The Rainbow of Prayer

Church of the Lord's Prayer

There are three churches built over three significant caves in Israel. These are the birth cave in Bethlehem (Church of the Nativity), the rock-cut tomb near Golgotha (Church of the Holy Sepulchre), and the cave on the Mount of Olives with which Jesus' ascension is linked. A church was built over this cave by Queen Helena, mother of Emperor Constantine. Over time, this church become closely linked with the place where Jesus taught his disciples the Pater Noster, also known as "Our Father" or the Lord's Prayer. This is the Church of the Pater Noster.

This church contains mosaics of the Lord's Prayer in over 100 languages.

cloister of the Convent of the Pater Noster

LK 11:1 One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, "Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples."

    LK 11:2 He said to them, "When you pray, say:

  " `Father,
  hallowed be your name,
  your kingdom come.

  LK 11:3 Give us each day our daily bread.

  LK 11:4 Forgive us our sins,
    for we also forgive everyone who sins against us.
  And lead us not into temptation. ' " (NIV)

Jesus also taught the Lord’s Prayer during the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 6: 9-13 by the Sea of Galilee.

  MT 6:9 "This, then, is how you should pray:

  " `Our Father in heaven,
  hallowed be your name,

  MT 6:10 your kingdom come,
  your will be done
    on earth as it is in heaven.

  MT 6:11 Give us today our daily bread.

  MT 6:12 Forgive us our debts,
    as we also have forgiven our debtors.

  MT 6:13 And lead us not into temptation,
  but deliver us from the evil one. ' (NIV)

the Lord's Prayer in different languages

The Gospel account provides almost no information on the location of Jesus' teaching of the Lord's Prayer, also known as the "Our Father." The 3rd-century Acts of John (ch. 97) mentions the existence of a cave on the Mount of Olives associated with the teaching of Jesus, but not specifically the Lord's Prayer.

the unfinished walls of the church

 The 4th-century Byzantine church has been partially reconstructed

courtyard with mosaic of the Lord's Prayer in different languages

The unroofed church has steps leading down into the cave, which was partially collapsed when discovered in 1910. It is an interesting medley of ancient rock cuttings, concrete supports and marble furnishings. The cave cuts partly into a 1st-century tomb.

This cave is the traditional site on the Mount of Olives where Jesus met his disciples and taught them.

in Braille

links to some of my sermons on the Lord's Prayer

The Rainbow of Prayer (dynamics of actions)

 Praying the Jesus Way (Matt. 6:5-8)

 Acknowledging: Thy kingdom come (Matt. 6:10)

 One Day at a Time (Give us this day)

 Our God Gives (Our Daily Bread)

 Accepting: Thy will be done

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Debts and the Spiritual Life

Often when we read the Lord's Prayer, we take note of forgiveness rather than the debt. One question we need to consider is the role of debts in our spiritual life. This is an interesting article from Sojourners

What Does it Mean to ‘Forgive Us Our Debts as We Forgive Our Debtors?’

by Tim Kumfer 07-06-2011

photo © 2011 epSos .de | more info (via: Wylio)“And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.” – Matthew 6:12
Smack dab in the middle of the Lord’s Prayer, obscured by old translations and otherworldly assumptions, is a radical cry for Jubilee justice.  In this most stripped down form of Jesus’ teaching — the bare essentials of what a disciple should bring before God in prayer — freedom from economic debt for all of God’s children plays a central role.  Why is this? And what might it mean for the millions of Christians who weekly pray the Lord’s Prayer to live more deeply into this dimension of our faith?

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What do you think?

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Our God Gives

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One Day at a Time

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Thy Will be Done

Thy Kingdom Come

Praying the Jesus Way

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download sermon transcript (pdf) here

download sermon (mp3) here

download powerpoint (pdf) here

The Rainbow of Prayer

The Rainbow of Prayer

The Dynamic Activities of the Lord’s Prayer

“Pray then like this…”

Text: Matthew 6:9-13; Luke 11: 2-4

The rainbow of prayer

View more presentations from Alex Tang.

Sermon Statement

Praying the Lord’s Prayer is approaching God in a direct and intimate way; adoring the Creator and the Almighty; acknowledging His work and worth in praise and worship; accepting from God’s one’s own situation as He has shaped it; admitting sin and seeking pardon; asking that needs be met, for ourselves and others; and adhering to God in faithfulness through thick and thin.

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