The first half of the prayer gets us into God’s reality. “The first three petitions make us participants in the being and action of God,” notes Eugene Peterson.24 The pronouns tell the story—your name, your kingdom, your will. Your, your, your. The three concluding prepositions invite God to return the favor—to get his heavenly reality into us while our feet remain planted here on the ground. There’s an obvious shift in the pronouns. Give us, forgive us, lead us. Us, us, us. Peterson continues, “Prayer involves us deeply and responsibly in all the operations of God. Prayer also involves God
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