There is only one thing found in the Gospels which the Apostles asked the Lord to teach them, and that is to pray. We read if this first in Matthew six, and then in Luke 11.1-4: One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, ‘Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.’

The very thought that Jesus told them how to pray took on a luster of its very own, and in the life of the Church the OUR FATHER was born. This is one of the first prayers someone learns upon entry into the community of faith. Even non-believers know the Lord’s Prayer simply because it is held to be the basis of all prayer.

There is, however, a problem here. The prayer in Matthew is different from the prayer in Luke: He said to them, ‘when you pray, say: ‘Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread. Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation.’’ Is it possible to reconcile this discrepancy in our prayerful thinking? Is one Gospel wrong?

Beloved, Jesus gave the Apostles the principles of all prayer in each instance. These are: recognize the Father; own his authority; own his kingdom; know him as your only source; receive his forgiveness; pass on that forgiveness; and follow him into the future. Everything else is an enlargement on the basics of prayer. BE ONE WHO PRAYS!