The Lord's Prayer

But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. Matthew 6:6

The man began to recite the Lord's Prayer: the model prayer, the masterful prayer, the quintessential Christian prayer. "Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name..." And the words taught to us by Jesus Christ flowed like the notes of an organ through its vibrant pipes. Time and again, over seventy-two endless hours, David Nymann, an Alaskan mountaineer, recited that comforting prayer as frigid winds of 130 kilometers per hour battered Mount Johnson. His friend, James Sweeney, lay beside him with both legs broken, unable to move.

Death loomed over both of them, from the cold and from hunger. Finally, a helicopter spotted them and rescued them. The prayer had been, for both men, warmth, water, and sustenance during those three days. Even the toughest men, when faced with difficulties, open their lips to offer a prayer. Nymann and Sweeney, athletes who wanted to climb Mount Johnson in Alaska, suffered a fall. Sweeney broke both legs, and Nymann was severely injured. Both saw death approaching. But the constant recitation of the Lord's Prayer kept them awake, and the mighty force of hope helped them endure the ordeal.

Prayer is the only force capable of uniting humanity on Earth with God in heaven. When Jesus taught his disciples to pray, he said, "You should pray like this: 'Our Father who art in heaven...'" (Matthew 6:9). Jesus taught that God is the Father of all humanity. When we feel that God is our Father, and when we open our lips in sincere prayer, God the Father comes to our aid. God wants to be the Father of all. So why is it that many prayers go unanswered? Perhaps it is because we have not previously established a relationship with God. We want His help instantly without having formed a friendship with Him. God wants to help us, but to receive His help, we must be in continuous contact with Him.

Let us, therefore, establish that communication with our Creator and Savior. The first prayer He hears is, "Have mercy on me, a sinner!" (Luke 18:13). This acknowledgment, along with the plea for forgiveness of our sins, establishes the connection. Let us give our lives to Christ, the divine Savior. He wants to be our Lord. Let us submit to His lordship, and surely He will hear our prayers.