The Lord's Prayer
as a model
A Model for Prayer
When his disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray, he gave them this prayer, as recorded in Matthew 6 and Luke 11. There is no record of it being recited word-for-word in churches until at least 4 centuries later. It was to be an effective model for prayer, rather than a recited prayer.
Each phrase is a type and topic of prayer, and it covers almost everything we can pray about. In just 60 seconds at the start of the day, you can pray it in your own words. In an hour, you can pray for many specifics around each phrase. Putting it into practice will enrich your spirit and deepen your conversation with our Father.
The Order Is Important
The first part is focused on God: his name, his kingdom, his will. Prayer is first and foremost a place of encountering God; we get to know him here in these moments of conversation. Putting God’s topics first keeps our prayers from being too self-focused and one-sided.
The second part turns to our needs: give us, forgive us, deliver us. After we orient ourselves toward his plans and purpose in prayer, we can also ask for what we need and desire. Our Father always listens, and he cares about our requests.
Here we step through each phrase of The Lord's Prayer and explain how to use the same thoughts in your prayers.
Our Father in heaven,
“Our Father” is a radical shift in humanity’s relation to God. In the Old Testament, God is not referred to as a personal father, but Jesus changed that. His use of “our Father” in prayer reveals a close, personal relationship. God is a good father who enjoys conversing with you!
may your name be kept holy.
Prayer begins with worship – declaring God’s worth. He is holy, which signifies being set apart from everything that is ordinary. So we begin our prayer by acknowledging there is no other like God; he is altogether good and righteous. We give respect and devotion, and we desire for others to do likewise.
May your Kingdom come soon.
God’s kingdom represents his reign; the territory under his kingship and protection. It is spiritual in nature and we enter it by faith in Jesus. Pray for God’s kingdom to encompass your life and family, and that many enter it in the world around you.
May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.
God’s will being done represents his rule on earth. In heaven, his will is done immediately and fully as soon as it is known. Pray that God’s will is known and done in your life, your family, and the world around you. His will is always for our good.
Give us today the food we need,
Today, and thus every day, we ask God to provide
our physical needs. Even if you already have food and
money for today, thank God for giving it. Ask him to
continue providing. This keeps your trust in God,
knowing that God is the source of health and life.
and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us.
After asking for physical needs, we now turn to the needs of our soul. Search your heart daily. Ask our Father to forgive any wrongs and to help you do right. We must also forgive those who hurt us. This keeps our soul from bitterness. If God forgives me, how can I not forgive others?
And don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one.
God is not the tempter, but life will bring us times of trials and testings. Ask God to prepare you and your loved ones and to lead you safely through such times. Pray for strength to resist temptation, and for protection from those who will bring temptation and trials. God will strengthen faith through difficulty.
