like in my life.

In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. (Matthew 5.16, NIV)

And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. (2 Corinthians 3.18, NIV)