Sometimes I tend to think of the things we do in our faith, things like reading the Bible, worshiping with others, serving one another, and, especially, prayer, as something done so that I can get in on life with God. That is, after I read, worship, serve, and pray, I’ll be more in step with God. Stack together enough of these things, and I’ll really be living right. Or so I think, and therefore act, on occasion.

You may not think or act like me, but if you do, I want to encourage you this week as I encourage myself. Rather than praying our Collective Prayer as a means to get us somewhere in our faith, let’s pray as our abiding, as if the very thing we do is done because we are already in life with God, trusting that our praying doesn’t change us, but we are changed in praying. Because our life is hidden in Christ, and God’s Kingdom is within us, we pray:

Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be Your name.
Your kingdom come,
Your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread, and let us trust in bread for tomorrow.
Forgive us our debts, as we also forgive those who owe us.
Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil and the evil one.
For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.
Amen.