In front of the cross

Jesus taught us not to pray like the hypocrites (Mt 6:5). He explains that they celebrate themselves and appear in public so that other people see them as particularly pious and devout. The Lord’s Prayer, on the other hand, is simple, short and corresponds to Jesus’ message, with which he addressed the people of Israel (Mt 15:24). Nothing says that this refers to today’s congregation. This only arises much later. Jesus speaks to Israel about the promises to Israel (Rom 15:8) concerning a kingdom that had come near (Mt 4:17). The gospel that Jesus proclaimed at this time was the “gospel of the kingdom” (Mt 4:23). That is why He mentions the kingdom in the Lord’s Prayer (Mt 6:9-10). In the context of the time, it only could refer to something the Jewish listeners understood: The messianic kingdom that was awaited.

Nothing here spoke of death and resurrection, or of salvation by grace through faith in Jesus. Jesus’ prayer is given for a different situation than today. It seems somewhat incomprehensible that this prayer in particular is emphasized in many church services, while prayers that were written down after the resurrection are completely ignored.

After the resurrection

The New Testament shows a development. Before the cross is different from after the resurrection. Paul even points out that we (living after the resurrection) should no longer know Jesus as he lived in the flesh (2 Corinthians 5:16). This refers to the time of the Gospels. The situation had changed fundamentally. The proclamation, reality and outlook had changed. There came a church from all nations, the body of Christ, to which one belongs today as a Christian. This requires a different expectation than the one that once applied to Israel. With the resurrection as the basis and the announcement of a church from all nations, the proclamation from the time of the Gospels is no longer a topical issue. Of course, much good can be derived from the Gospels in a figurative sense, but from a textual point of view, it does not apply to today’s church.

In this new situation, we can ask ourselves how we pray today. Since Paul’s letters are of particular importance for the doctrine of the church, we can learn a lot from them. Paul wrote down prayers in several letters. These are particularly valuable because they are based on the reality and proclamation after the resurrection and have special relevance for the nations.

Pray like Paul

Do we now have to pray like Paul? This is a serious question for many people who are aware of the development in the New Testament. The custom of repeating Paul’s prayers is evidence of such an understanding. You look for the apostle’s words because you are aware of the change. It has rightly been recognized that the content of Paul’s prayers is particularly valuable for today. There are significant references here to God’s concerns for the church and for the shaping of today’s message. You can learn a lot from it.

But do we have to pray like Paul? Of course not. Paul mentioned his prayers in his letters because they had a function there. They are not a formula for orthodoxy or know-it-all attitude. Everyone prays according to what they themselves understand. God recognizes the heart of the one who prays. In addition, we ourselves have many different assumptions about prayer, so that some people make up a torrent of words and others remain silent. Paul once says that we do not even know what we should pray (Rom 8:26). The apostle also says that we should persevere in prayer (Romans 12:12). What we should pray for, however, is only vaguely hinted at.

Here is the task, if you are interested in answers: You can try to understand the biblical passages on “prayer” and “praying” especially in the letters of the apostle Paul. You can examine the biblical passages in context. This helps to build an understanding of prayers today. Tracing what Paul said and not mixing it with other statements gives a clear view of the apostle’s understanding.

You can also do something: you can use Paul’s prayers as a template, pray them and in this way understand what was important to him. At the same time, you can think about how you have prayed up to now, what words and expressions you use, and why this (perhaps) sounds different from Pauls words and ideas. You can discuss this with others. That is very instructive. In this way, we can come closer to the apostle’s understanding of faith. Not imitating his words, but discovering his attitude of faith and way of expression can help us to grasp the spiritual understanding he had.

“Be imitators of me, brothers, and watch out for those who walk as you have us for an example.”
Phil 3:17