Seven petitions

Fr. Russ Bergman
Feb 24
2 min read

Praying can be a challenge. We can use words, but too many can get in the way. A one-sided conversation can fill our prayer time so much that a listening heart is silenced. Hearing about the babbling pagans reminds me of politicians filibustering, talking to take up time and space, but not leading anywhere. Jesus spends the most time connected to God the Father, making him the best resource to guide and lend structure to our prayer. He gives us the words and the structure to frame our personal prayer. Most of us know the Lord’s prayer so well that it becomes rote. We risk babbling the words without listening closely to them.

Start by counting to seven. There are seven petitions within the prayer. The first three are directed to God, the last four are requests for us. The first three focus on doing God’s will. For every Thy, there’s something we owe to God. Thy name we need to keep sacred. Thy kingdom come to be made more present in our world now. Thy will need to discern and follow. Then we turn to ourselves and how God helps us. Give us our daily bread requests our nourishment in body and soul. Forgive us our sins, to the same degree we do for others who sin against us. Lead us not into temptation, to have the strength to fight against sin or avoid what may lead us to sin. Deliver us, asks us to be shielded from Satan, and all the damage he seeks to cause in our world. May God help us all live up to his requests and always request his help along the way.

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