--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When I pray the Lord's Prayer, I begin…" description: "\"When I pray the Lord's Prayer, I begin with the first word, \"Our. . .\" (see Matthew 6:9) and I stop and ask myself, \"Who do I include in this Our?\" I r..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d2d/samir-selmanovic-56276_asks_when-i-pray-the-lord-s-prayer-i-begin-wi_1133877.jpg" --- # When I pray the Lord's Prayer, I begin with the first… ![“When I pray the Lord's Prayer, I begin with the first word, "Our. . ." (see Matthew 6:9) and I stop and ask myself, "Who do I include in this Our?" I remind myself that the story of God is bigger than my personal story, bigger than the story of my religion, bigger than the story of all humanity…” quote by Samir Selmanovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d2d/samir-selmanovic-56276_asks_when-i-pray-the-lord-s-prayer-i-begin-wi_1133877.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d2d/samir-selmanovic-56276_asks_when-i-pray-the-lord-s-prayer-i-begin-wi_1133877.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d2d/samir-selmanovic-56276_asks_when-i-pray-the-lord-s-prayer-i-begin-wi_1133877.jpg) > “When I pray the Lord's Prayer, I begin with the first word, "Our. . ." (see Matthew 6:9) and I stop and ask myself, "Who do I include in this Our?" I remind myself that the story of God is bigger than my personal story, bigger than the story of my religion, bigger than the story of all humanity, and bigger than the story of all creation. In the kingdom of God, these four stories are all really my stories - all at the same time - woven together, giving meaning and life to each other.” [Samir Selmanovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samir-selmanovic/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Recognizing that personal prayer connects to larger divine narratives, expanding self‑identity beyond individual limits. **In simple terms:** Prayer links personal and universal stories. Key Takeaway See your life as part of a larger divine story. Themes spirituality identity interconnectedness Mood contemplative hopeful reverent Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - personal reflection - group worship - interfaith dialogue - creative writing Key Concepts theology narrative holism Questions to Reflect On - How does seeing yourself in a larger story change your daily actions? - What responsibilities arise from feeling part of a divine narrative? 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Stories about God, stories about love. Stories about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-greeley/well-religion-has-been-passed-down-through-the-years-by-stories/) [Andrew Greeley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-greeley/) > [“Scripture is first and foremost a story. And it’s a story about God. We want to make it a story about us—about how to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mark-comer/scripture-is-first-and-foremost-a-story-and-it-s-a-story-about-god-we/) [John Mark Comer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mark-comer/) > [So take seriously the story that God has given you to live. It’s time to read your own life, because your story is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-b-allender/so-take-seriously-the-story-that-god-has-given-you-to-live-it-s-time/) [Dan B. Allender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-b-allender/) > [In this one book are the two most interesting personalities in the whole world - God and yourself. The Bible is the story of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-oursler/in-this-one-book-are-the-two-most-interesting-personalities-in-the/) [Fulton Oursler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-oursler/) > [“We can either choose to cling to starring roles in the little-bitty stories of us or opt to exchange our fleeting moment in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louie-giglio/we-can-either-choose-to-cling-to-starring-roles-in-the-little-bitty/) [Louie Giglio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louie-giglio/) > [“Professional storytellers tell of getting an audience in a “story trance”; people so come under the spell of a story that they start breathing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-sweet/professional-storytellers-tell-of-getting-an-audience-in-a-story/) [Leonard Sweet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-sweet/) > [God is the very first piece of the Christian Story because the Story is all about Him. He is the central character, not us.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-koukl/god-is-the-very-first-piece-of-the-christian-story-because-the-story/) [Greg Koukl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-koukl/) > [life is a story and god is author.life is absurd.I think so.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-camus/life-is-a-story-and-god-is-author-life-is-absurd-i-think-so/) [Albert Camus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-camus/) > [“When we, any of us who have been transformed by Christ, tell our own stories, we’re telling the story of who God is.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shauna-niequist/when-we-any-of-us-who-have-been-transformed-by-christ-tell-our-own/) [Shauna Niequist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shauna-niequist/) > ['Illusion' is a story of God's love and our hunger to find him when we're separated from him. If I can paint a picture…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-peretti/illusion-is-a-story-of-god-s-love-and-our-hunger-to-find-him-when-we/) [Frank Peretti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-peretti/) > [It's not your story. It's God's story. You're just a character.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nishan-panwar/it-s-not-your-story-it-s-god-s-story-you-re-just-a-character/) [Nishan Panwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nishan-panwar/) > [“We don't know the Devil's side of the story, because God wrote all the books.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-a-konrath/we-don-t-know-the-devil-s-side-of-the-story-because-god-wrote-all-the/) [J.A. Konrath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-a-konrath/) > [And the Bible is not primarily a book of history. It is "His story," the story of God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrian-rogers/and-the-bible-is-not-primarily-a-book-of-history-it-is-his-story-the/) [Adrian Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrian-rogers/) ## More by Samir Selmanovic > [The emerging church movement has come to believe that the ultimate context of the spiritual aspirations of a follower of Jesus Christ is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samir-selmanovic/the-emerging-church-movement-has-come-to-believe-that-the-ultimate/) [Samir Selmanovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samir-selmanovic/) > [Evangelicals have to face it (like Roman Catholics of 16th century had to): Increasingly, our version of Good News is neither news nor good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samir-selmanovic/evangelicals-have-to-face-it-like-roman-catholics-of-16th-century-had/) [Samir Selmanovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samir-selmanovic/) > [Jesus offered a single incentive to follow himto summarize his selling point: 'Follow me, and you might be happy-or you might not. 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We can either stay within the Christianity we have mastered with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samir-selmanovic/so-herein-lies-the-choice-for-those-of-us-who-are-christians-we-can/) [Samir Selmanovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samir-selmanovic/) [Explore all 6 Samir Selmanovic quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samir-selmanovic/) ## More Asks quotes > [If you ask an introvert a question, wait until she thinks about it. Introverts think before speaking, not through speaking. If you want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-helgoe/if-you-ask-an-introvert-a-question-wait-until-she-thinks-about-it/) [Laurie Helgoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-helgoe/) > [I don't wear a watch because I want my arms to weigh the same. So if somebody asks me what time it is, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-hedberg/i-don-t-wear-a-watch-because-i-want-my-arms-to-weigh-the-same-so-if/) [Mitch Hedberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-hedberg/) > [I am a practicing Catholic, but my lineage is Jewish, so if someone asks me if I'm Jewish, I say yes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neve-campbell/i-am-a-practicing-catholic-but-my-lineage-is-jewish-so-if-someone/) [Neve Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neve-campbell/) > [Freedom in every sense but primarily political sense, a rise in repression that stems from a repression of sexuality. It's AIDS, it's herpes, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-nicholson/freedom-in-every-sense-but-primarily-political-sense-a-rise-in/) [Jack Nicholson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-nicholson/) > [Why did Erich von Stronheim leave Germany? Why did Hitchcock leave England? If you were a director you'd like to work in Hollywood too.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roman-polanski/why-did-erich-von-stronheim-leave-germany-why-did-hitchcock-leave/) [Roman Polanski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roman-polanski/) > [There is nothing more I ask of this life than this moment, exactly so. And suddenly forever seems like too short a time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-andreas/there-is-nothing-more-i-ask-of-this-life-than-this-moment-exactly-so/) [Brian Andreas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-andreas/) > [Success will come when the societal attitude changes and not a single woman in America asks herself the question 'What did I do?'.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-biden/success-will-come-when-the-societal-attitude-changes-and-not-a-single/) [Joe Biden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-biden/) > [The most fundamental question we can ever ask ourselves is whether or not the universe we live in is friendly or hostile.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/the-most-fundamental-question-we-can-ever-ask-ourselves-is-whether-or/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [The rich people are apparently leaving America. They're giving up their citizenship. These great lovers of America who made their money in this country-when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-sanders/the-rich-people-are-apparently-leaving-america-they-re-giving-up/) [Bernie Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-sanders/) > [There is a way to be a woman, ask for what we deserve and be able to negotiate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracee-ellis-ross/there-is-a-way-to-be-a-woman-ask-for-what-we-deserve-and-be-able-to/) [Tracee Ellis Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracee-ellis-ross/) > [For someone to ask 'Who did you play for' and to be able to answer a single name 'Liverpool' that would be brilliant...I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-carragher/for-someone-to-ask-who-did-you-play-for-and-to-be-able-to-answer-a/) [Jamie Carragher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-carragher/) > [I have no hesitation in saying that although the American woman never leaves her domestic sphere and is in some respects very dependent within…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexis-de-tocqueville/i-have-no-hesitation-in-saying-that-although-the-american-woman-never/) [Alexis de Tocqueville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexis-de-tocqueville/) > [Ask God for temp'rance. That's th' appliance only Which your disease requires.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/ask-god-for-temp-rance-that-s-th-appliance-only-which-your-disease/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [I don't know how to say it exactly. Only...I want to die as myself. Does that make any sense?' he asks. I shake my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-collins/i-don-t-know-how-to-say-it-exactly-only-i-want-to-die-as-myself-does/) [Suzanne Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-collins/) > [Physicist Isador Isaac Rabi, who won a Nobel Prize for inventing a technique that permitted scientists to probe the structure of atoms and molecules…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-saul-wurman/physicist-isador-isaac-rabi-who-won-a-nobel-prize-for-inventing-a/) [Richard Saul Wurman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-saul-wurman/) [Browse all 7,138 Asks quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/asks/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When I pray the Lord's Prayer, I begin with the first word, \"Our. . .\" (see Matthew 6:9) and I stop and ask myself, \"Who do I include in this Our?\" I remind myself that the story of God is bigger than my personal story, bigger than the story of my religion, bigger than the story of all humanity, and bigger than the story of all creation. 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