The Lord's Prayer- Aphesis Style
These words are paraphrases and sentences from material printed by Aphesis Group in the Untying the Knots of Your Heart class, which may be available in your area. This follows how Jesus taught his disciples to pray, with a thorough expansion on the depth of each statement. It's in first person, and my hope is you will use these words as a guide to your own daily prayer.
Our Father, who art in heaven. I acknowledge that you are my true Father. I picture myself as your child. You are my kind, generous, emotionally involved, compassionate, loyal and affectionate Father, and you want the best for me, you delight in my company, you want me to be in heaven with you forever. You are intimately involved with my life. You are the ultimate source of my reality, the definer of all my relationships. Only you have the position to help me sort through reality and you are my source of rich emotional strength. I smile as I imagine you as a Father. (Picture in your mind a dad running to meet his child, a dad lifting his child in his arms, or another healthy image of the father-child relationship). That's what you are like, Father. and...
Hallowed be Your name. Your name, your character, works, and reputation are very special to me, above all other names. I hold onto you, God, and your truth about who I am and what life is about, in higher regard than the family I grew up with, my current family relationships, or the culture I live in. You have the exclusive right to tell me who I am and what I am worth. Father, I value you above everyone else. I trust you, massively respect you, and hold you in the highest regard.
Your Kingdom come. Let your kingly authority be a reality for me in my daily living. Let your kingly authority reign over me. Let your authority as Ruler in heaven also be expressed in my daily experience on earth, therefore...
Your will be done. You are a good Father and King, and I am willing to accept your desires for my life. I deeply trust you. May your desire for my life, and for the people around me, and for your church, come to be. As your desires are fulfilled in heaven, let them be fulfilled in my life here. I am your daughter (or son) and I know you are a consistent, trustworthy, loving, affectionate, and caring Father. Your yoke is easy and your burden is light. You gave your only Son on my behalf. You have my ultimate best in mind. You will bring healing, character, and joy. I know that your will for my life is not just about "to-do's". Your will deals with who I am, my character, and what is true of me, more than what I do.
Give us this day our daily bread. You already know my needs before I ask, so I ask, Father, that you help me sort out what my needs really are. My anxieties are often wrapped up in my view of what I have or don't have, and what others do or don't do. I know you care about my anxiousness, and I pray for peace as I sort out my needs with you. Father, I'm worried about ______________. I have a specific request about ___________. I thank you that you are bigger than my problems, and I genuinely trust you and allow your peace to settle into my heart. I know you delight in the opportunity to reveal your presence through our prayers. I know that as you answer these prayers, I won't see it as chance or coincidence, but I will see it as you at work in my life through prayer.
Forgive us our debts, as we have forgiven our debtors. I pray you will enable me to sort out my daily relationships in light of how you have dealt with me. I thank you for the forgiveness you have given me through the cross of Christ. As your child, I am breathing in the air of forgiveness. Father, I repent of _______________. I know that forgiveness is one of your highest values, and I pray that the truth of this would integrate into my own life. I know you will enable me to deal with the chip on my shoulder due to unmet obligations in relationships. Help me forgive ____________ as you have forgiven me. Help me sort through this issue and bring peace to my soul. Help me actively extend to others the love and grace I have found in you.
And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. I ask, Father, to be rescued from Satan and his scheming. I pray you would make me aware of where he is trying to convince me to doubt your desires and will for my life. I know he will try to convince me you have no interest in my needs, try to cause divisions in relationships and in the church, and convince me that others are not worth forgiving. He tries to tell me I am worthless and reminds me of my wrongdoing, trying to render me powerless spiritually. He is directly battling me in the area of _________ and I ask to be strong in you and in the strength of your might. I pray that with other believers surrounding me, we would put on the whole armor of God, that we may be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. I pray for righteous- to do what you say is right. I pray for mental attentiveness on the Gospel- the good news of your love. I immerse myself in your truth, the Word of God, and salvation- I know I am saved. Give me alertness and perseverance to pray at all times in the Spirit,
For yours is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen. You are sovereign! You are in charge! You rule with all power and authority! These truths are good news. I trust in you and your ability to deal with my life issues. You are more than capable to take care of those who want to bring me harm, including enemies of the darkness. You are in a position to give me good counsel. I need to sort out ______________ with you, and need you to help me deal with ______________. I now pause, and listen for you to direct me as you will. __________________________________ I trust you, I love you. I pray that as I trust you, I will have every variety of joy, peace, and hope. I fully trust and fully realize that I am not alone. With great joy, I know that you are very present and watching over me, caring about what I feel, think, and do. You are a good Father and you are constantly here to help me sort through life's problems and share in my daily joys and burdens. Thank you. Amen.
Our Father, who art in heaven. I acknowledge that you are my true Father. I picture myself as your child. You are my kind, generous, emotionally involved, compassionate, loyal and affectionate Father, and you want the best for me, you delight in my company, you want me to be in heaven with you forever. You are intimately involved with my life. You are the ultimate source of my reality, the definer of all my relationships. Only you have the position to help me sort through reality and you are my source of rich emotional strength. I smile as I imagine you as a Father. (Picture in your mind a dad running to meet his child, a dad lifting his child in his arms, or another healthy image of the father-child relationship). That's what you are like, Father. and...
Hallowed be Your name. Your name, your character, works, and reputation are very special to me, above all other names. I hold onto you, God, and your truth about who I am and what life is about, in higher regard than the family I grew up with, my current family relationships, or the culture I live in. You have the exclusive right to tell me who I am and what I am worth. Father, I value you above everyone else. I trust you, massively respect you, and hold you in the highest regard.
Your Kingdom come. Let your kingly authority be a reality for me in my daily living. Let your kingly authority reign over me. Let your authority as Ruler in heaven also be expressed in my daily experience on earth, therefore...
Your will be done. You are a good Father and King, and I am willing to accept your desires for my life. I deeply trust you. May your desire for my life, and for the people around me, and for your church, come to be. As your desires are fulfilled in heaven, let them be fulfilled in my life here. I am your daughter (or son) and I know you are a consistent, trustworthy, loving, affectionate, and caring Father. Your yoke is easy and your burden is light. You gave your only Son on my behalf. You have my ultimate best in mind. You will bring healing, character, and joy. I know that your will for my life is not just about "to-do's". Your will deals with who I am, my character, and what is true of me, more than what I do.
Give us this day our daily bread. You already know my needs before I ask, so I ask, Father, that you help me sort out what my needs really are. My anxieties are often wrapped up in my view of what I have or don't have, and what others do or don't do. I know you care about my anxiousness, and I pray for peace as I sort out my needs with you. Father, I'm worried about ______________. I have a specific request about ___________. I thank you that you are bigger than my problems, and I genuinely trust you and allow your peace to settle into my heart. I know you delight in the opportunity to reveal your presence through our prayers. I know that as you answer these prayers, I won't see it as chance or coincidence, but I will see it as you at work in my life through prayer.
Forgive us our debts, as we have forgiven our debtors. I pray you will enable me to sort out my daily relationships in light of how you have dealt with me. I thank you for the forgiveness you have given me through the cross of Christ. As your child, I am breathing in the air of forgiveness. Father, I repent of _______________. I know that forgiveness is one of your highest values, and I pray that the truth of this would integrate into my own life. I know you will enable me to deal with the chip on my shoulder due to unmet obligations in relationships. Help me forgive ____________ as you have forgiven me. Help me sort through this issue and bring peace to my soul. Help me actively extend to others the love and grace I have found in you.
And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. I ask, Father, to be rescued from Satan and his scheming. I pray you would make me aware of where he is trying to convince me to doubt your desires and will for my life. I know he will try to convince me you have no interest in my needs, try to cause divisions in relationships and in the church, and convince me that others are not worth forgiving. He tries to tell me I am worthless and reminds me of my wrongdoing, trying to render me powerless spiritually. He is directly battling me in the area of _________ and I ask to be strong in you and in the strength of your might. I pray that with other believers surrounding me, we would put on the whole armor of God, that we may be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. I pray for righteous- to do what you say is right. I pray for mental attentiveness on the Gospel- the good news of your love. I immerse myself in your truth, the Word of God, and salvation- I know I am saved. Give me alertness and perseverance to pray at all times in the Spirit,
For yours is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen. You are sovereign! You are in charge! You rule with all power and authority! These truths are good news. I trust in you and your ability to deal with my life issues. You are more than capable to take care of those who want to bring me harm, including enemies of the darkness. You are in a position to give me good counsel. I need to sort out ______________ with you, and need you to help me deal with ______________. I now pause, and listen for you to direct me as you will. __________________________________ I trust you, I love you. I pray that as I trust you, I will have every variety of joy, peace, and hope. I fully trust and fully realize that I am not alone. With great joy, I know that you are very present and watching over me, caring about what I feel, think, and do. You are a good Father and you are constantly here to help me sort through life's problems and share in my daily joys and burdens. Thank you. Amen.
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