9 “This, then, is how you should pray:“‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, 10 your kingdom come, your will be done,     on earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us today our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts,     as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation,     but deliver us from the evil one.’REFLECTIONSWritten by Thuy-Anh HaAfter criticising those who pray wordy and long-winded prayers in order to impress God and others, Jesus teaches us to present six requests to God, known as the Lord’s Prayer. Though short and succinct, it is jam-packed, profound and quite challenging to pray. Regretfully, I have recited this prayer on auto-pilot on countless occasions, not fully grasping its depth and meaning each time. Let’s pay closer attention to what we are actually praying. We are invited to pray to God as our Father. We can relate to our gracious yet all powerful God as adopted sons and daughters through the work of Jesus. What an undeserved privilege to speak to Him personally as his children.The first set of requests focus on longing for God’s glory and kingdom. We ask that God “hallows” his own name - making His character and reputation known and treated with the highest respect. We pray for God’s kingdom under Jesus’ rule and his purposes to be fulfilled in our lives and in the world. This might cause radical changes in our own lives as God brings about his kingdom and honour to His name. I definitely need to take to heart the magnitude and awe of this request. The second half directs us to request things for ourselves in light of the coming kingdom. We are to entrust our physical and spiritual needs to Him who provides. We can confidently ask for forgiveness based on Jesus’ righteousness as we continue to falter and fail in this life. Finally, we can ask for protection from temptation and sin as we respond to life’s circumstances. How I often ask God to take away my trials when I should be asking for help to overcome temptation that may arise from it! This prayer has challenged me to reorient my priorities and gear my heart towards godly eternal things. Will you let your concerns and yearnings be shaped by Jesus’ priorities when you pray too? May this be the basis of all our prayers as we walk through many of life’s seasons, looking forward to His coming kingdom. ABOUT THE AUTHORThuy-Anh is part of our Fairfield Morning Church. She loves all things cheese and being a mum to her two boys.