May our Father daily increase our wisdom, love, gratitude, reverence, healing, peace, joy, happiness, laughter and prosperity. In just about 15 seconds I declared my love to you by asking you for these blessings. If you are one of those who does not know the One as Father, I wish you a double portion of blessing.
Deepak Chopra tells us in the Second Spiritual Law of Success, the Law of Giving, that we should never visit anyone without bringing a gift; a card with a sentiment, a flower, a silent prayer or a blessing. In fact, he says, a silent prayer or blessing is the best gift of all. He says we should make sure we hurt everyone we meet, every day. He suggested a short blessing such as: I wish you peace, joy and happiness. I thought that covered a lot, but I asked what blessings I would like to receive and my list grew to seven things. In a few weeks it grew to nine. In a few more it grew to ten, where I thought that was enough.
I started with wisdom because I remembered a proverb that said wisdom was the main thing. With everything I have, get my wisdom. That pretty much defines my quest for this life. Wisdom teaches the value of love and love springs from wisdom. Having something of each brings gratitude for the gifts and reverence for all who give them. This attitude facilitates healing for oneself and for others. As we complete ourselves, we find peace. In peace we find joy, in joy we find happiness and satisfaction. In happiness we find laughter. In the growth that these blessings generate, we find a natural prosperity that is not measured by material wealth. If I want these things for myself, I really want them for you and for the presidents, all your advisers, dictators and criminals. Who on this earth does not need a blessing?
When I began to apply this wisdom, I was blessed in very unexpected ways. However, I had a very hard time remembering to bless everyone I met every day. It occurred to me that I could incorporate this blessing as a general blessing to the world during morning and evening spiritual practice. Everyone is hurt, even when I forget to hurt a person I know. I still try to remember the personal blessing and improve over time.
I had nominal religious training in a Protestant denomination between the ages of ten and sixteen. I loved the ritual and not much else. I left church and religious family to have all of Sunday to myself. I needed one day a week with no one telling me what to do most of the time. About fifteen years later, fatherhood made me ask questions about the meaning of life, and I began to find answers wherever I looked, especially in the scriptures. I became a fascinated Bible student. He would soon learn that each answer raised more questions and he would never know everything.
I did a study on what is commonly called the Our Father, a prayer that already had a history in America and its schools. In 1962, when the Supreme Court declared that God had no business in public schools, I could see how the children of atheists could be uncomfortable with this group activity. I did not protest the loss of this daily ritual, or the keeping of the Pledge of Allegiance ritual, as I was clearly swearing allegiance to those who operated the school that was preparing me for a life without God.
Less than two years after the court decision, President Kennedy was assassinated. Less than two years after that, we were going to Vietnam. Before that war ended, we were waging a war on poverty. Before that war ended, we were waging a war on drugs. I felt a connection and my prayer study confirmed it.
Incidentally to my study of this prayer, I learned that it was a suitable prayer for those who see themselves in a fatherly relationship with the Supreme Power. Therefore, it could be prayed by Christians, Jews and Muslims. It is a prayer given to students by a teacher, recognized by all three religions, at the request of a student who thought it was good to know how to pray.
It is important to note that the teacher did not respond by saying, recite this prayer. He told us to pray this way and then gave the form the prayer should take. We are free to modify your content to our liking and it is a matter of respect to frame our content appropriately, such as with a business letter. The form is the most important thing for us and the given content is secondary, but it is still important.
The first word, “Our”, is possessive plural – a claim to possession. I am not praying for myself. I am praying for us. Who we are depends on my world view. We could be a family, we could be the other people who pray with us. We could be the nation where the most children prayed for us, five days a week. We could be all the Christians in the world. We could be all the people in the world. We could be all living beings in this world. It is clearly a personal choice to define us/our or children of God.
“Father,” the next word, puts an end to all arguments about God’s name. The teacher shows that it is our relationship that matters and the proper direction expresses this relationship. “Who is in heaven” is distinguished from a living biological father, but not from one who is deceased. “Sacred is your name” distinguishes itself from any biological parent and explains the ancient Hebrew custom of not pronouncing a name in public. A sacred thing made common is no longer sacred, as in common sense. The name in the Scriptures also symbolizes authority. For example; Israel means rules with God. That is why Abram and Jacob’s names were changed. We are acknowledging the authority of this Father by declaring his sacred character.
“Your kingdom is coming” points to a future event that every generation of believers longs for, and it is our hope. Some of us know that this kingdom is near and within us. We know that it is justice, tempered by mercy, without cruelty.
“Your will is done.” Many do not think so and many are critical of this will and its owner. However, the form requires this identification at our address. “On earth as it is in heaven” or even in the heavens, if you prefer. This completes the opening address or identification of the One whom we wish to hear our prayer. It is the attention getter. What is the use of writing a letter and sending it to the wrong address? So should we expect any good results?
I found that this prayer works just as well as a daily request or thanksgiving. I prefer it for thanksgiving, morning and evening. I’ll treat it here as a thanksgiving: “We give you thanks for this day and our daily bread.” Even without bread, another day is a wonderful thing to be thankful for. Our daily bread can extend far beyond our food to all of our material needs. It is worth noting that it is the first thing we ask for or thank because air, water and food are fundamental to our lives.
“And forgiving our offenses as we forgive those who offend us.” Forgiveness is conditional. We can expect it in the way we practice it. The blessing I started with involves forgiveness in the act of blessing everyone. I can bless those I despise and can easily forgive them if I so choose, and receive it myself, as needed. Forgiveness brings peace in a way that nothing else does. Is there little peace in your world? So there is little forgiveness in your world.
“Lead us not into trial (for we do this ourselves) and deliver us from tribulations.” Many confuse the word evil with the idea of evil. Bad is always a problem, but problem is not necessarily bad and in other scriptures the Father claims to have created evil. We could say that the flood was bad, but it was not an especially intriguing and calculated problem for someone’s personal benefit, what we know as evil.
In Scripture, the formal closing comes next, and I decided this was the point at which I would personalize this simple prayer, which I had recited so many times as a child. “Thank you for helping us become instruments of your peace, blessing those we bless and those who bless us.” This is an acknowledgment that my blessing cannot help anyone at all, unless backed by a higher power. I paraphrased a small part of Saint Francis’ Prayer because he was praying for himself and I continue to pray for us.
“Thank you for daily increasing our wisdom, love, gratitude, reverence, healing, peace, joy, happiness, laughter and prosperity, especially the leaders and authorities of this world, a world that transforms from one of fear to one of love.” This is the gratitude I have for the increased power, as I see it, behind my personal blessing. I see it as a power multiplier. You may see it differently.
“Thank you for granting us wealth, prosperity and abundance, let our light shine before others, they will see our good deeds and glorify you.” Although this repeats the latter blessing, it is precisely what secular society teaches us to desire and is worth repeating. It also reminds us that there is a proper purpose to wealth and perverting this purpose is asking for trouble. Just ask some lottery winners.
“For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever. Amen.” Closing, properly, is confirming the addressee and the equivalent of our Respectfully yours, in a business letter. I never fully understood why the Roman Catholic Church rejected this closure, except that some Pope decided it was understood and unnecessary. I will always feel that it is an important part of the form and closes the sentence correctly.
When American children discontinued this prayer at school, one disaster followed another; not that we were free of them in previous years. I think it’s safe to say that some families may have recited the prayer before breakfast every day, but most did not and this precipitated many negative changes in America and the rest of the world. I did not continue with him on my “own time” once he stopped at school. This was around the same time that I left the church and became agnostic, distrustful and resentful of all assumed authority.
What I mean is that if millions and millions of Christians, Jews and Muslims can achieve great good for the whole world by asking for and receiving these wonderful and magical blessings through a few minutes of daily prayer and blessing, why can’t everyone do they? An opportunity for unity. I can think of two reasons. We don’t think it makes a difference and we don’t care if it does.
In Napoleon Hill’s book, “Think and Grow Rich,” he devotes at least one chapter to the intellectual alliance. He says that there is great power in many people working for a common cause. An idea of Aquarius for sure. I think so. What if the purpose of each and every one of us is only to bless the earth, in word and deed? What could be the effect of each of us fulfilling this purpose every day of our lives? It costs us very little to test the idea and the result could prove that we can do something right after all. Surely deeds will follow words. Who can hurt and remain fearful?
