Praying The Lord’s Prayer

If you were invited to write the Lord’s Prayer
in your own words
In your own language
how would you write it?

What would you include?
What makes sense to you?
What never made sense?

Are there any additions you’d like to make?
What words would you change?
How long would it be?
Would it be in song or in words or in art?

That’s what we’d like you to spend some time on here and now.
write the prayer in your own words, be creative,
be open,
be prayerful,
be yourself…

What follows is a collection of prayers written by the community, we will be using them in worship over the coming months as we celebrate over bread and grape juice together. If you’d like to add to our collection please email it in to minister@gungahlinuniting.org

To My Protector

To my Protector, Help, Guide and Father
May all nations know who you are
and proclaim your name in their lives,
So that you are present here on earth in a tangible way.
Let us follow your footsteps and be carried by you.
Look after our every need, food, water, housing, love, provision.
Help us to work through our struggles with you
reminding us that the power of our faith
in your Son overrides all guilt, shame,
misunderstanding and pain.
May we walk those truths with others
To you be the glory
(heart)

To my father around me

My father around me
you are different
may your wishes happen
on this earth
Feed us all today
Take all of my badness
Help me do the same for others
Keep me away from voices the lure me in bad ways
Rescue me from evil
All realms
all strength
all splendour
belong to you forever

Father, here with us now…

Father, here with us now (not above)
May people keep your name in reverence
May people do what is pleasing in your sight
Supply us with all our needs today
Release us from the sins that bind us
Give us your power to release
forgiveness to those who have wronged us
Keep us away from temptation
And free us from all the evil
that cross our paths
All power and glory and honour
belong to you alone, our Sovereign God
Today, tomorrow and into eternity
Yes!

Dear God…

Dear God
I hope you are well
things here for me are great,
but not so much for others.
Please fix it.
Thanks for all the delicious food you have provided
I know I’m a lousy kid… mostly nice
but I have done some really rotten things
Sorry!
Put it into my heart to forgive others
The devil is not good!
Well, that’s it from me
BTW…
Thanks for the promise of eternal life.

https://vimeo.com/422036966

Our loving Creator God

Our loving Creator God
May all know and revere you
May the world become as you always intended it to be
Please supply all of us with enough for each day
Forgive us all our wrongs
Just as we forgive others
Bring us not to hard testing
But bring us through what we must face
You are the boss
Your strength, majesty and beauty are clear
and will continue always
Let it be so

To the one to whom my heart belongs

To the one to whom my heart belongs
You are worthy of all praise
Bring your kingdom into our presence and may we follow after you
hungrily, openly, unashamedly, even when we find it hard
Feed our bodies, minds, souls and hearts every day in ways we don’t even realise we need
Let is love each other, because rather than despite for we all need compassion
and should empathetically strive to love others wholeheartedly, like you love us.
Give us this undeserved grace you wholly offer
so we know the assurance of our salvation
let us turn our faces to you
For you reside and we abide
fully as your sons and daughters
to thine be the glory

Amen

Bapa kami yang ada di surga

(Indonesian)

Bapa kami yang ada di surga,
Dikuduskanlah nama-Mu.
Datanglah kerajaan-Mu,
jadilah kehendak-Mu,
di bumi seperti di sorga.
Berikanlah kami pada hari ini,
makanan kami yang secukupnya
Ampunilah kami akan kesalahan kami
seperate kami juga mengampuni orang yang
bersalah kapada kami
Janganlah mombasa kami ke dalam pen-cobaan,
tetapi lepaskanlah kami
daripada yang jahat.
Karena Engkaulah yang empunya
karajan, dan kuasa,
dan kemuliaan
sampai selama-lamanya

Amin

Dear God

(Lake Street Church of Evanston https://www.facebook.com/pg/lakestreetchurch )

Dear God: you remind us of all the best things we know.
You are our parent, our sibling, our friend.
You are an artist, a healer, a provider.
You are love and you are a mystery.
Help us create a world that is like heaven,
where things are fair and everyone is safe and happy.
We want to do that now, not wait until after we die.
Give us our daily lasagna: everything we need, but not too much.
We don’t want to be greedy.
Teach us to forgive by forgiving us when we make mistakes.
Help us be generous and not hold grudges.
When we are tempted to do the easiest thing instead of the best thing,
help us be brave enough to choose the most loving way.
Protect our bodies, minds, and spirits.
We love you always, as you love us.

Amen.

All of it is yours

Father…
you reign at the beginning
and in the end
Here…
and beyond our imagining
in the ordinary,
the human food we need
and in the hidden,
our human brokenness and failure
Help us to forgive those who wound us
Father…
you reign in the end
All of it is yours
Always

Your name’s special

Sup God, how’s heaven?
your name’s special
We will do what you tell us
Whatever you’re doing wherever we are
Give us our snacks
Soz we’re naughty monkeys
and we promise to forgive the other naughty monkeys
Save us from the meanies
and protect us from the villains
For heaven and earth and all it’s stuff
are your glory

Amen

Our loving God

Our Father
Our loving God
Who’s in heaven
Holy be your name
When I feel tempted
to not be myself
Help out and speak up
Can you please guide me

Amen

Wonderful Father in heaven

Wonderful Father in heaven
Your name be glorified
May your desires be done in heaven
And also done here on earth
May we have food enough for today
Wipe away our sins and help us to forgive those who do wrong against us
Help us in our living and shield us from all evil
Your kingdom
Your power
Your Glory
be yours
now and forever (always)

Amen

You are SO BIG

Oh God
You are SO BIG
You are bigger than anything we can imagine
Your patience with us is beyond our imagination
Yet you made us in your own image
And you love us like a parent
Help us to follow the right decisions and actions
To protect your creation
And to live the sorts of lives you wanted for us
Speak to us through your teachings
And bring peace to our minds
So that we may bring peace peace to others
Through your unconditional love
Amen

Surround us with your love

Father God
Let us listen to you and follow you
Please care for us and forgive us when we do wrong
Help us to accept and love others,
even when they wrong us
even when life is difficult
Surround us with your love
For you are almighty

Amen

Spirit of the universe

Spirit of the universe
May we all experience how special
it is to be in your presence
Transform our world and help us
to live in harmony with you everyday
just like our special moments
May the needs of all who are hungry be met
all over the world
Help us to heal
and to recognise when others need your healing touch
Help us not to forget you in times of trouble
and to stay focussed on you
For in living in harmony with you
we will be truly alive
Forever

Amen

The Lord’s Prayer in Song

Tune Lloyd, TiS 568
Ron Reeson, September 2019

O Father God, in heaven You live,
Holy and pure You are;
Your reign begin, Your rule obeyed,
As heaven, so on earth.

Give us good food, that we might live,
Sufficient for our need;
Forgive the wrongs that we have done,
And those who hurt us too.

Protect us from enticing ways,
Help us escape their lure:
You reign in strength and brightly shine,
Today, and evermore.