The Prayer We Don't Pray

When it comes to saying biblical prayers, we’re fond of the Lord’s Prayer.

Some pray “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” also known as “the Jesus Prayer” (See Luke 17:11-13, Luke 18:9-14, and Luke 18:35-43).

And this weekend many congregations use David’s confession, Psalm 51, in their services as a prayer to encourage folks to get right with God.

And how can we forget The Prayer of Jabez which Bruce Wilkinson taught us (although many folks went out of their way to miss his point!)

But I can’t say I’ve ever heard anyone publicly pray this:

Two things I ask of you, O LORD;
do not refuse me before I die:
Keep falsehood and lies far from me;
give me neither poverty nor riches,
but give me only my daily bread.
Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you
and say, ‘Who is the LORD ?’
Or I may become poor and steal,
and so dishonor the name of my God.

-Proverbs 30:7-9

(In fact, I keep running into folks who don’t even know that this is in the Bible.)

What are you praying?

I originally posted this at MyChurch.org as The Prayer We Don’t Pray

Posted by email from Ferndale Tonight (posterous)