“YOU must pray, then, this way:

by ButtLight 30 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

• 

  Narkissos

  The earliest testimonies (from Jewish-Christian communities) imply a regular and literal recitation of the prayer (albeit in slightly variant forms), e.g. Didachè 8 which is the closest parallel to Matthew 6 (both texts juxtapose fasting and prayer):

  But let not your fasts be with the hypocrites, for they fast on the second and fifth day of the week. Rather, fast on the fourth day and the Preparation (Friday). Do not pray like the hypocrites, but rather as the Lord commanded in His Gospel, like this:

  Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily (needful) bread, and forgive us our debt as we also forgive our debtors. And bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one (or, evil); for Thine is the power and the glory for ever..

  Pray this three times each day.
• 

  Qcmbr

  Isn't the kingdom Christ's now?
• 

  JH

  Thy shall be done on earth as it is in heaven

  Didn't happen yet

  keep the prayers coming....
• 

  moomanchu

  Hi JH,

  Exactly Leolaia, they don't want to copy other religions using this prayer, and if you notice, Jesus didn't say Jehovah, but only our father.

  I checked the New Testament and there isn't one instance that I could find where Jesus used Jehovah's name in prayer.

  Things to make you go Hmmmmmmmm
• 

  Finally-Free

  Our Corporation who art in Brooklyn, overflowing be Thy coffers. Thy equity increase. Thy lies be spread on earth, as it is in thy kingdom halls. Give us this day our daily reproof, and forgive us our debt only after we've been thoroughly humiliated by thee. And lead us not into a normal lifestyle, but deliver us from sanity.

  W
• 

  luna2

  LMAO! Good one, FF!
• 

  A Paduan

  And in praying do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard for their many words

  There's nothing about "don't be repetitive" - just "empty phrases" used to produce "many words"

  As ex-jws I believe that ya'll would be best to never read the NWT, and, use a higher level language skill if you are to avoid being misled into misinformed theologies.
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  yaddayadda

  I've never heard it said in any of the 'modern' church group services I've attended either. In fact, it seems that most of those churches flout Jesus instruction to pray to the 'Father', choosing instead to pray directly to 'Jesus', something which is simply not found in scripture at all. Actually I've heard Pastors pray to the Father and then start talking to Jesus half way through, and some pray directly to Jesus and then refer to him as the Father. One of them starting of her prayer to the Father and half-way through thanked the Father that he came and gave up his life and shed his blood for us. Most of them are totally confused about what the heck they are praying to and worshipping, fudging and criss-crossing between God, the Father, the Lord, Jesus all willy-nilly. It seems to be squeezing the gnat and gulping the camel to harshly criticise JW's for not repeating the 'our Father' prayer word for word when most other Christian religions are even guilty of something worse, ie, praying directly to Jesus and often ignoring praying to the Father altogether.
  
  There are only two incidences, I believe, in the bible of someone addressing Jesus directly after his death, and both are debateable as to whether they were prayers to Jesus per se because both were said during a vision when the speaker was seeing Jesus directly in heaven.
  
  They're all just as guilty as each other of not following the scriptural instructions for prayer, the lot of them.
• 

  peacefulpete

  
  Remember that as Narkissos pointed out there were more than one version of this prayer in use. Why even Luke 11 preserves a significant varient. A couple very early notable varients of matt 6 are also known to use from early witnesses and manuscripts. The prayer IMO is original to the writer of Matthew having slightly adapted popular Jewish prayers. see:the Qaddish prayer compared to the Lord's prayer

  These Jewish prayers were recite by rote and the author of Matthew was likely not condemning this practice while yet imitating their very wording but rather MAY have in fact been condemning Pauline Christianities prayers spoken in "tongues" when writing to not use "empty phrases" or "babblings" like the Gentiles.
• 

  lovelylil

  I think this prayer can be said word for word but you can also pray in your own words. Is this prayer not called the model prayer? Is not a model an example? I don't know but I like to address my heavenly father in my own words and I just speak from the heart. I think either way is o.k., if we approach God with a humble heart and believe he is listening, than what difference does it make what words we use? I think here in Matthew and in other prayers, Jesus was giving us examples of things we could pray for.

  I did check in another bible version and the text is talking about empty words and babbling and use of many words that do not make sense.

  I believe in the end, how we pray and what we say is a personal decision between us and God.