Book 1

This replaces Koran chapter 1.

Prayer

This is how not to pray:

Jesus: But when you do these righteous acts, do not do them in front of spectators. Don’t do them where you can be seen, let alone lauded, by others. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. When you give to the poor, do not boast about it, announcing your donations with blaring trumpets as the play actors do. Do not brazenly give your charity in the synagogues and on the streets; indeed, do not give at all if you are giving because you want to be praised by your neighbors. Those people who give in order to reap praise have already received their reward. 3-4 When you give to the needy, do it in secret—even your left hand should not know what your right hand is doing. Then your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you.

Likewise, when you pray, do not be as hypocrites who love to pray loudly at synagogue or on street corners—their concern is to be seen by men. They have already earned their reward. When you pray, go into a private room, close the door, and pray unseen to your Father who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not go on and on, excessively and strangely like the outsiders; they think their verbosity will let them be heard by their deitiesDo not be like them. Your prayers need not be labored or lengthy or grandiose—for your Father knows what you need before you ever ask Him.

Voice, Matthew 6:1-8

This is how to pray:

Your prayers, rather, should be simple, like this:

    Our Father in heaven,
        let Your name remain holy.
10     Bring about Your kingdom.
    Manifest Your will here on earth,
        as it is manifest in heaven.
11     Give us each day that day’s bread—no more, no less—
12     And forgive us our debts
        as we forgive those who owe us something.
13     Lead us not into temptation,
        but deliver us from evil.
    [But let Your kingdom be,
        and let it be powerful
        and glorious forever. Amen.]

Voice, Matthew 6:9-13

Voice, Matthew 6.

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