What Prayer May Not BE!
A prayer is not "telling God" what to do. God knows how to run the universe! We do not need to remind God of our needs or ask for things, nor do we need too for our friends and relatives. "Thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men." (Matthew 6:5) "And when you are praying, be not babbling like the pagans, for they are expecting that through the abundance of words that they will be heard. Thus, do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need, before you ask Him." (Matthew 6:7-8)
What Prayer May Be!
So, prayer may not be "telling God," but it may be listening to what God would tell us. The purpose of prayer is not to change God, but to change us. We can consciencely work with this inner intelligence or knowing to guide us in solving problems we face in life. "When thou prayest, enter into thy secret chamber, and shut thy door, and pray to thy Father who is in secret; and thy Father, who seeth in secret, shall reward thee in openness. (Matthew 6:6) This is why Jesus gave us this form of prayer. Prayer is our means of hearing or knowing the quiet gentle voice of the loving presence we call God. "I and my Father are one." (John 10:30) Or could the Aramaic biblical truth translation be, "I and my Father are in agreement."
(enter into thy secret chamber, and shut thy door, and pray to thy Father who is in secret) is not to be taken literaly, this is probably an Aramaic Idiom that implies setting your mind like a trap so you may catch the thoughts of God as explained above. Get still, within your mind, meditate, recieving from within ect..
Most biblical scholars believe the language Jesus spoke was Aramaic. The following is a literal translation of what we call the Lords Prayer Matthew 6:9-13. Jesus told them to pray this way. The short phrase "this way"means to pray "something like this" .
Our Father who is everywhere (heavens)
Let Your name be set apart.
Come Your Kingdom (counsel).
Let Your will (desire) be, as in the universe, also on earth.
Provide us needful bread from day to day.
And free us from our offenses, as also we have freed our offenders.
And do not let us enter into temptation, but separate us from error .
For belongs to You the kingdom, the power, and the song and the praise.
From all ages throughout all ages.
Amen (sealed in trust, truth, and faithfulness.)
Words in brackets are other possible synonyms, where there are not exact language translations
(bread or bread of life can also refer to Eternal Truth or the true and eternal teaching)
Translated from the Aramaic Peshitta text.
Source: Setting a trap for God - The Aramaic Prayer of Jesus Source: DR. Rocco A. Errico Semitic language expert and translator
Hear the Lords Prayer Sang in The Language that most Biblical scholars agree Jesus and the Disciples Spoke (Aramaic)
