The Lord's Prayer

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. Save us from the time of trial and deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours now and for ever. Amen.

This famous prayer is, in my opinion, the most basic and essential decleration of Christianity. It is found in Matthew 6 and Luke 11, the more complete form is in Matthew 6. I think it is a beautiful statement of what the core of our faith is. It is a plea to the Almighty to deliver us from the evil that abounds on Earth. It is a plea for God's kingdom to come, and for Earth to be transformed into Heaven. There are a few versions of it in English. This specific version was created by the English Language Liturgical Consultation, which is an organization that standarizes English language versions of Christian rites and prayers. It was published in 1988 and is the version I personally use when I pray. I have been trying to shape my worship life around what is recommended in the Didache, a first century Christain text that describes the rituals of the very first Christians. It perscribes a routine of praying this prayer three times daily, but doesn't specify when. I always admired the daily prayer routine in Islam and I have been trying to replicate that. I tried the more set in stone Liturgy of the Hours that is practiced in the Catholic Church but I found that to be kind of incompatible with my schedule. This routine described in the Didache is much more freeing. I pray once upon waking up, giving thanks to God for the new day and praying that put the Holy Spirit in my heart. Once in the middle of the day or the evening to give thanks again for the day and to reflect on what I did wrong. And once before I go to sleep to reflect on what troubles me and ask for a good nights sleep. I think daily prayer is an essential part of a healthy spiritual life!! And there is no better prayer to start with then this one :).