Another Look at "The Lords Prayer"

"THE LORD'S PRAYER"
Our Father who art in Heaven. . . .
Yes,
Don't interrupt me. I'm praying. . . .
BUT YOU CALLED ME.
Called you? I didn't call you. I'm praying. Our Father who art in Heaven....

THERE, YOU DID IT AGAIN.
Did what?
CALLED ME. YOU SAID, "OUR FATHER WHO ART IN HEAVEN." HERE I, AM. WHAT'S ON
YOUR MIND?
But I didn't mean anything by it. I was, you know, just saying my prayers
for the day. I always say the Lord's Prayer. It makes me feel good, kind of
like getting my duty done.
ALL RIGHT. GO ON.
Hallowed be thy name.
HOLD IT. WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY THAT?
By what?
BY "HALLOWED BE THY NAME."
It means....it means....good grief, I don't know what it means. How should I
know? Its just part of the prayer. By the way, what does it mean?
IT MEANS "HONORED," "HOLY," "WONDERFUL."
Hey, that makes sense. I never thought about what "Hallowed" meant before.
Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.
DO YOU REALLY MEAN THAT?
Sure, why not?
WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO ABOUT IT?
Doing? Nothing, I guess. I just think it would be neat if you got control of
everything down here like you have up there.
HAVE I GOT CONTROL OF YOU?
Well, I go to church.
THAT ISN'T WHAT I ASKED YOU. WHAT ABOUT THAT HABIT OF LUST YOU HAVE? AND
YOUR BAD TEMPER? YOU'VE REALLY GOT A PROBLEM THERE, YOU KNOW. AND THEN THERE
S THE WAY YOU SPEND YOUR MONEY...... ALL ON YOURSELF. AND WHAT ABOUT THE
KINDS OF BOOKS YOU READ?
Stop picking on me! I'm just as good as some of the rest of those phonies at
the church.
EXCUSE ME....I THOUGHT YOU WERE PRAYING FOR MY WILL TO BE DONE. IF THAT IS
TO HAPPEN, IT WILL HAVE TO START WITH THE ONES WHO ARE PRAYING FOR IT. LIKE
YOU, FOR EXAMPLE.
Oh, all right! I guess I do have some hang-ups. Now that you mention it, I
could probably name some others.
SO COULD I.
I haven't thought about it until now, but I really would like to cut out
some of those things. I'd like to, you know, be really free.
GOOD, NOW WE'RE GETTING SOMEWHERE. WE'LL WORK TOGETHER.... YOU AND ME. NOW,
SOME VICTORIES CAN TRULY BE WON. I'M PROUD OF YOU.
Look Lord, I need to finish up here. This is taking a lot longer than it
usually does.... Give us this day our daily bread.
YOU NEED TO CUT DOWN ON THE BREAD TOO... YOU'RE OVERWEIGHT AS IT IS.
Hey, wait a minute! What is this, "Criticize Me Day?" Here I was doing my
religious duty, and all of a sudden you break in and remind me of all my
hang-ups.
PRAYING IS A DANGEROUS THING. YOU COULD WIND UP CHANGED YOU KNOW. THAT'S
WHAT I'M TRYING TO GET ACROSS TO YOU. YOU CALLED ME, AND HERE I, AM. IT'S
TOO LATE TO STOP NOW. KEEP ON PRAYING. I'M INTERESTED IN THE NEXT PART OF
YOUR PRAYER.
.........
WELL, GO ON.
I'm scared to.
SCARED? OF WHAT? I KNOW WHAT YOU'LL SAY. TRY ME AND SEE.
Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.
WHAT ABOUT JOE?
See I knew it! I knew you would bring him up! Why he's told lies about me,
cheated me out of money. He never paid back that debt he owes me. I've sworn
to get even.
BUT YOUR PRAYER...WHAT ABOUT YOUR PRAYER?
I didn't mean it.
WELL, AT LEAST YOU'RE HONEST. BUT IT'S NOT MUCH FUN CARRYING THE LOAD OF
BITTERNESS AROUND INSIDE, IS IT?
No, but I'll feel better as soon as I get even. Boy, have I made some plans
for ol' Joe. He'll wish he never did me any harm.
YOU WON'T FEEL ANY BETTER. YOU'LL FEEL WORSE. REVENGE ISN'T SWEET. THINK OF
HOW UNHAPPY YOU ARE ALREADY. BUT I CAN CHANGE ALL THAT.
You can? How?
FORGIVE JOE. THEN I'LL FORGIVE YOU. THEN THE HATE AND SIN WILL BE JOE'S
PROBLEM AND NOT YOURS...YOU MAY LOSE THE MONEY, BUT YOU WILL SETTLE YOUR
HEART.
But Lord, I can't forgive Joe.
THEN I CAN'T FORGIVE YOU.
Oh, you're right! You always are. And more than I want revenge on Joe, I
want to be right with you.... All right! I forgive him. Help him to find the
right road in life, Lord. He's bound to be awfully miserable, now that I
think about it. Some way, somehow, show him the right way.
THERE NOW! HOW DO YOU FEEL?
Hmmmm ... not bad. Not bad at all, In fact I feel pretty great. You know, I
don't think I'll have to go to bed uptight tonight for the first time since
I can't remember. Maybe I won't be so tired from now on because I'm not
getting enough rest.
YOU'RE NOT THROUGH WITH YOUR PRAYER..GO ON.
Oh, all right.....And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

GOOD...GOOD. I'LL DO THAT. JUST DON'T PUT YOURSELF IN A PLACE WHERE YOU CAN
BE TEMPTED.
What do you mean by that?
QUIT HANGING AROUND THE WRONG PLACES, WATCHING INAPPROPRIATE MOVIES AND
TELEVISION, LISTENING TO SINFUL CONVERSATIONS; HANGING AROUND THE PLACES
WHERE PLAYBOY AND PLAYGIRL ARE SOLD. CHANGE SOME OF YOUR FRIENDSHIPS. SOME
OF YOUR SO-CALLED FRIENDS ARE BEGINNING TO GET TO YOU. THEY'LL HAVE YOU
COMPLETELY INVOLVED IN WRONG THINGS BEFORE LONG. DON'T BE FOOLED. THEY
ADVERTISE THEY'RE HAVING FUN, BUT FOR YOU IT WOULD BE RUIN. DON'T USE ME FOR
AN ESCAPE HATCH.
I don't understand.
SURE YOU DO, YOU'VE DONE IT ..... LOTS OF TIMES. YOU GET CAUGHT IN A BAD
SITUATION, YOU GET INTO TROUBLE AND THEN YOU COME RUNNING TO ME. "LORD, HELP
ME OUT OF THIS MESS, AND I PROMISE YOU I'LL NEVER DO IT AGAIN." YOU REMEMBER
SOME OF THOSE BARGAINS YOU TRIED TO MAKE WITH ME?
Yes, and I'm ashamed Lord. I really am.
WHICH BARGAINS ARE YOU REMEMBERING?
Well, when the guy next door saw me backing away from the neighborhood bar.
I told my wife I was going to the store. I remember telling you, "Lord don't
let him tell her where I've been. I promise I'll be in church every Sunday."

HE DIDN'T TELL YOUR WIFE, BUT YOU DIDN'T KEEP YOUR PROMISE, DID YOU?
I'm sorry Lord, I really am. Up until now I thought if I just prayed the
Lord's prayer everyday, then I could do what I liked. I didn't expect
anything to happen like it did.
GO AHEAD. FINISH YOUR PRAYER.
Oh yes....For Thine is the kingdom and the power, and the glory forever and
ever. Amen.
DO YOU KNOW WHAT WOULD BRING ME GLORY? WHAT WOULD MAKE ME REALLY HAPPY?
No, but I'd like to know. I want to please you. I can see what a mess I've
made out of my life, and I can see how great it would be to really be one of
your followers.
YOU JUST ANSWERED THE QUESTION.
I did?
YES, THE ONE THING THAT WOULD BRING ME GLORY IS TO HAVE PEOPLE LIKE YOU
TRULY LOVE ME. AND I CAN SEE THAT HAPPENING BETWEEN US. NOW THAT SOME OF
THESE OLD SINS ARE EXPOSED AND OUT OF THE WAY... WELL, THERE'S NO TELLING
WHAT WE CAN DO TOGETHER.
Lord, let's see what we can make of me, OK?
YES, LET'S SEE.........