The best thing about a high school football team is we have all kinds of people on that team. We are one team combined with all these different parts put together, pulling together in the same direction.

What is the most popular pregame or post-game prayer by most teams? My guess is the ‘Our Father’ or the ‘Lords Prayer’ is most likely the prayer most teams pray.

I want you to think about just the first two words of that prayer, ‘Our Father’. ‘Our’ means all of us, so when Jesus taught the disciples to pray he did not say, “My Father”, he said, “Our Father”. ‘Our Father’ means that he is the Father to all of us, Protestant, Catholic, rich, poor, Democrat, Republican, Independent, senior, freshman, black, brown, white, red, or yellow skinned, Christian or not-yet-a-Christian it includes us all.

What could we accomplish if all 2 billion Christians in this world acted like the local high school football team and pulled together as a team and tried to actually live this prayer?

Protestant version

Our Father, who art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy Name.
Thy Kingdom come.
Thy will be done on earth,
As it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses, (debts)
As we forgive those that trespass (debtor) against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
But deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
and the power, and the glory,
For ever.
Amen.

Roman Catholic version

Our Father, who art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy Name.
Thy Kingdom come.
Thy will be done on earth,
As it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
As we forgive those that trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
But deliver us from evil.
Amen