ThanatosTA
Premium Member
I was thinking about prayer the other night and I remembered a skit I did in church around 30 years ago. I read the part of the boy and our Pastor read the part of God. I have no idea where it came from or who wrote it, but when I remembered it, I wanted to share it. It's kind of long, but I hope you all like it.
The Lord's Prayer
BOY: “Our Father which art in Heaven…â€
GOD: Yes……
BOY: Please don’t interrupt me when I’m praying.
GOD: But, you called me.
BOY: Called you! I didn’t call you! I’m praying! “Our Father which art in Heaven…â€
GOD: There! You did it again!
BOY: Did what?
GOD: Called me. You said “Our Father which art in Heaven.†Here I am. What’s on your mind?
BOY: But I didn’t mean anything by it. I was, ..you know.., just saying my prayers for the day. I always say the Lord’s Prayer! It makes me feel good. Kinda like getting a duty done.
GOD: All right. Go on.
BOY “Hallowed be Thy Name.â€
GOD: Hold it! What do you mean by that?
BOY: By what?
GOD: Hallowed be Thy name.
BOY: It means…Well…It means…Oh, I don’t know what it means. It’s just a part of the prayer. So, what does it mean?
GOD: It means Honored…Holy…Wonderful.
BOY: That makes sense. I never really thought about what Hallowed meant before. “Thy Kingdom come. Thy Will be done. On Earth as it is in Heaven.â€
GOD: Do you really mean that?
BOY: Sure! Why not!!
GOD: What are you doing about it?
BOY: Doing? Me? Well, nothing I guess. I just think it would be cool if You got control of everything down here, like You have up there.
GOD: Have I got control of you?
BOY: Well….I go to church!
GOD: That isn’t what I asked you. What about that bad temper? You’ve really got a problem there, you know. And then there’s the way you spend your money all on yourself. And what about the kind of books you read?
BOY: Stop picking on me!
GOD: Excuse me. I thought you were praying for my will to be done. If that is going to happen, it will have to start with the ones praying for it. Like YOU for example.
BOY: Oh all right. I guess I do have some problems. Now that you mention it I could probably name some others.
GOD: So could I.
BOY: You know, I haven’t really thought much about it until now. But I really would like to stop some of those problems. I would like to…You know…Be really free.
GOD: Good! Now we really are getting somewhere. We’ll work together, you and I. Some victories can truly be won. I’m pleased with you.
BOY: Look Lord. I really need to finish up here. This is taking a lot longer than it usually does…. “Give us our daily bread.â€
GOD: You need to cut out the bread. You are a little pudgy as it is.
BOY: Hey! Wait a minute! What is this? Criticize Me Day? Here I was trying to do my religious duty, and You break in and remind me of all my problems!
GOD: Praying is a dangerous thing. You could wind up changed. You know, that’s what I’m trying to get across to you. You called Me and here I am. It’s too late to stop now. Keep on praying. I’m interested in the next part of your prayer….Well….Go on.
BOY: I’m scared to.
GOD: Scared of what?
BOY: I know what You will say.
GOD: Try me and see.
BOY: “Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
GOD: What about your brother?
BOY: See! I knew it! I knew You would bring him up. Why Lord? He’s told lies about me to our parents and he is always picking on me. I would really like to get even with him!
GOD: But your prayer. What about your prayer.
BOY: I didn’t mean it!
GOD: Well, at least you’re honest. But, it’s not much fun carrying a load of bitterness around inside, is it?
BOY: No. But I’ll feel better just as soon as I get even with him.
GOD: You wouldn’t feel any better. You’ll feel worse. Revenge isn’t sweet. Think of how unhappy you already are. But I can change all that.
BOY: You can! How?
GOD: Forgive your brother and then I will forgive you.
BOY: But Lord….I just cannot forgive him.
GOD: Then, I can’t forgive you.
BOY: Oh You’re right. You always are! And more than I want revenge on my brother, I want to be right with You. Alright, alright. I’ll forgive him. Help him Lord. Show him the right way too. I love him you know.
GOD: There now. That was wonderful! How do you feel?
BOY: Hmmm….Well, not bad. Not bad at all! In fact, I feel pretty great! Thank you God!
GOD: You know you are not through with your prayer. Go on.
BOY: Alright…. “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.â€
GOD: Good, good. I will do just that. But don’t put yourself in a place where you can be tempted.
BOY: What do you mean by that?
GOD: Well stop hanging around people using unchristian words. Change some of your friendships. Some of your “so-called friends are beginning to get to you. They will have you completely involved in the wrong things before long. Don’t be fooled. They say they are having fun, but for you, it would be ruin. Don’t use me for an escape hatch.
BOY: I don’t understand.
GOD: Sure you do. You’ve done it lots of times. You get caught in a bad situation, you get in trouble, and then you come running to me. “Lord, help me out of this mess and I promise I will never do it again.†Do you remember some of those bargains you tried to make with me?
BOY: Yes. I am ashamed Lord. I really am.
GOD: Which bargain are you remembering?
BOY: The day I skipped school and went swimming with my friends and our next door neighbor saw me. I remember telling you, “Oh God. Please don’t let her tell my mother. I will be in church every Sunday.â€
GOD: She didn’t tell your mother. Did you keep your promise?
BOY: I’m sorry Lord. I really am. Up until now I thought if I just prayed the Lord’s Prayer everyday then I could do anything I liked. I didn’t expect anything to happen like it did.
GOD: Well. Go ahead and finish your prayer.
BOY: “For Thine is the Kingdom, and the Power, and the Glory forever. Amen.â€
GOD: Do you know what would bring me glory? What would really make me happy?
BOY: No, but I would like to know. I want to please You. I want my life to count for You. I can see how great it would be to really be one of Your followers.
GOD: Well, you just answered the question.
BOY: I did?
GOD: Yes. The thing that would really bring Me glory is to have people like you truly love Me. And I see that is happening between us. Now that some of these sins have been exposed and are out of the way, well there is no telling what we can do together.
BOY: Lord, Let’s see what we can make of me. O.K.
GOD: Yes. Let’s see what we can make of you.
The Lord's Prayer
BOY: “Our Father which art in Heaven…â€
GOD: Yes……
BOY: Please don’t interrupt me when I’m praying.
GOD: But, you called me.
BOY: Called you! I didn’t call you! I’m praying! “Our Father which art in Heaven…â€
GOD: There! You did it again!
BOY: Did what?
GOD: Called me. You said “Our Father which art in Heaven.†Here I am. What’s on your mind?
BOY: But I didn’t mean anything by it. I was, ..you know.., just saying my prayers for the day. I always say the Lord’s Prayer! It makes me feel good. Kinda like getting a duty done.
GOD: All right. Go on.
BOY “Hallowed be Thy Name.â€
GOD: Hold it! What do you mean by that?
BOY: By what?
GOD: Hallowed be Thy name.
BOY: It means…Well…It means…Oh, I don’t know what it means. It’s just a part of the prayer. So, what does it mean?
GOD: It means Honored…Holy…Wonderful.
BOY: That makes sense. I never really thought about what Hallowed meant before. “Thy Kingdom come. Thy Will be done. On Earth as it is in Heaven.â€
GOD: Do you really mean that?
BOY: Sure! Why not!!
GOD: What are you doing about it?
BOY: Doing? Me? Well, nothing I guess. I just think it would be cool if You got control of everything down here, like You have up there.
GOD: Have I got control of you?
BOY: Well….I go to church!
GOD: That isn’t what I asked you. What about that bad temper? You’ve really got a problem there, you know. And then there’s the way you spend your money all on yourself. And what about the kind of books you read?
BOY: Stop picking on me!
GOD: Excuse me. I thought you were praying for my will to be done. If that is going to happen, it will have to start with the ones praying for it. Like YOU for example.
BOY: Oh all right. I guess I do have some problems. Now that you mention it I could probably name some others.
GOD: So could I.
BOY: You know, I haven’t really thought much about it until now. But I really would like to stop some of those problems. I would like to…You know…Be really free.
GOD: Good! Now we really are getting somewhere. We’ll work together, you and I. Some victories can truly be won. I’m pleased with you.
BOY: Look Lord. I really need to finish up here. This is taking a lot longer than it usually does…. “Give us our daily bread.â€
GOD: You need to cut out the bread. You are a little pudgy as it is.
BOY: Hey! Wait a minute! What is this? Criticize Me Day? Here I was trying to do my religious duty, and You break in and remind me of all my problems!
GOD: Praying is a dangerous thing. You could wind up changed. You know, that’s what I’m trying to get across to you. You called Me and here I am. It’s too late to stop now. Keep on praying. I’m interested in the next part of your prayer….Well….Go on.
BOY: I’m scared to.
GOD: Scared of what?
BOY: I know what You will say.
GOD: Try me and see.
BOY: “Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
GOD: What about your brother?
BOY: See! I knew it! I knew You would bring him up. Why Lord? He’s told lies about me to our parents and he is always picking on me. I would really like to get even with him!
GOD: But your prayer. What about your prayer.
BOY: I didn’t mean it!
GOD: Well, at least you’re honest. But, it’s not much fun carrying a load of bitterness around inside, is it?
BOY: No. But I’ll feel better just as soon as I get even with him.
GOD: You wouldn’t feel any better. You’ll feel worse. Revenge isn’t sweet. Think of how unhappy you already are. But I can change all that.
BOY: You can! How?
GOD: Forgive your brother and then I will forgive you.
BOY: But Lord….I just cannot forgive him.
GOD: Then, I can’t forgive you.
BOY: Oh You’re right. You always are! And more than I want revenge on my brother, I want to be right with You. Alright, alright. I’ll forgive him. Help him Lord. Show him the right way too. I love him you know.
GOD: There now. That was wonderful! How do you feel?
BOY: Hmmm….Well, not bad. Not bad at all! In fact, I feel pretty great! Thank you God!
GOD: You know you are not through with your prayer. Go on.
BOY: Alright…. “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.â€
GOD: Good, good. I will do just that. But don’t put yourself in a place where you can be tempted.
BOY: What do you mean by that?
GOD: Well stop hanging around people using unchristian words. Change some of your friendships. Some of your “so-called friends are beginning to get to you. They will have you completely involved in the wrong things before long. Don’t be fooled. They say they are having fun, but for you, it would be ruin. Don’t use me for an escape hatch.
BOY: I don’t understand.
GOD: Sure you do. You’ve done it lots of times. You get caught in a bad situation, you get in trouble, and then you come running to me. “Lord, help me out of this mess and I promise I will never do it again.†Do you remember some of those bargains you tried to make with me?
BOY: Yes. I am ashamed Lord. I really am.
GOD: Which bargain are you remembering?
BOY: The day I skipped school and went swimming with my friends and our next door neighbor saw me. I remember telling you, “Oh God. Please don’t let her tell my mother. I will be in church every Sunday.â€
GOD: She didn’t tell your mother. Did you keep your promise?
BOY: I’m sorry Lord. I really am. Up until now I thought if I just prayed the Lord’s Prayer everyday then I could do anything I liked. I didn’t expect anything to happen like it did.
GOD: Well. Go ahead and finish your prayer.
BOY: “For Thine is the Kingdom, and the Power, and the Glory forever. Amen.â€
GOD: Do you know what would bring me glory? What would really make me happy?
BOY: No, but I would like to know. I want to please You. I want my life to count for You. I can see how great it would be to really be one of Your followers.
GOD: Well, you just answered the question.
BOY: I did?
GOD: Yes. The thing that would really bring Me glory is to have people like you truly love Me. And I see that is happening between us. Now that some of these sins have been exposed and are out of the way, well there is no telling what we can do together.
BOY: Lord, Let’s see what we can make of me. O.K.
GOD: Yes. Let’s see what we can make of you.
