The Lord’s Prayer
Have you ever wondered ‘How or what should I pray?’ If so, you are not alone. There is a moment recorded in Luke’s gospel, where the disciples reveal that they, too, did not know how to pray. In Luke 11:1, we read that, "One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.”
They followed Jesus, saw him pray, and still needed Jesus to teach them specifically how to pray.
And so, Jesus did…
We read in Matthew 6:9-13
“This, then, is how you should pray:
‘Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.’”
Now this isn’t just a word-for-word prayer that we utter, and in doing so, we are ‘doing prayer’. Jesus is actually giving a wonderful structure on how we can come before our loving heavenly Father in prayer. There are 6 sections to this prayer, and each section provides for us a theme that informs how we can pray.
1. Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name… (God’s Glory)
To hallow means to revere and treat as holy. We open our prayers with adoration because by worship we enter into the true reality of God’s identity and our own.
As you pray, begin by focusing on one or two (or more!) of the many names for God that He gives in scripture, and praise Him for what that reveals about who He is, and who we are in relation to him.
2 & 3. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. (God’s Mission and God’s Reign)
You will notice that the first three requests in the Lord’s prayer are focused on God (“your” x3). When we come before God in prayer – when we seek him in conversation and relationship – we come before him releasing our own control of things, and we let go of building our own little kingdoms, to focus on him and to ask him that his kingdom come in our midst.
Where are the areas in your life that you are wrestling for control over? Where are you striving to build a kingdom for yourself? Name these things and hand them over to God.
This part of the prayer is highly missional – seeking for God’s kingdom and his will to be done. And not just in our own lives, but in our families, in our workplaces, social arenas, hobbies, everywhere we go. In the lives of our friends, in our city, our state, and our nation, and even across the globe. We are reminded to talk to God and bring each of these areas before him in a missional, kingdom building way. This does two things:
It aligns our hearts and minds to seek first the kingdom of God, and his will in all things; and,
It rightly prioritises what God wants, over what we want.
Where do you want God’s kingdom to come? What is God placing on your heart in particular? Bring those things before the King of kings.
4. Give us today our daily bread. (God’s Provision)
Only after focusing on God – his glory, his kingdom and his will – does Jesus then invite us to bring our own request before God. It’s a simple request yet profoundly layered. At face value, it’s a plea for physical provision—food, shelter, and the necessities of life. But beneath it lies a deeper spiritual truth: our daily dependence on God.
Notice the word daily. Jesus doesn’t teach us to ask for a year’s supply or even tomorrow’s portion. He invites us into a rhythm of trust—one day at a time. Just as God provided manna in the wilderness, fresh each morning and never stockpiled, He calls us to live in a posture of present-tense faith. We don’t hoard grace; we receive it anew.
This prayer also shifts our mindset from self-sufficiency to communal reliance. It’s not “give me,” but “give us.” We pray not only for our own needs but for the needs of our neighbors, our church, our world. It’s a reminder that God’s provision is meant to be shared.
And the “bread” we seek? It’s more than flour and water. It’s the Word that sustains us, the peace that steadies us, the presence of Christ—the Bread of Life—who nourishes our souls. Each day, we’re invited to feast on His goodness, to receive what we need for the journey ahead, and what we need to build his kingdom.
So today, pause and pray: “Lord, I trust You for today’s provision. Feed me with what I truly need—physically, emotionally, spiritually. And make me mindful of those who hunger, that I might be part of Your answer to their prayer.”
“And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.” — Philippians 4:19
5. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. (God’s Grace)
In this part of the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus gently leads us into the heart of grace — reminding us that the mercy we seek from God is meant to shape how we treat others. Forgiveness isn’t just something we receive; it’s something we’re called to extend.
Take a quiet moment to invite the Holy Spirit to search your heart. Let Him lovingly uncover any hidden sin, any place where you’ve fallen short. Then, come to God with confidence — not in your perfection, but in His unfailing grace. His forgiveness always runs deeper than your failure.
As you receive that grace, ask God to help you see where you might be holding onto resentment or unforgiveness. Who might you need to release today? Forgive not because they deserve it, but because you’ve been forgiven — freely, fully, and undeservedly.
This prayer reminds us that we all stand on level ground before God. Every one of us has missed the mark. None of us earns His love — yet it’s offered to all who come to Jesus in repentance and faith. That’s the beauty of grace: it levels us, lifts us, and sends us out to love as we’ve been loved.
For deeper reflection, spend time in Psalm 139. It’s a powerful reminder that God knows you completely — and still chooses to love you.
6. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. (God’s Protection)
In these final words of the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus invites us to lean wholly on God’s strength and protection. He knows our hearts—how easily we can be drawn away, how vulnerable we are to the subtle lies and persistent temptations of the enemy. On our own, we falter. But in Christ, we are not alone. His power enables us to stand firm, even when the battle feels overwhelming.
Take a moment to gently examine your heart. Are there places where the enemy seems to whisper most loudly? Patterns of temptation, moments of weakness, or lies that distort your identity in Christ? Don’t carry those burdens alone. Bring them to God in prayer. Ask Him to guard your heart, to renew your mind, and to remind you of the unshakable truth of the gospel—that you are loved, redeemed, and secure in Him.
And remember, this prayer is not just for us individually—it’s for our communities, our world. Look around and see where darkness has taken root: injustice, suffering, division, despair. Lift those places to God. Pray for His healing, His justice, His peace. Ask Him to deliver us all from evil and to bring His kingdom ever closer.