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14 Lutheran Life Q: What inspired you to write Our Way Home? A: When I was the pastor at St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Butternut, Wisconsin, we had new adult member classes at least twice a year. I developed the image of the Lord's Prayer as a journey for the hour that we would spend on prayer. It was something new to life- long Lutherans and easy to grasp for those who were relatively new to the faith. Later, I used the diagram and the idea of the prayer, as a journey with my classes at Concordia University Wisconsin and found that students responded well to it. It was memorable enough for them so that they easily could write a one-page essay on it. I thought that the overall idea could be expanded and become a book with even more images and applications to the lives of the readers. I appreciate, very much, the encourage- ment from Concordia Publishing House that brought the book to light. Q: If you could tell someone one thing about prayer, what would it be? A: While God already knows our needs, He is genuine- ly glad to have us tell Him what's on our hearts. Isn't it amazing that God actually asks us, "What are you worried about?" When we tell Him, He's not bored or wishing we'd hurry it up. He listens to our cares and hears our requests even while He already knows the kindness that He has planned. Rev. Dr. Daniel Paavola is a professor of theology at Concordia University Wisconsin, who has mastered the arts of storytelling and illustration as ways to communicate biblical truths in relevant ways. He's applied this teaching style to his book, Our Way Home: A Journey through the Lord's Prayer, in which he invites the reader on a lively journey to discover the kingdom, power, and glory of the Father anew throughout the petitions of the Lord's Prayer. In the Q & A below, he shares more reflections about prayer, the Lord's Prayer, and encouragement to pray, even when it's hard. Journeying through Prayer

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