Armodoxy for Today: 10x One Minutes on the Lord’s Prayer, Number 2 – Our Father
Jesus sets the tone for his prayer, with the first words. This is a conversation with God, but He is not overwhelming. He is “Our Father.” He is approachable. He is father, that is, one who cares, and is responsible to share His love with us. He is father, who embraces us in our pain and hurt and smiles with us in the beauty we absorb. He shares our joys and suffers with us in times of distress.
Furthermore, He is our Father, not my father, not your father, but our father. As such He is the God of all. There are no favorite children, we are all his children. He is the Father who distributes His love equally among all His children. And we therefore understand, that every war is a civil war, because the argument and misunderstanding is between us and with a brother or sister, for we all share the same father. The first two words of the prayer set the address of who we are talking with. Our Father.
This is the second of 10, one minute for Summertime.
Armodoxy for Today: 10x One Minutes on the Lord’s Prayer, Number 1
Wars, threats of wars, floods, disasters, shootings, and the response to these tragedies seems to be a standard: Pray! Newscasters tell us, “We keep them (the victims) in our thoughts and prayers.” While thought we understand, our idea of prayer ranges from a shopping list of wants to put before God to a quiet meditation on the tragedy.
In his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus instructs us with the words, “When you are praying, do not heap up empty phrases… for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. Pray then in this way:
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come.
Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And do not bring us to the time of trial, but rescue us from the evil one.
Each word in this prayer is a power-word making the entire prayer meaningful and effective. Over the next few days we will look at each phrase and its meaning for the Christian today.
This is the first of 10, one minute for Summertime.
Armodoxy for Today: The Conditions of Prayer – Day 30 of Lent
Much of your life has changed during this Lenten season and these past few days your prayer life has matured. Your prayers become calls to action, to realize the dreams that are set deep in your heart and not the desires based on the whims of today.
The model of the Lord’s Prayer, the “Our Father” is the quintessential prayer, because of its author and because of the make up of the prayer. It focuses on everything that is necessary for us. Including a condition statement.
We ask for God’s forgiveness to the extent that we forgive others. “Forgive us our trespasses” we say, “as we forgive those who trespass against us.” To receive forgiveness from our Father, we have to forgive others. If we partially forgive, we are then partially forgiven. If we forgive completely, we can expect the same forgiveness of our sins.
Forgiveness is such important part of prayer life that Jesus repeats this condition after giving us the Lord’s prayer. You’ll find in the verses that follow immediately Jesus explaining, “For if you forgive other people for their offenses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.But if you do not forgive other people, then your Father will not forgive your offenses.” (Matthew 6:14-15)
The effectiveness of the prayer is based on you being of clean heart. For this reason forgiveness is directly associated in the instruction to pray. Even more specifically, Jesus instructs us that, …Whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. Therefore, I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them. “And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses.” (Mark 11:23-26)
Prayer is effective from a clean heart, one which has been wiped of sin. Herein we learn that the cleanliness of heart begins with us forgiving others.
The act of charity today is to forgive, plain and simple. Anyone who has hurt you, needs to be forgiven today, before you move forward. Fast from anger.
Treat yourself to Rice Dessert with Cherries, today’s recipe found below.
We pray, Lord, help me to forgive. I open myself up to you. You have forgiven me not only seven times, but seventy seven times seven times. Now, instill in me a heart that will move forward with forgiveness so that my prayers have meaning. Amen.
https://epostle.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Pismo-e1742486505396.jpg8441125Vazken Movsesianhttps://epostle.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/final_logo_large_for_epostle_web-300x189.pngVazken Movsesian2025-04-01 00:01:492025-04-01 21:35:21The Conditions of Prayer – Day 30 of 40
Armodoxy for Today – Sorting our Prayers – Day 28 of Lent
Of the Lenten Sundays, three of them are named after parables which spotlight questionable characters. During the last two Sundays we met the Prodigal Son and the Dishonest Steward. Completing the trilogy of Parables-Sundays is the dedication for this 28th day of Lent to the Unrighteous Judge. All three parables come to us from our Lord and are found in the Gospel of Luke, chapter 16, 17 & 18, respectively.
The Unrighteous Judge is a man who, as Jesus explains, did not fear anyone – not even God, nor was he ashamed of any person. In the town where he served as judge a widow kept coming to him and pleading with him, begging that he hear her case. For some time he refused, but finally he said to himself, “Even though I don’t fear God, nor do I care about men, but because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice so she won’t eventually wear me out!” Jesus concludes his parable with an interesting statement. He says, “Listen to what the unjust judge says and will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones who cry out to him day and night. Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, He will see that they get justice, and quickly.”
Indeed, this is an odd story at least on the surface. At first reading you might think that Jesus compares God to this unrighteous, unjust judge. Following that parallel you’re inclined to think that God can be worn out or worn down. It is as if we continue to pray repeatedly, God will eventually say yes to our needs and to our desires. So keep praying, keep being persistent. Persevere like the old lady! And in the end God will be tired of hearing you and will change His mind! Yes, it is odd, and perhaps it is for that reason why the evangelist St. Luke, writes a few words of explanation as a preface to the parable. He says, “Jesus told His disciples this parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.” St. Luke’s narrative suggests that during his time, as is the case today, there is a misconception about the nature of prayer.
When Jesus teaches us the “Lord’s Prayer” he warns, “Do not heap up extra words. Your heavenly Father already knows what you need. Therefore when you pray, pray like this. Our Father, which art in heaven … ” Let’s think about that for a moment. If our Heavenly Father knows what we need, why then should we pray? This question betrays the fact that we have a misunderstanding about prayer.
Prayer is not merely a conversation with God. We pray because we need a conversation with ourselves. God already knows the desires of our heart. He knows our needs and as a loving father, wants the best for us. The real question is, do we know our needs? It may sound strange, but unless you have a true focus on your life, it is questionable whether or not you know what your needs are. Hence, we have the Lenten Season, annually, to realign ourselves with God and ourselves.
The act of charity today is to extend yourself to someone in obvious need, a patient in the hospital, a person on the street, a bereaved friend. Without being intrusive and without asking them, can you understand what their needs are? Fast from shopping list types of prayers.
Try Broiled Lemon-garlic Mushroom for tonight’s Lenten meal with the recipe below.
We pray, Lord our God, you know our needs and our wants better than we do. Open my heart to Your Love so that I may trust that You are in charge. Amen.
Armodoxy for Today: The Advent Series – The Our Father
We are at the halfway mark of our Advent Journey. Jesus’ voice is now heard teaching us the manner in which to practice our faith. He cautions us to avoid hypocrisy by being sincere in our motives. Today he teaches us to pray concisely.
In this manner, therefore, 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 this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
As we forgive our debtors.
And do not lead us into temptation,
But deliver us from the evil one.
For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
This prayer which is often referred to as the “Lord’s Prayer” is more appropriately titled “The Our Father” for, in fact, the novelty of the prayer is in its reference to God as “Our Father.” Jesus defines an intimate relationship with God. Henceforth, he instructs us to refer to God, and therefore understand God, as “Father.” This was revolutionary in his time and even more revolutionary today. The distance between God and man has been shortened. God is love and as Our Father has an infinite capacity to love and care for us.
In this prayer, we acknowledge the holiness of our Father and the sacredness of his name. We understand ourselves as participants in the Kingdom by being the functionary – the means by which His Will is done on earth (just as it is in heaven.)
We request of our Father our daily bread, the forgiveness of our sins and the deliverance from evil.
For today we conclude with a prayer that comes from the Armenian Church’s Divine Liturgy, God of truth and Father of mercies, we thank you, who has exalted our nature, condemned as we were, above that of the blessed patriarchs, for you were called God by them, whereas in pity, you have been pleased to be named Father by us. We forever thank you. Amen.
Jesus’ statement regarding worry seems childish, naïve and, well, unrealistic. What does it mean don’t worry about tomorrow? In a world that’s defined by long-term strategies, investments, and future payouts, the idea of living for today is absurd. With homelessness on the rise in every major metropolitan city, the idea of not worrying about what to eat, drink or clothing seems to contribute to the ever-growing problem.
At the beginning of this Advent journey, I suggested that you keep a journal of your travel toward Theophany. Reflect on the earlier teachings from the Sermon on the Mount. This statement on trusting our Heavenly Father is merely the logical follow up and conclusion to what Jesus taught earlier. Yes, if God feeds the birds of the air and clothes the flowers of the field which today are and tomorrow are gone, how much more will he take care of you?
But there is more to this than just not worrying. Anxiety, and the fear that causes it, are the opposites of faith. Fear is the biggest obstacle to your living a productive life. Fear is the opposite of faith. If you have faith you have trust. If you have trust then you diminish the power of anxiety because you completely submit to God. Of course, this all comes together when applied on the foundation established by Jesus earlier in the Sermon on the Mount. For instance, understanding that true treasures are not those on earth or discovering the true blessing in humility, these are the foundations upon which you escape the worry and the fear of this world.
Trusting God means to completely submit to His will. It means to allow God to be Father and for you to be His child. It means to enjoy the life that He gives you, to fly with the birds and to be clothed like the lilies of the field. Remember, in the old covenant God was known as Lord, but Jesus set up a new relationship, unlike any other, so that we dare to call God, “Father.” And not only my Father or your Father, but Our Father who art in heaven… Believe He is our Father. He takes care of every single part and aspect of the universe.
Certainly, you will always have fears and apprehensions of tomorrow, but you need to diminish them and the only way, the only cure for that is faith. To strengthen your faith, to really look at the examples that He gives us, look also at all of the examples that are plainly around you. Alongside the birds of the air and the lilies of the fields are the simple smiles of your children, the warm embraces of your loved ones, the monumental signs of the mountains, the crashing waves, the moon and stars, each of them telling you, as Albert Einstein says, “God does not play dice with the universe.” Life has not haphazardly been caused by an accident. God loves us and takes care of us.
Today we pray Psalm 37 (vs 3-5), Trust in the Lord, and do good, dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness. Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass. Amen
In the “Our Father” there are very few requests we have of God. We ask for our daily bread, forgiveness of our sins, to be spared from temptation and ultimately from evil. It’s a short list with huge demands. Of these, the forgiveness of sin stands out from all others because it is the only request that is conditional. As Jesus teaches the prayer, the words he uses are “Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.”
Our debts, or sins, are forgiven by the same standard upon which we forgive the debts, or sins, of others! In fact, this is such an important aspect of the Our Father prayer, that Jesus reinforces it with a statement following the prayer in verses 6:14-15: “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”
Our sins are forgiven as we forgive others their sins. Forgive a person only half of their debt, be certain that God will forgive only half of your debts, or sins.
More important than figuring out percentages of sins and fractions of forgiveness, Jesus is asking us to take responsibility for harmony in the world.
The greatest obstacle to living a good, meaningful and fulfilling life is our sin. In the Church we define seven “deadly” sins: Pride, Anger, Envy, Greed, Lust, Gluttony and Sloth. Today, take a moment to identify the reasons and obstacles to living a godly, good life. You’ll find that one or several of these noted sins are at the root of your difficulties. You have it within you to be forgiven of your sins. The condition is singular, forgive others. In other words, Jesus asks us to live in harmony with everyone.
There is no one who does not sin. Only Jesus is sinless. As such, only Jesus has the right to judge others, but he chooses not to. Now the turn is our. Forgive.
Let us 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 this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
As we forgive our debtors.
And do not lead us into temptation,
But deliver us from the evil one.
For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
https://epostle.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Day-27-cover.jpg7571135Vazken Movsesianhttps://epostle.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/final_logo_large_for_epostle_web-300x189.pngVazken Movsesian2023-12-16 00:01:322023-12-15 22:54:16Advent 27-50: The Forgiveness Imperative
We are at the halfway mark of our Advent Journey. Jesus’ voice is now heard teaching us the manner in which to practice our faith. He cautions us to avoid hypocrisy by being sincere in our motives. Today he teaches us to pray concisely.
In this manner, therefore, 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 this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
As we forgive our debtors.
And do not lead us into temptation,
But deliver us from the evil one.
For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
This prayer which is often referred to as the “Lord’s Prayer” is more appropriately titled “The Our Father” for, in fact, the novelty of the prayer is in its reference to God as “Our Father.” Jesus defines an intimate relationship with God. Henceforth, he instructs us to refer to God, and therefore understand God, as “Father.” This was revolutionary in his time and even more revolutionary today. The distance between God and man has been shortened. God is love and as Our Father has an infinite capacity to love and care for us.
In this prayer, we acknowledge the holiness of our Father and the sacredness of his name. We understand ourselves as participants in the Kingdom by being the functionary – the means by which His Will is done on earth (just as it is in heaven.)
We request of our Father our daily bread, the forgiveness of our sins and the deliverance from evil.
For today we conclude with a prayer that comes from the Armenian Church’s Divine Liturgy, God of truth and Father of mercies, we thank you, who has exalted our nature, condemned as we were, above that of the blessed patriarchs, for you were called God by them, whereas in pity, you have been pleased to be named Father by us. We forever thank you. Amen.
https://epostle.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Our-Father.jpg576961Vazken Movsesianhttps://epostle.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/final_logo_large_for_epostle_web-300x189.pngVazken Movsesian2023-12-15 00:01:262023-12-15 13:20:38Advent 26-50: Our Father
