[353FMG]

For a Christian, it should not be necessary to disect this prayer.

All he/she has to do is to accept that the Son of God taught the prayer when sinful men asked Him to teach them how to pray.

[Salvation]

a lot of people, however, reflect on it -- including some authors.

Following the Truth: Don’t Take The Our Father So Personally! [Catholic and Open]
Our Father
Introduction to the Perfect Prayer (Our Father...) [Catholic Caucus]
The Hidden and Mysterious Word in the Lord’s Prayer
The Our Father: More than Words, it is a Structure for the Spiritual life

Why the Our Father is a Pro-Life Prayer, Part 3
Why the Our Father is a Pro-life Prayer, Part 2
Why the Our Father is a Pro-life Prayer, Part 1
The Essentials of the Catholic Faith. Part Four: Lord, Teach Us To Pray, The Lord’s Prayer
The Essentials of the Catholic Faith, Part Four: Lord, Teach Us To Pray, The Invocation: Our Father, Who Art in Heaven”
The Essentials of the Catholic Faith, Part Four: Lord, Teach Us To Pray; First Petition: “Hallowed Be Thy Name”
The Essentials of the Catholic Faith, Part Four: Lord,Teach Us To Pray, Second Petition: “Thy Kingdom Come”
The Essentials of the Catholic Faith, Part Four: Lord, Teach Us To Pray, Third Petition: “Thy Will Be Done on Earth as It Is in Heaven"
The Essentials of the Catholic Faith, Part Four: Lord, Teach Us To Pray, Fourth Petition: “Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread"
The Essentials of the Catholic Faith, Part Four:Lord, Teach Us To Pray, Fifth Petition: “Forgive Us Our Trespasses As We Forgive Those Who Trespass Against Us”

The Essentials of the Catholic Faith, Part Four: Lord, Teach Us To Pray, Sixth Petition: “Lead Us Not into Temptation"
The Essentials of the Catholic Faith, Part Four: Lord, Teach Us To Pray, Seventh Petition: “Deliver Us from Evil. Amen”
Our Father and Hail Mary, sung in Syriac-Aramaic, the language of Jesus Christ
Our Father
Lord, Teach Us To Pray: The Lord’s Prayer [Ecumenical]
Ontario Premier's Plan to Scrap Lord's Prayer Backfires as Groundswell Grows in Opposition
The deity that won't stay dead
THY WILL BE DONE(Catholic/Orthodox Caucus meditaion St Peter Julian Eymard)
My Will v. Thy Will Be Done
The Our Father in the Catechesis of Teens

The Lord's Prayer
Lead Us Not into Temptation . . .
Our Father - In Heaven (Dr. Scott Hahn)
Praying in Jesus' Own Language
The Mass Explained
The 'Our Father': Appropriate gestures for prayer
The “Our Father” of “La Civiltà Cattolica” - (comparison to Muslim version)
Our Father
HOLDING HANDS AT THE OUR FATHER?
Our Father ... in Heaven

[jackterrier]

353FMG wrote:
“For a Christian, it should not be necessary to disect this prayer.
All he/she has to do is to accept that the Son of God taught the prayer when sinful men asked Him to teach them how to pray.”

Really? Where does it say that in Bible? The very first thing Christ does after the prayer is dissect it:

“For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” Mat 6:14-15

We are also instructed to not just “accept” Christ’s teaching, but to be prepared to give an answer to every man that asketh:
“But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear.” (1Pet 3:15)

Paul counsels his acolyte Timothy that “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness” (2Ti 3:16)

Doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction do not arise from passive acts of acceptance, but from an act of the Reason.

[boatbums]

Jesus said, “This, then, is how you should pray...”, not “Say this prayer...”. I think people forget that we should “pray without ceasing”, being always in a prayerful frame of mind, always mindful of the presence of our God with us. I don't think Jesus intended the example prayer He spoke to be quoted verbatim in a rote way. I believe our Heavenly Father prefers to hear what is on our hearts and talk to Him as if He was sitting across from us holding our hands - because He actually IS.

[Mrs. Don-o]

I think some people are called to "dissect" prayers (if by that we mean to examine them --- not to autopsy them!).

This may be a difference in temperament and/or training. Some people are just gifted with an analytical talent; some, maybe, with a talent for wordless contemplation; some, gifted yet another way? God made all kinds of temperaments and distributed all kinds of talents..

I do think we should "Love the Lord our God with all our minds." That would include analyzing the Lord's Prayer with both intelligence and love --- and that's what Gary Zimak has done here.

It helps me, as a matter of fact.