Christian Art | Prayer | King James Audio Bible | KJV
Luke 11: 1-4 – Week 27 Ordinary Time, Wednesday (King James Audio Bible KJV, Spoken Word)
1 AND it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.
2 And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.
3 Give us day by day our daily bread.
4 And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.
We are given different accounts of Jesus teaching his disciples the Lord’s Prayer, the Our Father, in today’s verses from the Gospel of Luke, and also in the Gospel of Matthew, during the Sermon on the Mount. Here the situation is quite different from that of Matthew. Jesus has been praying, seemingly apart, to his Father, and so it is after this that the disciples ask Jesus to teach them how to pray. This is unusual: prayer, especially of the psalms, would have been an integral part of these Jewish people’s daily routine. We are alerted to the Lord’s Prayer being an additional offering, an innovation of grace, and a further initiation for the Christian. The prayer furthermore reflects John the Baptist’s teaching of his disciples. Indeed, a perfectly reasonable translation of the Greek is to say that the disciples of Jesus are asking Jesus to teach them the very same prayer which John taught. We can only speculate as to the extent that Jesus ‘followed after’ John prior to beginning his ministry, during the course of his perfect humanity’s spiritual formation through the hidden years.
As Christians, we usually pray the version of the Lord’s Prayer given in Matthew. In Matthew’s Gospel, there are seven petitions. Here there are five. Both accounts are concerned to simplify prayer, to distil the form of words so as perfectly to capture the essentials of our true relationship with God. We confess and glorify God; we ask for the coming of the Kingdom, for holiness to triumph on Earth as in heaven; we ask for food to sustain us; we ask that we may be accepted and involved within an economy of universal forgiveness; and we ask that we may be protected from temptations of sin, from evil. As we make our petitions, we speak to God with the simplicity of a child addressing his father.
There has been much discussion of the rendering into English as ‘daily bread’ the Greek word epiousion. The word exists nowhere else that we know of, apart from in the Gospels of Mathew and Luke. The word appears to be a compound of epi and ousios. Epi means over, above, beyond, in addition to. Ousious refers to the substance of something. Therefore, putting these words together, we have something like supersubstantial, or super-essential. We have, perhaps, the Eucharist. We ask for the unfolding of supernatural reality within our daily, Earthly lives, along with basic sustenance. There is a certain sense of liminality as we gear our daily lives toward eternal reality, as, as Christians, we ask that our own little corner of the world may become among heaven’s outposts.
Concluding Prayer | Love Revealed By Jesus Christ
Lord, holy Father, faithful to your promise
you sent your Spirit
to bring together a people divided by sin.
Give us grace to foster unity and peace among men.
Through Christ our Lord.
King James Audio Bible | Endnotes
A Life Of Prayer | Saint Teresa Of Avila
Born in Spain in 1515, Saint Teresa of Avila devoted her life to prayer and contemplation, and her teachings on prayer and spiritual growth have had a profound impact on the Church and on Christian spirituality more broadly.
At the heart of Saint Teresa’s teachings on prayer is the idea that prayer is an intimate sharing between friends, a means of coming into closer communion with God. She believed that the soul is like a castle made of a single diamond, in which there are many rooms, each leading to a deeper level of spiritual intimacy with God. Saint Teresa’s most famous work, The Interior Castle, offers a detailed guide to the journey of prayer and spiritual growth, based on her own personal experiences and insights.
In The Interior Castle, Saint Teresa emphasizes the importance of perseverance, humility, and contemplative prayer in the spiritual journey. She writes that the journey of prayer begins in the first room of the castle, where the soul awakens to the reality of God’s presence and begins to seek Him with greater fervor. As the soul progresses through the castle, it encounters various obstacles and challenges that must be overcome through prayer, humility, and perseverance.
Saint Teresa describes the second room of the castle as the room of self-knowledge, where the soul comes to recognize its own sinfulness and need for God’s mercy. In this room, the soul learns to embrace humility and to seek God’s forgiveness through prayer and repentance.
The third room of the castle is the room of prayer, where the soul begins to experience a deeper sense of intimacy with God through contemplative prayer. Here, Saint Teresa emphasizes the importance of silence and stillness, as well as the need to let go of distractions and attachments in order to fully enter into God’s presence.
As the soul progresses through the castle, it encounters deeper levels of spiritual growth and transformation, culminating in the seventh room, where it experiences a profound sense of oneness with God and a deep understanding of His love and mercy. Saint Teresa writes that it is impossible for a soul not to come forth resplendent when it has been granted a vision of the great Majesty.
Saint Teresa’s teachings on prayer and spiritual growth continue to inspire and guide Christians today. Her emphasis on the importance of love, intimacy, and perseverance in seeking God is as relevant now as it was in her own time. As Saint Teresa wrote: ‘The important thing is not to think much but to love much; and so do that which best stirs you to love.’ Saint Teresa’s writings, including The Interior Castle, continue to offer valuable insights and guidance to anyone seeking to deepen their relationship with God through prayer and contemplation.
Here are some thoughts from Saint Teresa of Avila’s The Interior Castle:
- ‘The important thing is not to think much but to love much; and so do that which best stirs you to love.’
- ‘The soul, I see clearly, is like a castle made of a single diamond or crystal, and this diamond is in the shape of a square. […] Anyone who looked upon it would be dazzled and stupefied by the brilliance of this crystal.’
- ‘Mental prayer, in my opinion, is nothing else than an intimate sharing between friends; it means taking time frequently to be alone with Him who we know loves us.’
- ‘The devil knows well that a person who prays is lost to his temptations, so he tries to hinder the soul from beginning to pray.’
- ‘It is impossible for a soul not to come forth resplendent when it has been granted a vision of the great Majesty.’
Jesus does not change his message in order to please people, even when that message proves unpalatable. He has not come to be all things to all men, but instead to tell us the truth. It is up to us, through faith, to hear and to understand and to accept Jesus’ teachings, and to know that our salvation is through him [ … ]
The psalms, ancient anthology of religious poetry, offer a profound exploration into the human condition, spiritual longing, and divine transcendence. The psalms stand as testament to the enduring power of faith and expression across centuries and cultures [ … ]
Christian Art | Life Of Jesus In The Gospels | King James Audio Bible KJV The Gospel Of Saint John 14: 1-7 | King James Audio Bible YouTube: Connection With The Life Of Jesus In The Gospels | King James Audio Bible The Gospels are not just a collection of stories or teachings, but a window into the life of Jesus. By reading and reflecting on the Gospels, we gain a deeper understanding of who Jesus was and what he came to do. As we read the Gospels, we see that Jesus was a man of great compassion and love. Jesus showed mercy to the outcasts and the marginalized, and he offered healing and hope to those who were in need. He also taught with authority, challenging the religious leaders of his day and offering a new way of living based on love and service. But the Gospels are not just a history lesson. They are also an invitation for us to enter into a relationship with Jesus. By reading and meditating on the Gospels, we can come to know Jesus more personally and deeply. We can learn from his example and seek to follow in his footsteps. So we may be encouraged to read the Gospels, perhaps starting with the Gospel of Mark or the Gospel of John, as we read paying attention to how Jesus interacted with others and how he responded to different situations. We may ask ourselves what you can learn from his words and actions, and how we can apply them to our own lives. And as we read, we can allow ourselves to be drawn into a closer relationship with Jesus. There truly is an historical Jesus. May the Gospels be a source of guidance, inspiration, and transformation for us all. How Much In The Gospels Is Historical, And How Much Is Myth, Legend, Trope, Figurative Thinking? It is difficult to say with certainty how much of the Gospels is historical in the modern sense of the word and how much is myth, legend, trope, or figurative thinking. The Gospels were written some years after the events they describe, and they were written from the perspective of the early Christian community. This means that the Gospels may contain a mix of historical facts and interpretation, as well as elements of myth, legend, and figurative thinking. That being said, scholars believe that the Gospels contain a good deal of historical information. For example, the Gospels describe specific places and events, such as the places where Jesus preached and the events of his trial and Crucifixion. These details suggest that the writers of the Gospels had access to historical information and intended to provide an accurate account of what happened. On the other hand, the Gospels also contain elements that are not seen by all as historical, howsoever this goes to the root of the faith, such as the miracles performed by Jesus and the accounts of his resurrection. Some see these as legends or myths that were added to the Gospels to help convey the message of the early Christian community. The question of how much of the Gospels is historical and how much is myth, legend, or figurative thinking is complex. What is important is that we approach the Gospels with an open mind and a willingness to engage with the stories and teachings they contain. We are in the Gospels in conversation with God – and with the many people who have had such faith and conversations – as with the historical Jesus. Why Do The Gospels Say Were People Afraid Of Jesus? There are several reasons why people may have been afraid of Jesus, according to the Gospels. One reason is that Jesus was a powerful and charismatic figure who challenged the religious and political authorities of his time. He spoke out against corruption and injustice, and he called on people to repent and turn to God. This type of behaviour was seen as threatening by those in positions of power, and they may have been afraid of losing their influence or authority. Another reason is that Jesus performed many miracles, such as healing the sick and casting out demons. These miracles were seen as evidence of his divine power, and they may have made people afraid of him. Some people may have been afraid of being healed or possessed by Jesus, while others may have been afraid of what would happen if they did not believe in him. Finally, some people may have been afraid of Jesus because of the prophecies and expectations of the coming of a messiah. The Jews of Jesus’ time were looking for a saviour who would deliver them from oppression and establish a kingdom of God on earth. When Jesus arrived on the scene, he may have been seen as a threat to the status quo, and some people may have been afraid of what he might do. Might The Fear Be Related To The Fear Of God – The Injunction To Fear God? Yes, it is possible that the fear of Jesus mentioned in the Gospels may be related to the fear of God. In the Old Testament, the fear of God is often used to describe a deep reverence and awe for God, as well as a sense of humility and obedience in the face of his greatness. This fear of God is seen as a positive and necessary quality for a faithful believer, and it is often linked to the idea of fearing God’s punishment or judgement. In the New Testament, the fear of God is also mentioned, but it is often portrayed in a more positive light. For example, in the Gospel of Luke, Jesus tells his followers not to be afraid of those who can only kill the body, but to fear God, who can destroy both body and soul (Luke 12:4-5). This suggests that the fear of God is not just about punishment, but about a deep respect for […]