Gospel of Matthew 6: 9 – 13, (Holy Bible, New Living Translation)

Pray like this: Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. May your kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us today the food we need, and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us. And don't let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one.

Jesus was instructing the disciples about many things in his earthly ministry, this particular time about the right way to pray. He warned about excessive words and babbling on. He also guarded against hypocrisy and showy displays. He instructed them that the Father knows before we even begin to speak. Sometimes the Holy Spirit groans within us when we cannot find the right words for prayer. There are times for all of us, ministers and chaplains included, when it seems like our prayers aren't being answered or maybe even heard. It is as if they are bouncing back off the ceiling back at us. Or, difficult times leave us without adequate words to voice our frustration and cares. When all else fails, follow the directions. The Lord's Prayer, as it is commonly called, is a simple and easy prayer to memorize, in whatever version you prefer, and can be prayed quietly, simply, easily, in whatever situation you might find yourself. There are other prayers that are simple and easy to remember. The Orthodox Church uses something called the Jesus Prayer. It is tied to the Apostle Paul's injunction to pray without ceasing. It goes like this: Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner. It is sometimes spoken out loud, sometimes chanted, sometimes said silently in tune with our breathing in and breathing out. There is a wonderful short book written by an anonymous Russian peasant about this prayer, the book is titled, The Way of a Pilgrim and a sequel to it has been added called The Pilgrim Continues His Way. Even though we are not living in this same time and place, we can gain insight from others who have gone before us. What prayers give you comfort?

Another of my favorites for its simplicity and universal scope of meaning is the Serenity Prayer. The simplest form of it reads like this:

God, grant me the Serenity to accept the things I cannot change, Courage to change the things I can, and the Wisdom to know the difference.

As we embrace the New Year, may all of us increase our prayer life, read the Bible for understanding, and find common ground to follow Jesus' vision of caring for the poor and vulnerable in our place and in our time. Amen.