Prayer is one of the oldest expressions of faith.
It may begin in gratitude, need, sorrow, awe, repentance, or silence. But beneath all of these is a single movement: the human soul turning toward God.
For Cornerstone 1131, prayer is not an escape from Reality. It is a way of entering Reality more deeply.
Prayer reminds us who God is, who we are, and how we are called to live.
Two prayers stand at the center of this page: the Shema, rooted in the faith of Israel, and the prayer Jesus taught His disciples—the Our Father.
Together they speak of devotion, identity, dependence, forgiveness, obedience, and the Kingdom of God.
The Shema
“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:
And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.”
Deuteronomy 6:4–5, KJV
The Shema begins with a command to hear.
Before speaking, before acting, before asking, the worshipper listens.
Hear.
There is one God.
Love Him with the whole person.
Heart.
Soul.
Strength.
This is not partial devotion. It is an alignment of the entire life toward God.
The Shema gives prayer a foundation: God is first.
The mind turns toward Him.
The heart turns toward Him.
The will turns toward Him.
And from that devotion, life is meant to be ordered.
The Our Father
Jesus taught His disciples:
“Our Father which art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done in earth,
as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
as we forgive our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil:
For thine is the kingdom,
and the power,
and the glory,
for ever.
Amen.”
Matthew 6:9–13, KJV
The prayer begins not with ourselves, but with God.
Our Father.
His Name.
His Kingdom.
His Will.
Only then do we come to our needs.
Bread.
Forgiveness.
Guidance.
Deliverance.
This order matters.
Prayer is not simply asking God to enter our plans.
It is allowing our lives to be brought into alignment with His.
The prayer also makes faith communal.
Jesus does not teach us to say only “my Father” or “give me.”
He teaches:
Our Father.
Give us.
Forgive us.
Lead us.
Deliver us.
Prayer places the individual inside a larger family.
It reminds us that our relationship with God cannot be separated from our relationship with one another.
From Hearing to Living
The Shema says:
Hear.
Love God with all that you are.
The Our Father says:
Hallow His Name.
Seek His Kingdom.
Desire His Will.
Depend upon Him.
Forgive.
Resist evil.
Trust His power.
One prayer rises from the covenant faith of Israel.
The other is taught by Jesus within that same sacred history.
They are not identical, but they belong to the same movement of devotion: turning the whole person toward God and allowing that devotion to shape the way we live.
Prayer and the Human Journey
Prayer does not remove every question.
It does not eliminate suffering.
It does not prevent every loss.
Prayer does something deeper.
It keeps the soul oriented.
When Reality is difficult, prayer says:
Turn toward God.
When Fear speaks loudly:
Turn toward God.
When we do not know what to do:
Turn toward God.
When we have received something good:
Turn toward God.
When we need forgiveness:
Turn toward God.
When we are called to forgive:
Turn toward God.
Prayer keeps the Source before us.
A Simple Beginning
You do not need perfect words to pray.
Begin by listening.
Remember who God is.
Speak truthfully.
Give thanks.
Ask for what you need.
Confess what needs to be confessed.
Forgive where you are able.
Seek His Will.
And remain.
The Shema teaches us to love God with the whole person.
The Our Father teaches us to place the whole life before Him.
Prayer is where that turning begins.
God Bless the Reading of the Word
Before Scripture is read, there is a simple prayer that can prepare the heart:
“God bless the reading of the Word.”
It is a small sentence, but it carries a deep request. We are asking God not only to let us hear the words, but to receive them rightly—to understand, to be corrected, to be comforted, and to be changed.
Reading Scripture is more than gathering information. It is an act of attention before God.
So we may pray:
Father, bless the reading of Your Word.
Open our ears to hear.
Open our minds to understand.
Open our hearts to receive what is true.
Where we need correction, give us humility.
Where we need comfort, give us peace.
Where we need courage, strengthen us.
Where we need to change, help us obey.
Let Your Word take root in us and bear fruit in the way we live.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.