The Lord’s Prayer

The Lord’s Prayer, found in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 6) and in Luke 11, stands as one of the most significant teachings from the lips of Jesus. In Matthew’s account of Jesus’ teaching this prayer is introduced by our Lord saying, “[t]his is how you should pray…” The Lord’s Prayer is not just a template for prayer but is the prayer that those who would follow Jesus should know by heart. Simply, the Lord’s Prayer is a poetic and prayerful summary of all of Jesus’ teaching; ‘Love the Lord your God… and love your neighbor as yourself.’ (Matthew 22:37-40; Mark 12:30-31; Luke 10:27; Deuteronomy 6:5)

The prayer opens by reorienting our allegiance and attention to our Father God, and his invading Kingdom. To pray, “hallowed by your name” is to recognize the reputation of God is at stake and that his people bear a responsibility in his true nature being revealed. “Your Kingdom come… on earth as it is in heaven” is both the request for divine activity and a reminder that the people of God are set apart to reveal his Kingdom. In a moment in which we are tempted to place our loyalties and faith in any number of things, the Lord’s prayer reminds us were our allegiance belongs.

Our attention is then drawn to loving our neighbor as ourselves. We make the humble request that our daily needs would be provided for but in using the plural our and not the singular my; our attentions are turned outward to our neighbor’s daily needs. We then are reminded of our need for forgiveness; and beckoned to offer the same to those who have done wrong to us. In offering forgiveness, we let go of the resentment we harbor and demonstrate the forgiveness of God.

Finally, we request divine assistance to deal with the inevitable opposition. Like Jesus in the Wilderness or the Garden of Gethsemane, a life of obedience will draw the schemes of the evil one thus we verbalize our reliance upon the strength of our heavenly Father to deliver us from those moments.

In so many ways this prayer helps us to internalize the most fundamental components of Jesus teachings, while being a daily reflection on who we are called to be in light of Christ.

Thus, as our Savior taught us, so we pray,

Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.

Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin against us.

Lead us not into temptation
but deliver us from evil.

For the kingdom, the power,
and the glory are yours
now and for ever.
Amen.