The Lord's Prayer

Luke 11:1-13 contains one of the two Lord's Prayer. This version seems to be the shortened version compared to the Matthew version. It is interesting to note that Jesus was praying and when he finished the disciples came to him asking to be taught how to pray. Apparently John had taught his disciples a way of praying and now the disciples want to know how Jesus would want them to pray.
The first thing Jesus tells them is to honor God the Father. I know that at times using the masculine names can present problems and has over the many years. It is easy to present this in a politically correct means by identifying God the parent. Even that presents problems especially when one's experiences with earthly parents has been less ideal. Rather than getting so side-tracked about the gender issue, I would believe that we need to honor God as we turn to prayer. For the next part of the prayer is Your kingdom come. I struggle to make prayer more about seeking God's kingdom rather than for my personal needs. The focus of prayer should be on God's kingdom take shape not mine.
In Renovare Spiritual Formation Bible, the commentator states, "For us, it is enough that we get what we need for spiritual and physical sustenance, and that we ground our days in asking for and receiving forgiveness as well as calling for freedom from evil and all that pulls us toward wrong. It is a very bare-bones sort of prayer compared to the many ways we pray today. (125)" There is nothing mentioned here about material wealth or physical health. We need to be more concerned about God's Will not mine.
The other reflection deals with forgiveness. What about the idea that we are fogiven our sins for we have forgiven everyone indebted to us (Luke 11.4 NRSV). I find that type of prayer difficult. I am supposed to be forgiving those who have hurt, disappointed, harmed me. Prayer becomes more than a shopping list to present to God. It requires my willingness to become aware of the way I treat others as I come on bended knee to God. Think how this would be in our lives. Is this not what the Kingdom of God might look like?