For fun and to say at night with my daughter and the rest of the family, I’ve been practicing the Lord’s Prayer in Amharic. Finding a recording and a transliteration wasn’t too difficult, but I wanted to know what the words meant literally. My best effort is this. In addition to the word order being somewhat ambiguous, some of the grammar is beyond my comprehension. One of the most effective tools God has given us is prayer, and as we look toward 2023, I think it’s more crucial than ever for God’s people to be pleading with God. However, learning how to pray is not always simple. The same perplexity gripped Jesus’ followers. They were accustomed to the frequently recited prayers found in the Torah. They had never witnessed Jesus pray with such authority and power before, though. Every conversation starts by addressing the person you are speaking to by name. Prayer is no different. “Our Father in heaven,” says Jesus at the outset. He concentrates on a particular individual, his Heavenly Father, with whom he is personally connected. We all have the same privilege of addressing God as “Father,” and there are occasions when we need to communicate with our Abba Father, Daddy God. God, however, is actually triune, consisting of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The best way to start a conversation is with a sincere thank you. Like any father, God enjoys seeing our hearts of gratitude. But more importantly, as we take the time to thank God for everything He has done in the past—the prayers that have been answered, the impossible challenges that He has overcome, the healings, and His grace—our faith in Him to grant even greater answers to our prayers becomes stronger and more assured.
