The Lord’s Prayer
Introduction: The model prayer given by our Lord to his disciples through the gospel accounts of Matthew and Luke is a concise and practical prayer template provided by the Lord himself that we should “pray in this manner.” It can be used day by day in variation, as we read other scripture or as blessings from God enter our thoughts. Based on the Scripture which precedes and follows this prayer, it seems that Jesus gave this prayer at least two separate times.
NOTE: The KJV was used for verses in the comments sections.
A — Preparation for Prayer (Matthew 6:5–8)
Matthew 6 “6 But you, when you pray, enter into your secluded room and having shut your door, pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees in secret shall reward you. 8 Do not be therefore like them, for your Father knows of what things you have need before you ask anything of him.”
Comments: May the preparation of my heart before I pray be formed in the knowledge of the firm promise of your reward, which is imperishable and comes from a holy God — far superior to any benefit from men hearing me pray. My prayers shall be in conversation with you in personal communication, whether individually and privately, or as part of a group of believers. May you guard my thoughts and my lips, so the motive of my heart is pure. Keep clear in my thoughts Lord, that my prayer is to a personal God who has no desire for repetitive babbling, because you not only hear, but you already know all needs before they are expressed.
B — Hallowed Be Your Name (Matthew 6:9–10)
Matthew 6 “9 Therefore, you pray in this manner: Our Father who is in heaven, sanctified be your name. 10 Your kingdom come. Your will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.”
Comments: The Psalms provide thought-provoking expressions related to the first two verses of the model prayer, especially in terms of hallowing or sanctifying the name of the Lord. Without first glorifying the LORD with his name which is above all names, his will cannot be done on earth as it is in heaven — and how much should all believers long for that time when the earth will have the fullness of our LORD, as does heaven. The Psalms contain some 45 verses in regard to the name of the LORD, expressing phrases such as: “they that know thy name will put their trust in thee,” “Not unto us, O LORD, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory,” and “I will bless thy name for ever and ever.”
C — Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread (Matthew 6:11)
Matthew 6 “11 Give us this day our bread sufficient for the day.”
Comments: Jesus says elsewhere, take no thought for what you will eat, or drink, or put on. So we should not allow the cares of the world, which choke the good seed of God’s word, to command our lives. We should use this request for daily bread to acknowledge each day that our daily sustenance is from the LORD, just as much as was the supply of manna for Israel in the wilderness — and that supply could not be stored up for future days, save before each Sabbath. Our reliance for our very lives is on our God every day; and we should acknowledge this before him every day, with praise and thanksgiving.
D — Forgive Us Our Debts (Matthew 6:12, 14–15)
Matthew 6 “12 And forgive us our debts of various offenses, as we also forgive those who owe something to us. 14 For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: 15 But if you forgive not men their wrongful deeds and trespasses, neither will your Father forgive yours.”
Comments: Jesus tells us that we must forgive in order to be forgiven. Jesus summed up all commandments by telling us to first love the LORD our God, and then our neighbor as ourselves. Love motivates to forgiveness, from God and from man, while covering a multitude of sins. And how great is the forgiveness of our sin, which had disqualified us from eternity with a holy God, compared with the debts we struggle to forgive of our brothers! In Matthew 18 Jesus said we must forgive not seven times, but seventy times seven — and that our heavenly Father will do likewise to us if we do not forgive from our hearts.
E — Lead Us Not into Temptation (Matthew 6:13)
Matthew 6 “13 And lead us not into temptation or testing, but preserve and deliver us from evil.”
John 17 “15 I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.”
Comments: Our own conduct could have bearing on whether our Lord needs to bring our faith to a test to draw us back from drifting. If we seek after godliness and contentment, we are better prepared to ask him not to test us, but to keep us from evil. Jesus prayed for us that the Father not take us out of the world, but keep us from evil. If testing does come from the Lord, however, we also have confidence that he will bring us through the test, to the end of being more like Christ. Truly, truly, the Lord knows how to make all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose!
Reflections in Prayer
My Father, you are the God of heaven and earth, and you are bringing on a time when all things will be in complete subjection to Christ. Come quickly, Lord Jesus! Give me today my needed physical sustenance, and that portion from the bread of life. Forgive me Lord for my trespasses and grant me your grace to forgive others because of your great love. Bring me not to testing of my faith, but rather deliver me from the evil within myself and all around me in this present world. Amen.
Published 1 June 2004; first issued 15 November 2001