The Lord's Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13; Luke 11:2-4) is the prayer Jesus taught his disciples — a model for all Christian prayer. It moves from God's glory ('hallowed be thy name') to human need ('give us this day our daily bread') to spiritual protection ('deliver us from evil').
The Lord's Prayer is the most famous prayer in history. Jesus gave it as a model — 'After this manner therefore pray ye' (Matthew 6:9). The prayer has been prayed by Christians of every tradition for 2,000 years. It appears in two forms: Matthew 6:9-13 (the longer, more familiar version) and Luke 11:2-4 (shorter). Several truths emerge. (1) Address: 'Our Father which art in heaven.' Christ teaches us to address God as Father — intimate and reverent. 'Our' includes the church; 'in heaven' reminds of transcendence. (2) First petition: 'Hallowed be thy name.' The first concern of prayer is God's glory — that his name be honored. Worship before request. (3) Second petition: 'Thy kingdom come.' Christians pray for God's reign to advance — through conversion, justice, mission, and ultimately the second coming. (4) Third petition: 'Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.' Submission of human will to divine will. Heaven's standard (perfect obedience) for earth. (5) Fourth petition: 'Give us this day our daily bread.' Material needs are included. 'Daily' — one day at a time. 'Our' — communal, not just personal. (6) Fifth petition: 'And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.' Forgiveness — both received and extended. The conditional 'as we forgive' is striking; Matthew 6:14-15 reinforces it. (7) Sixth petition: 'And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.' Spiritual protection — preservation from sin and from the evil one. (8) Doxology: 'For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.' Older manuscripts of Matthew don't include this doxology, but it is ancient (the Didache, late 1st century, includes it). Most Protestant traditions retain it; Catholic Mass restored it in a different position. The structure. The prayer breaks into two halves. The first three petitions focus on God (his name, kingdom, will). The next three focus on human need (bread, forgiveness, deliverance). The order matters — God first, then us. The prayer is short, packed, and inexhaustible. Christians have prayed it for two millennia and continue to find depth. Origen wrote a book-length commentary on it; Tertullian called it 'the summary of the whole gospel.' Practical: how to pray it. (1) Pray it slowly. Each phrase deserves time. (2) Expand each petition. 'Daily bread' = work, food, shelter, health. 'Forgive us our debts' = name specific sins. (3) Apply it daily. Many Christians pray it morning and evening. (4) Use it as a template. Pray your own petitions in its shape. (5) Pray it with the church — corporate worship, mealtime, bedtime.
“Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.”
“Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth. Give us day by day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us.”
“But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking... your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.”
“For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”
“Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.”
Pray the Lord's Prayer daily — morning, evening, mealtime. Pray it slowly, each phrase. Expand each petition with specifics. Use it as a template for your other prayers. Pray it with your family. Pray it in church. The prayer Jesus taught his disciples is still the prayer he teaches us.
The Lord's Prayer is the model prayer Jesus taught his disciples (Matthew 6:9-13; Luke 11:2-4). It begins 'Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name' and includes seven petitions covering God's name, kingdom, will, daily bread, forgiveness, temptation, and deliverance. It has been prayed by Christians of every tradition for 2,000 years.
The disciples asked: 'Lord, teach us to pray' (Luke 11:1). Jesus responded with this model. Matthew 6:9 — 'After this manner therefore pray ye.' The prayer teaches both content (what to ask for) and order (God first, then human needs). It is short, packed with theology, and infinitely expandable.
Different translations and traditions use different words. Matthew uses 'debts' (Greek opheilēmata). Luke uses 'sins' (hamartias). English translations vary — Catholic and Anglican often use 'trespasses' (from Tyndale's English). All point to the same reality — moral wrongs needing forgiveness. The wording is secondary; the meaning is consistent.
Yes — early Christians prayed it three times daily (Didache 8). Every Christian liturgy includes it. Praying it daily, slowly, is one of the most ancient and proven Christian practices. Some Christians worry about repetition (Matthew 6:7), but Jesus warned against EMPTY repetition, not the heartfelt prayer of his own words. Pray it with thought, faith, and gratitude.