The Lord's Prayer - On earth as it is in heaven

Intro...

For the last year or two, I've been trying to pattern my morning prayers after the Lord's Prayer.  I find that the structure allows me to be more consistent (if sometimes somewhat repetitive at times) in the discipline of prayer.  I've realized that there's nothing wrong with being consistent and somewhat repetitive.  Jesus related in his parable about the persistent widow who kept asking for the same thing over and over until she got it.  Here's a link to previous posts about this: 

Part 1 - Our Father...  
Part 2 - Your kingdom come, Your will be done... 
Part 3 - On earth as it is in heaven.... is below
Part 4 - Give us this day...
Part 5 - Forgive us our sins...  
Part 6 - Lead us not... But deliver us...

I had been stalled for some time writing this post (like almost a year).  Originally I was going to write a bit about what happened in the books of Job and Daniel.  In the book of Job, we see a discussion in heaven having a pretty significant influence in the life of Job on the earth.  Job is unaware of what happened in heaven to precipitate his situation on earth.  Daniel does a lot of praying throughout the course of the book that bears his name.  He gets insight into why some of his prayers aren't answered immediately, which is eye opening (in a sense, pun not originally intended) as that insight wouldn't 'normally' be seen.

Seeing what isn't seen, hearing what isn't spoken

A couple of questions come to my mind when I think about '...on earth as it is in heaven':

• How do I know what is going on in heaven?  
• Do I need to know what is going on in heaven?

Thinking about all of this (for some time), two verses came to mind:

So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.  2 Cor 4:18 (frankly that whole chapter)

As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. Isaiah 55:9 (and that whole chapter too)

Considering these scriptures, I ask myself how I can be involved in God's kingdom coming and His will being done in this here and now.  It seems to me I need to try and remember to ask God to help me see what isn't seen, and hear was isn't spoken.  To see and hear 'beyond', if that makes sense.

Mary

As I'm writing this today its Dec 26, just after Christmas, so the Christmas story/history is still on my mind.  One person that get's 'passed over' in considering their influence on the whole 'on earth as it is in heaven' equation is Mary, the mother of Jesus.  Without her, Jesus doesn't get born, and God's kingdom doesn't come here on the earth.  There is not a lot said about her in the Bible.  However, her attitude and response to the angel when she's told the news of how she's going to become Jesus' Mom is telling...

Mary said, “I am the Lord’s servant, and I am willing to do whatever he wants. May everything you said come true.” And then the angel disappeared.  Luke 1:38

Having a baby without yet being married was going to put her in a very awkward situation - with her family, and with her future husband.  She does not mention any of these concerns to the angel.  As a young female in that culture, she wouldn't have had easy access to scripture or biblical/theological training.  Yet somehow, she managed to cultivate an attitude that God found very favourable.  That attitude of humility, meekness, and submission to God and his plan is clearly evident in her response above.

Image by Catherine Stockinger from Pixabay 
A lamb - meek and humble

Submit Yourselves to God....

This train of thought reminds me of a significant omission I had been making recently in remembering a scripture.  I ask God to help me be conscious of His presence throughout my day, and I had included the verse from James, 'Resist the devil and he will flee.  Draw near to God and he will draw near to you.'  After several months of this, I got a reminder (indirectly from a friend's post on instagram - thanks @paulmoores) that the full verse is 'Submit yourselves to God, resist the devil and he will flee. Draw near to God and he will draw near to you.'  James 4:7-8.  The Message put it another way:

So let God work his will in you. Yell a loud no to the Devil and watch him make himself scarce. Say a quiet yes to God and he’ll be there in no time.

Dear God, please help me to humbly make myself available to do Your will.

The Names of God - 'God of all Comfort'

The God of All Comfort

Why am I writing about the names of God? 
When Jesus told his disciples that he was leaving this earth, they were dismayed.  He responded by saying that God would send the Holy Spirit (translated from Greek paraklētos comforter). John 14:26.

The Apostle Paul wrote about this in 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.

Ewa (my wife) had both of her parents pass away in 2024, a little over 6 months apart.  They were married for 62 years!  We were able to make it to Poland for her Mom's funeral in the spring.  However, we couldn't make it to her Dad's funeral in the fall.  After their passing, she felt God comforting her through several experiences...  

Google Maps!?

Two days after Ewa's Dad passed away, Ewa was thoughtfully browsing through the streets of her parents' home town in Poland on Google Maps.  As she was exploring and reminiscing, zooming in and out of street shots - surprise!!  She discovered that the Google Map Car had caught her and her Mom out walking together, close to the centre of town!  Apparently, the last time that Google had been through the town was fall 2013, the same year she was there visiting her parents while her father was recovering from a significant stroke.  This was a very special discovery for Ewa - a snapshot of her and her Mom on a walk-about that she wasn't aware had happened.  She saw it as a wink for God, and it truly comforted her.

Ewa is in the pink jacket and blue jeans.  
Her mom is in the beige coat walking beside her to her right.
Notice how their strides and posture are very similar and in-synch.

The Winter Coat

While at the cemetery for Ewa's Mom's funeral in the spring, Ewa twisted her knee.  It ended up bothering her for the rest of the year.  Ewa knew she needed a new, good quality, long-length winter coat that would keep her knees warm, since we try to daily walk around the community for exercise and fresh air.  As fall turned into winter, she kept her eyes peeled in the stores for a coat that would meet those requirements.

One morning after wrapping up shopping at Costco, Ewa felt God nudge her to go look in Winners to see what they had for winter coats.  There, she almost immediately discovered the staff had just put out some new ladies winter coats, and there was a bright yellow one that ticked all the checkboxes for a reasonable price.  Ewa grabbed it and took it to the front to pay.  There, the manager saw her and the coat and said "you're getting a fantastic deal on that coat - I actually wanted it."  Ewa was intrigued, so when she got home, she looked it up, and discovered that the coat was a very high-end brand (Rudsak) and she paid less than 10% of what it was worth.  Every time we go for walk now, she exclaims "I love this coat - it was God's provision for me!"  Its like a warm, comfort hug from God with every winter walk.

The Ocean Breeze

Summer of 2025 found us in Campbell River, BC.  We were there for the impending arrival of our first grandchild.  Because babies arrive on their own time, our stay there was rather extended.  As a result, we got to spend a fair bit of time enjoying the beach while we waited for the 'special day.'  Most of our beach time was at Saratoga beach, as it was a 10 minute drive from where we were staying.  I would finish work and we'd jump in the car and head there.  Once there, I'd go for a run before joining Ewa on the beach for a walk.  My regular running route was from Saratoga beach to Miracle beach and back.  After doing this a few times, I suggested to Ewa we try exploring Miracle beach instead, since it was an 'official' Provincial park, unlike Saratoga beach.  

Red dotted lines are the trails.

Miracle beach had lots of beach when the tide was out, but not much beach when the tide was in.  However, it did have a very nice trail/path system through the park to allow visitors to explore the coastal forest and nearby estuary.  The first time arriving there with Ewa, the tide was coming in and not a lot of the beach was left, so we decided to explore the paths.  We followed a very well engineered path parallel to the beach heading towards the estuary.  About halfway there, Ewa stopped, took a deep breath in, and said:
"I'm having a flash-back.  The smells here - the ocean mixed with this evergreen forest is taking me back to vacations I took with my family in Poland.  Its SO vivid!  Its like I was there yesterday!  This is amazing!!"

When she was growing up, her family would go to the Baltic sea for a couple weeks every year.  This was sponsored by her Mom's mining company as a health benefit to get away from the dust of the mine.  They would spend all their time on the beach, or walking in the forest beside it breathing the air.

Ewa felt this moment was special - a memory from God.  It brought all the good memories back for her, and gave her a warm, cozy feeling of being close with her parents again.  She tangibly felt and smelled God's comfort that day.

The ground covered with moss beside the trail at Miracle Beach

Here we are by the trail's end at the estuary at the north end of Miracle Beach Provincial Park

Other Names of God and Our Experiences...

• El Roi - God Sees
• Jehovah Shalom - God My Peace
• Elohim Shomri - God My Protection
• Jehovah Jireh - God My Provider
• Emmanuel - God With Us
• Jehovah Rapha - God our Healer