Many people can recite the Lord’s Prayer without being able to explain what it means or answer basic questions about it. I’d like to break it down very simply to help us all better understand what Jesus was teaching about prayer.
It’s a Pattern, Not a Chant. Jesus said, “This, then is HOW (not what) you should pray…” Jesus gave it as a pattern for his followers to copy. He did not intend for them to recite it as if they were chanting a magical incantation that would force God to do what they want him to do. The different parts of the Lord’s Prayer are meant to teach us something about God, prayer, and about our need.
“Our Father in Heaven.” First, we should start our prayers by recognizing that we are praying to God Almighty who is in Heaven. But at the same time, we approach him as a child approaches his loving father. God is “in Heaven,” but He is our loving Heavenly Father. Just as a respectful child approaches his father with humility and love, we also should approach praying to our Heavenly Father with humility and love rather than praying as if God is a “Cosmic Vending-Machine” who is there to give us whatever we ask for. We should start our prayers by humbly recognizing who we are and who God is.
“Hallowed be your name.” We barely ever hear the word “hallowed” today, and most of us couldn’t give a good dictionary definition for it… and yet many recite it in the Lord’s Prayer without giving much thought to what we’re saying in this line. “Hallowed” literally means “to make holy” or “to demonstrate as holy.” So when we say “hallowed by your name,” what we are praying is, “show us how holy and perfect and ‘different from us’ you are!” This line really is an extension of the opening acknowledgement that God is our Father in Heaven: First we recognize that God loves us and listens to us (“Our father in heaven”) and then we move on to recognize his holiness (“hallowed be your name). God is not our buddy whom we should carelessly address, but neither is He is distant and uncaring God whom we should be terrified to pray to.
“Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” God is the King. When we say that God is “Sovereign,” what we are declaring is that God really is in charge of everything. Even some atheists pray when their loved ones are in a terrible life-threatening accident. That’s because there’s just ‘something’ inside of us that tells us God is in control, and Scripture time and again affirms that idea. The word “will” means the same as “desire,” so by praying for God’s will to be done we are praying for all that God desires to be done. If we pray but refuse to submit to God’s authority (“your will be done…”), then we are only deceiving ourselves and we’re not really praying the way Jesus taught his followers to pray. As Jesus’ people pray and obey God’s will for them, his kingdom is made increasingly evident to the unbelieving world around them.
“Give us today our daily bread.” God provides. He does not give us everything we ask for, but He gives us everything we need. This doesn’t mean that people who are dying of starvation aren’t praying enough (but it does mean that others aren’t praying “your will be done” enough!). God provides everything we truly need. This line points back to when God was leading Israel out of Egypt and provided the Manna from heaven each morning for them to eat. God did not give them enough to last any more than a day so that they would have to continue relying on Him to provide. Likewise, we are are following Jesus each day can trust that He will provide everything I need for today; and tomorrow he will provide for everything I need tomorrow. God cares for his children and takes care of them.
“Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.” God is the only one who can forgive sin, I think most people agree about that. In Matthew 6:12 the Lord’s Prayer says “Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors” while Luke 2:4 says “Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us.” Scholars agree that the reason these lines are different is because Jesus probably taught them this prayer in Aramaic (which was the commonly spoken language of the day), so when they wrote the prayer in Greek they used different words to communicate what Jesus said. This line in the prayer is significant, because we we pray we confess our sins to God and admit our need to be forgiven. You cannot receive forgiveness if you don’t admit that you need it!
“And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.” Confessing sin to God in prayer is really important, but so is repenting from your sin. I like to think about “Repentance” as doing an “About-Face” – imagine you’re walking one way, then you stop, turn around, and start walking in the opposite direction that you were walking in before – that’s what repentance is like. When we confess our sin to God we are admitting our need to be forgiven and that we have dishonored God. Confession is great, but if we do not repent of our sin then we are doomed to repeat it. Praying this part of the Lord’s Prayer might sound like this: “God, I know that I have sinned by gossiping about my coworker. This does not honor you and isn’t what you want from me. I want to speak well of people and not be known as a gossip or slanderer. When I am tempted to gossip, remind me of your desire for me to to speak well of people and make me a blessing rather than a discouragement.” It’s important for us to realize that we cannot escape temptation on our own, no matter how “good” we are or how much self-control we have. We are fully dependent upon the Holy Spirit who lives in Christians to give us eyes that see temptation coming and feet to escape it.
“For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever, Amen.” Technically, this isn’t in the Lord’s Prayer in Scripture and therefore some traditions don’t say this when they recite the Lord’s Prayer. This simply is a way of closing out the prayer while again declaring God’s holiness and sovereignty. We pray for God’s kingdom and power and glory to be lifted up and made more beautiful in the eyes of all people. “Amen” is an expression that means “So be it” or “Make it so.” By closing our prayers with “Amen,” we are declaring that we truly believe that God has heard everything we have said and that He will do it.
I hope this has been a helpful look into the Lord’s Prayer. Please feel free to ask any questions as a comment below and I’ll do my best to reply with an answer. Martin Luther’s “Small Catechism” has a section on the Lord’s Prayer which is really good, I highly recommend it for those of you who might be looking to read a bit more.
Note: If you like this post, you might be interested in checking out some of Pastor Mike’s favorite blog posts.
EBC Norfolk Youth 
Good stuff Mike! Thank you for taking the time to do that. I was going to take a stab at it myself but you beat me to it. Much appreciated!
Thank you so much mike! This is exactly what I was looking for!
Thank you so much for this.
You’re very welcome, I’m glad it was helpful.
In section “ hallowed be thy name “ the words be and by are used. Typo or ? There is an interesting change to the meaning if you use one vs the other.
Tanx so much Pastor Mike bcos it has helped me in my childen’s ministry. God bless u so much.
I have said the Lord’s prayer as I fall asleep at night for years, but I appreciate your teaching that the Lord was telling us HOW to pray … that is even more meaningful. it adds a new dimension to the prayer.
I’m thankful you found this commentary helpful. Keep on praying…
Thank you so very much for taking the time to explain the Lord’s Prayer.
You made it easy to ins understand.
God Be with you always and forever in your heart!
Sincerely yours,
Beth Ann Elizabeth Hummel
Hi Beth Ann, I’m thankful this explanation helped you.
You do understand that all he did was break down a prayer…
Hello: this was so helpful to me !!! Means alot thanks and this just really helps !! God bless you
I FAILED TO UNDERSTAND
Thank you for the explaination of the LORD’s prayer. i have been thinking how i can explain and understand this this prayer to young children. And I found the one in your message.
Thank you for this, I will be able to use this with my young daughter, who likes saying this prayer before going to sleep every night.
May God continue 2 bless u. I realy now undastand the Lords prayer.
Thank You so much! I was looking for a way to break this down to it’s simplest form to my young children and you have helped greatly. Thanks again.
Most of the time we recite we do not know, that is why it is written that ~my people perish because of lack of knowledge’. Am glad and thankful because one curtain has been removed through your teachings. May God open our spiritual eyes and our understanding.
the memorized prayer is not good why? because some humans didn’t pray through their heart,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
am i correct?
There’s absolutely nothing wrong with memorized prayers so long as you understand what you’re praying. My intention in this post was to help people understand what they are praying when they pray the Lord’s Prayer. I hope this helps clarify your question.
Its hard to pray when your heart is broken, so the words are all you have to start with sometimes, just a thought for the above person
The lecture on the Lords prayer is exhaustive enough but I will like to have more exposition on the mind of the Lord concerning “FORGIVENESS”.
Forgive our sins.. not in Luke 2;4 My bible has it in Luke 11;4.
Thank you. I have been so self conscious when I pray. Am i saying my words correctly, in stead of praying. Understanding this will help me a lot
Great explanation! I have repeated the Lord’s prayer slowly reflecting on the meaning like you have presented and it is an amazing comfort and feeling of peace especially during times of trouble and turmoil. It brings things in perspective by knowing God is in control and His will be done.
I did understand the Lord’s Prayer but this is a very good explaination,
Although Jesus was telling us HOW to pray with an example to follow…I still love the Lord’s prayer in itself & say it every night along with my other prayers in Jesus name, Thy will be done. Thank you.
really helpful! thank you!
Thank you always wanted an explanation especially about temptations and deliverance of it what I needed to know
There has always been one word in The Lord’s Prayer that disturbs me. It is the word “lead”. Perhaps the concept had a different meaning when Jesus was showing an example of how to pray. I hope you can help me. Here is my dilemma. “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil”. The latter part is of true significance, and I understand it. However, my confusion lies in “And lead us not into temptation.” I don’t believe that God would ever “lead” us anywhere that might cause us to sin against Him, as well as, others (depending on the situation). I hope you have insight into what I consider confusing; my reaction is one of great frustration. Any insight you have to offer will be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
Hi Diane, I’m so sorry it’s taken me so long to reply to your comment here, please forgive me.
I’m not entirely sure I understand your question, so if I’ve misunderstood please correct me. What I hear is you asking, “Would God ever lead us into temptation? If not, then why pray that he wouldn’t?”
God does not tempt us, we are tempted by our own sinful desires (James 1:13-14). Following God means we follow by faith.We will be tempted, and we will sin, because we still live with sinful hearts. But we do not live in fear of temptation, instead our focus is in Christ and in the cleansing power of his death and resurrection.
So God does not tempt us, but God does lead us. And I know that my heart can turn even a good thing (“Pastor, good sermon”) into a sinful thing (thinking “I know, I’m God’s gift to the church”). It’s also helpful to remember that being tempted is not a sin, only giving in to that temptation is. Jesus was tempted, but was without sin because he resisted temptation. We don’t want to live in constant fear of sin/temptation; we want to live in freedom because God has overcome sin.
I hope this helps.
why dont jewish people say the lords prayer
What is it about the jewish peoples messiah having to be an acendent of king david and that is why they dont believe in jesus because he had no father?
This is wonderful. When i was a child i was only thought to recite the Lord’s prayers but now i am an adult you just made me to understand the meaning of the Lord’s prayers. It is very helpful to me.
SAME HERE, AS A CHILD OF 5 – LOST COUNT OF HOW MANY TIMES I RECITED PATER NOSTER AND BECAME VERY STRESSED OUT – ALWAYS RECITED ONE EXTRA FOR JUST IN CASE – RADIO VATICAN HELPED A LOT RECITING IN SYNCH WITH BROADCAST.
THEN CAME THE ULTIMATE RELIEF – AN EVANGELICAL PASTOR A BAPTIST PUT AN END TO NIGHTMARES. BUT EVEN NOW, AGED 62 IT’S A PLEASURE TO BROWSE THROUGH THESE LINES AND DISCOVER NEW TREASURES OF MEANING – BLESS YOU ALL
Very good teachings however ““For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever, Amen.” ” is a part of the Lord’s Prayer according to :
Matthew 6:9-13
King James Version (KJV)
9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
10 Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our daily bread.
12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
You might would want to revise that part of your commentary God Bless and keep teaching the Glorious Word of God
Not attempting to be disrespectful but Luke 2:4 (KJV) says: And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:)
and not “Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us.” according to your commentary re; Luke 2:4
the Lord’s prayer that you quoted is found in Luke 11th chapter verses 1-4 King James Version
Luke 11: 1-4
1 And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.
2 And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.
3 Give us day by day our daily bread.
4 And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.
God Bless
Thank you for your explanation, it is appreciated. I do have one question though. Why is it “And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil. ” Instead of “And lead us not into temptation; and deliver us from evil.” But means exception, no? Wouldn’t we want not to lead us into temptation AND deliver us for evil? Thank you for any insight.
Great question. The Greek conjunction translated as “but” could also be translated as “and” depending on context. The biblical scholars who did the translation determined to translate it as a cobras tic conjunction (“but”), but that’s not to exclude the additional meaning that you’re pointing out. Does that make sense?
I’m studying prayer and came across your blog. I’m confused by this statement: “This doesn’t mean that people who are dying of starvation aren’t praying enough (but it does mean that others aren’t praying “your will be done” enough!).” I think you are trying to say that bad things that happen to people are not necessarily due to a lack of faith or problem with the prayers of the people they happen to. But it seems even more wrong that bad circumstances are due to lack of faithfulness in others, who aren’t affected by those circumstances! Then by that logic, I guess good things that happen (like having enough to eat, for example) shouldn’t be a reward for the faithfulness or prayers of the people who receive them either. So if God already knows your heart, and the good or bad circumstances of your life are not connected to your prayer, what would be your motivation for praying for things you need or want to happen? Also, does prayer affect the world or events in any way, or does God already have a plan in motion? Is prayer primarily a way to worship and relate with God? Thanks
Hi Emily, thanks for your great questions. What I was getting at with that quote is simply the reality that we have a responsibility to care for each other. If more of us prayed “your will be done” and lived accordingly then the world would look much different and there would be much less suffering. That’s not to say that all suffering would end, but issues like world hunger would be drastically reduced if world leaders all worked to ensure everyone had what they need. Instead, much of the Western world keeps working to amass more and more while the Third World suffers. If we as Western Christians together prayed and lived out “your will be done” then I think our eyes would be more fixed on others’ needs rather than our own wants. In that way, there would be much less suffering. Obviously, this wouldn’t eliminate sicknesses and cancer and other issues like that, but I think this should clarify what I meant.
Regarding prayer & God’s sovereignty and foreknowledge… volumes of books have been written about this so I don’t think a comment on this blog post will “solve” the mystery, but here’s my two cents. We pray because God is sovereign in an control. If He wasn’t, then prayer is futile and is only for mental peace, but it wouldn’t actually do anything. We do not bend God’s arm in prayer, as if we’re manipulating him or forcing him to do what we ask; but he does call us to pray and he does promise to act when we pray. Sometimes he says “yes,” sometimes, “no,” sometimes “not yet.” Every prayer is an act of submission and trust, not a command we are giving God… a “commanding prayer” is not a prayer at all, but an attempt to take God’s throne rather than a recognition that we live under his authority.
I know there are may more related questions and clarifications that could be addressed here, but they’ll need to wait for another time since it’s such a vast and complex question you’re asking.
Wow – what a powerful exchange – Emily fielding this ”that’s the question” strike.
Pastor Mike making a dignified retreat and going over and out.
The brutal truth could be that we can NOT figure out the ways of the LORD.
For the LORD GOD is beyond our ken.
Moreover when we try to figure out and question the ways of the LORD our GOD, it may well be that we should go and read Genesis 3:5 again.
Fortunately we can go straight to John 3:16 thereafter.
I would like to give you a different slant on the information that is always and forever the same. Jesus Christ was simply a man who was enlightened , this is the reason why he often referred to himself as the “Son of Man” to show us that he was just like you and I. O.k,, let me break it down to the best of my ability.
~Our father which art in heaven:
Jesus referred to the power that he discovered within him as the “Father”, the one creative force that inhabits all things, also referred to as the Infinite Creator. Keep in mind that within a creator that is infinite, it cannot harbor “one” or “many” because these are finite concepts. The only way to quantify an Infinite Creator is “all that is” or “unity”. , Jesus went on to explain that heaven is not a place that you go when you die, but it is within you. Not only is it within, it is at hand!
~Hallowed be thy name:
The name of the Creator is “I AM”! I AM, is the center of every being on the planet. The only way to refer to yourself, is to refer to the Creator. As a matter of fact, every time that you introduce yourself, unknowingly you announce yourself as the Creator or I AM first. Example, I am Billy, nice to meet you. Remember, you were made in the image of the Creator. An image is a reproduction of the original. God said ” I will make me another me”. Furthermore, an omnipresent being is at all places at all times.
~Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven:
We are in a level of existence where thoughts become physical things. “so a man thinkith, so a man is”, is the way that Jesus expressed it. This is the reason why you should never use the lords name in vain, “I am sad”, “I am sick:, “I am tired” ect. It will become part of your physical experience on earth because it was confirmed in heaven, or within you.
~Forgive our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us:
This is very difficult to explain. The Infinite Creator is actually a singularity that shines through individuals as being separate, but its actually one being interacting with itself. Jesus uses the analogy of the vine and branch, the whole tree is the Creator. All things are one thing, and one thing is actually all things. When you hurt another person, you have done it to yourself. When you judge another person, you have judged yourself. When you forgive another person, you have forgiven yourself.
More to come later.
Hi Billy,
I don’t think this is much of a surprise, but we pretty strongly disagree. I appreciate that you read this explanation and that you contributed your perspective, but we’re to Jesus in completely different ways. Your description of Jesus is very Hindu and makes him seem like a guru, and that’s simply not who the biblical Jesus is. I doubt it would be helpful for me to share my point-for-point response to what you wrote (if you’d like to have that dialogue then let me know and I’d be happy to correspond with you via email).
My biggest question would be: What do you do with Jesus’ death and resurrection? Is it a historical fact, or mere fiction?
Pastor Mike,
Thank you for your response, and I figured that you would have a different interpretation of the lords prayer. I would love to hear your point for point response. Please keep in mind that there is no right or wrong in dealing with a topic that is infinite in nature, only deeper levels of understanding. Actually, infinite levels of understanding.
As to your question, the death and resurrection is a fact. However, that topic is even more complex and would require a much deeper insight.
Here’s my fairly quick, point-for-point breakdown, as requested. I don’t have tons of time today to reply, but here’s my best (quick) shot… 🙂
1. I am not the Father, and I am not in Heaven. You wrote that heaven is like a state of being that we can experience now. You also wrote that “I AM is the center of every being on the planet.” These are patently unChristian statements, and, in fact, are very Hindu (or Buddhist, depending on which branch of Buddhism you’re talking about). The Creator is distinct from the created, just I am different from the sandwich I ate for lunch, and my children are different-yet-similar to me and my wife.
2. Jesus referred to himself as the “Son of Man” to point to himself as the promised-Messiah. Daniel 7:13-14 were well known prophecies in Jesus’ day, which were hundreds of years old by then, and Jesus identified himself as this “Son of Man” who was sent as the promised King and Savior. If Jesus is, as you say, “simply a man who was enlightened” then all Christians are greatly to be pitied and openly mocked as stupid fools who have totally misunderstood the very essence of their faith for the last 2000 years.
3. Your quote “so a man thinketh, so a man is” is actually from Proverbs 23:7 (not from Jesus), and that translation is even a marginal reading. Most Bible translators do not translate the original Hebrew the way the King James Bible (which you quoted) does. The passage’s context simply points to the truth that what we believe about ourselves will impact how we live. This does not mean that my thoughts themselves actually create reality. If I think “I am rich, I am rich, etc.” that doesn’t mean I can go out and buy all sorts of things and trust that the money will be there to pay for them. If I get cancer and I want to think in my heart that it will go away without any medical treatment at all, then I am only deceiving myself. God answers prayer, and God still does miracles… but they are “miracles” because they are abnormalities from the created design of things.
4. Sin is real, I am not you, and you are not me. You write, “All things are one thing, and one thing is actually all things.” This reflects the Hindu, “tat twam asi” teaching (“thou art that”). We are not all the same atman, we are not the same. We are all created in the image of God, which has been broken (not completely lost, but broken and twisted and warped) because of sin. When we sin against each other it is a real offense against a real other person and against a real God who will really judge me for my sin. These offenses are not merely perceived-offenses, but actual transgressions against someone else who has dignity as a man/woman created in the image of God. When someone hurts me, it is not enough for them to simply forgive himself without coming to me to apologize and make things right; and it is not enough to only come to me, but they must also be forgiven against the Creator they have sinned against by wounding and offending what He has created. Sin is real. This is why God entered the created world through Jesus Christ: in order to bear our guilt upon himself so that those who would believe on him and receive forgiveness might be given new hearts and new life.
Unless we realize we are under God’s judgement because of sin then we cannot receive his grace through Jesus Christ. I pray that this is helpful to show just how much we disagree over these absolutely essential truths.
I love this thank you God bless
The “I am’s” coming out of your mouth will either bring success or failure. All through the day the power of “I am” is at work. We make a mistake…”I am so clumsy”, we look in the mirror…”I am so old”, we someone who is talented…”I am so average”, we get caught in traffic…”I am so unlucky”, many times we use the power of “I am” against us. We don’t realize we are building our future. Principle: “what follows the I AM will always come looking for you”. When you say “I am so clumsy” clumsiness comes looking for you, when you say “I am so old” wrinkles comes looking for you. Whatever you follow the I AM with you are handing it an invitation, you are opening the door giving it permission to be in your life. ~JOEL OSTEEN
I AM JUST TRYING TO SHOW YOU MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS THE POWER THAT IS WITHIN YOU. THE TRUE IDENTITY OF THE CREATOR, AND COMMONALITY THAT HUMANITY SHARES. I ASK YOU PASTOR MIKE, IF YOU HAD AMNESIA AND HAD NO RECOLLECTION OF YOUR LIFE…IF I ASKED YOU…WHO ARE YOU, WHAT WOULD YOUR ANSWER BE?
I AM
THIS IS THE GOD IN HEAVEN THAT WE ALL SEEK TO KNOW.
We’ll have to agree to disagree…
Additionally, if I had amnesia and asked me that question I think I’d answer, “I don’t know!” 🙂
Thought this was part of the existentialist movement… “I exist therefore I am.” John Paul Sartre. Yea and no duh and how does this help? And their reply is we are all doomed to die but I can’t accept that. Then came the religious existentialists… We are doomed but can find salvation in God “in this absurd world.” Maybe I’m just blind to reality but for some reason, I know, I truly know n there is something beyond me. My wife, my children and my grandchildren and their future heirs have purpose… Life is bewildering and confusing but it isn’t absurd. I will find out soon enough and I have personally felt the power of Christ. But then perhaps I am deluded… Better deluded and happy then die in this absurd world in a miserable state… which was the answer Socrates gave when asked about the next world.
Mike, I am an Episcopalian and we, at least I prefer to address my priest, even Bishop by their name. I say this so as to show I mean you no disrespect. I have enjoyed the repartee between you and Billy. In actuality I agree a bit with Billy. Jesus was an enlightened man, not in the sense that Buddhists seek enlightenment but was enlightened by God. This is because He is God in the Trinity. Enough of that before opening a new can of worms… To my question; do you think that Christians actually know what we are saying when we pray, “forgive us our trespasses (sins) AS we forgive others?” How many times have I heard someone say I will never forgive you (them?) Are we not setting ourselves up for failure? As to “lead us not into temptation” lead means to guide or go with showing the way. To me this passage says to God, “you are always with me, do not allow me to go down the wrong path with you by my side.” Just some thoughts.
JohnB
Sorry, one question. Constantine convened the Council of Nicea (resulting in our Nicene Creed) partly because of the colntroversy of whether Jesus was born man and became God or was boern God and became man. What are your thoughts?
Hi John, I’m so sorry I haven’t replied until now. I’ve kind of left this blog mostly dormant for the last few months and am now just re-engaging with it. I have written about Christology (theology of who Jesus is) in a blog post here: https://ebccrosswalk.wordpress.com/2010/05/14/lwayg-we-believe-in-jesus-christ-the-god-man/
Please read the above post and let me know if that helps clarify my understanding of what the Bible says about Jesus.
Thank you so very much , God has heard my prayers and after a long time, now is the right time for me to accidentally come across your email address . This is exactly what I was looking for, you have given me a reason to open my laptop everyday, all I wanted to learn about the Lord is right before me now. thank you, eve
Kindly refer John Wesley writings about our lords prayer.It will help everyone to understand better.
thank you mike ,I`m grateful to know I can get some insight of whats ,what. I`ll put you in my favorites so I will always have a place to get some questions answered thank you anonymous
Im not Christian but this helped me in a assignment
Outstandingly insightful bless you, I believe your followers could possibly just want far more items such as this continue the superior hard operate.
Reblogged this on Womanofaith’s Blog.
I found the explanation of the Lord’s Prayer very educative and clear to explain it to any person who needs the explanation. it is also true that most of us are or has been residing it without a full understanding.
Thank you very very much, you are the best ! M
Thank you very much, it was exactly what I needed.
I’m so glad the post was helpful! Thanks for visiting the blog. Let me know if you have any other questions.
Thank you so much! I have been struggling helping my confirmation aged child with the Lords’ prayer. Frankly the Small Catechism explanations are not that clear. I wish you could have broken it down in to the different petitions. But this will help a great deal.
Thanks Val, I hope this is helpful despite my breakdown not perfectly following the Smaller Catechism’s format. Let me know if there’s anything that comes up for which you’d like further clarification.
Thank you for this helpful commentary. Just one question …When and who added the conclusion or ‘doxology’ .. ” for thine is the kingdom and the glory forever, amen”?
I heard this in church today, but you have explained it so much better, and I can read it again and again, but my notes in church did the oral explanation no service! Thank you!
Nice clear, lucid explanation. I found this while thinking about how could I help my sons to discover the power and the glory of their own intellects. Can you say a little bit more about how the last stanza of the lord’s prayer is not in scripture (where did it come from? when was it added? by whom?) Thanks.
I’d like to point you to this article for more about the final doxology of the Lord’s Prayer. It is such an early addition to the biblical text that many translations include it but put it in brackets, while others omit it and put it in the footnotes. You can read more here: http://www.bibleodyssey.org/en/passages/related-articles/manuscripts-of-the-lords-prayer.aspx.
Thank you so much for the help. I have an essay due tomorrow and this was a HUGE help and even better I understand much more what I am saying when I say the Lord’s Prayer.
Thank you so very much. I appreciate you and God bless!
Hi pastor Mike in the lords pray is there a mention of angel? In my bible study class we are learning about angels and they say it is but am reading it and i don’t see it so can you help me. Thank you.
“deliver us from evil” that translation from Greek is not quite accurate.
In Greek (the New Testament was written in Greek), that part says “deliver us from the evil one”; referring here to Lucifer, the devil..
Very clear understanding. Thank you sir.
You say that “For thine is the kingdom…….” is not in scripture. It is in Matthew: 6:13 🙂
I just want to know why it makes ANY sense at all to need to “break down” the prayer which a Christian is supposed to recite whether they understand their own words or not? How is it possible that a child must reiterate any phrase that s/he doesn’t understand the true meaning of?
If I did believe in a God, or in the stories others wrote about Him then how would it serve me to recite words that are not my own, and why would my God even desire me to do so knowing how little these words meant to me?
That makes it aback exercise in redundancy and declares me incapable of the very thing which makes me human; my logic, or my ability to reason.
Why would the creator, who I’m told is all-knowing, ever seek to rid me of exactly the gift He gave me in making me a human in the first place? Further, why would it require words – the use of which makes this prayer into an advertisement or declaration rather than a sincere request – if He were truly all-knowing He would know my thoughts and beliefs without the necessity of other humans’ bearing witness.
This page is an enormous contradiction, as is so much of faith. Please don’t take offense, as I am only asking you to enlighten me as to what I must apparently be missing. I’m a very well reasoned Agnostic, perhaps anti-theist even, who is open to being enlightened so long as I can make sense of things using logic and reason. To say that we must abandon those faculties in order to belief in, or have faith in our creator is to say that He made a mistake in our creation.
I am hopeful that Pastor Mike can both understand what I mean by this as well as explain to me my errors. If the responses to this inquiry are no more than shun and disgust then my time will have been wasted and those who offer such ignorance as answers will have proven themselves incapable of the very tenets they are expected to espouse to. This unabashed loyalty to the group which offers no more than shame and insult to those of us seeking to understand is the least godly (as defined by Christianity) activity one could ever exemplify and gives only credence to such doubt.
I do hope that I’ve found a Pastor who understands my question and the statements within. I have a myriad of experience with the opposite which has served to strengthen such doubt and even make it seem nearly futile to even ask for such guidance.
That points directly toward a deliberate unwillingness to include others and, further, the direct opposite of all that Christians espouse to. I find it sad that such hypocrisy has been engrained in the minds of those who most loudly proclaim their own understanding and acceptance of these questions and I desire to see that belief be proven incorrect by anyone, as it forces me to pity those who would blindly propagate the tenets of such a hypocrisy.
I’ll appreciate all sincere contributions while refusing to take part in vitriolic and idiotic argument as if it’d lead to anything productive for anyone at all (beyond serving to stroke the ego of the ignoramus).
Thank you in advance for any consideration and time you might give me Pastor Mike!
Jason, brevity and humility are blessed. Perhaps you haven’t heard back from others because you could write with far fewer words without losing any meaning, and the words you have written are very condescending (“I hope you understand my questions and the statements within”). If you want an honest dialogue, then great. If you want to write long comments that cast accusations, then I’m not interested.
My only other comment for now is this: This post on the Lord’s Prayer clearly says it is not a prayer that should be mindlessly repeated. I explained it line-by-line exactly so that people would know the meaning to the prayer. This very article is a response to your question, which makes me wonder if you’ve read the article at all or if you are searching for arguments.
If you reply with kind and honest questions, we can continue. If you reply with the same verbose and “smarter than thou” attitude in your original comment then this will be the last you will hear from me.
Pastor Mike,
I apologize, and I can see how my long-winded question came across as insincere or argumentative and that is probably a habit worth breaking (too much argument online I’m sure). However I am sincerely asking, and do value your opinion because of how well you broke down the prayer itself. So please ignore the above “rant” of mine and I will start with a more direct and singular inquiry in hopes of ano answer.
That is; how would it serve me to recite words that are not my own, and why would God desire me to do so knowing how little these words meant to me?
I am grateful for your time and the simple fact that you responded, now understanding how that first attempt came across.
Thank you!
Jason
Hi Jason, glad to see we can have a productive dialogue. Thanks for the apology, let’s move on…
The Lord’s Prayer was given by Jesus in response to his disciples asking, “Lord, teach us how to pray.” Therefore, the Lord’s Prayer was given as instruction about how to pray. Because of this, it’s important for us to understand the different petitions of the Lord’s Prayer in order to understand what Jesus was teaching about how we should pray.
One of the other common patterns to summarize Christian prayer is the acronym A.C.T.S. This stands for Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication. These are all different postures in which we approach God through prayer, and they are all reflected in the Lord’s Prayer. They can all be aspects of the same prayer, or maybe your prayer focuses on only one of them, but if you consistently only pray one of these types of prayer then the Lord’s Prayer offers a corrective to remind you that prayer is more than your narrow practice.
Additionally, if you “recite words that are not your own” and don’t know what they mean, then you haven’t prayed at all, you’ve merely repeated another person’s words. On the other hand, I have a few books of prayers that have greatly helped me in my own prayer life because no one experiences the Christian life in a completely unique way. Christianity is a shared faith in Christ, not a unique/private relationship that stands apart from everyone else. Because I worship the same Christ that Christians have worshipped throughout Church History, there is much I can learn from them about how they approached God through prayer. While there is no magic power in repeating other people’s words, I can learn from their prayers and those prayers can then lead me in prayer before God.
I apologize if this is a bit rambling, but it is the best way I could think of to offer a quick response without taking days to reply.
Yes! (I want to yell “Amen!” but fear it’d be misconstrued as insulting, having made my beliefs known the way I did to start – haha!) That’s what I was asking for! Thank you Pastor!
So I am confident that I have found a Christian Pastore who can and will have this conversation with me! That’s awesome!
I do not wish to “hijack” this thread by asking anything irrelevant to the article, but I definitely want to continue to hear your thoughts and explanations on other, somewhat similar questions, such as this one (asked inside the unbearable rant I began with):
“Why would the creator, who I’m told is all-knowing, ever seek to rid me of exactly the gift He gave me in making me a human in the first place?”
I only ask here, now, because I think you might like to give your answer where all who come across my above rant might see it, but I completely understand if you prefer to point me in the direction of another place which suits that particular topic better… ithe us your blog after all, and I do not mean to take it off topic.
Extremely grateful for the insight!
Jason
I’d rather point you to the “Got a Question?” tab where you can submit as many questions as you’d like. I do sort through those submissions as I prepare upcoming blog posts.
As I wrote above, “brevity is blessed.” At the same time, clarification is essential… especially if I’m to answer a question sufficiently (otherwise I’ll be answering a question you aren’t really asking in the first place). So if you want to submit your question as future blog post you can go here http://wp.me/3YIFX (same as the “Got a Question” tab above).
Here are a few good prayer books I’ve personally used:
Everyday Prayers (this has one prayer for each day of the year and clearly emphasizes how the gospel shapes the Christian’s life and relationship with God) https://goo.gl/2SNzbT
Valley of Vision (This is a collection of Puritan prayers, and they definitely sound old. Their form is fairly poetic in the structure and very theological in their content, but they have been very helpful in considering who God is, who I am as a saved-sinner, and what my relationship with God looks like because of Christ.) https://goo.gl/ccunlN
The Songs of Jesus: A Year of Devotions in the Psalms (This is a daily devotional with a reading from the Psalms, a short meditation to connect the Psalms to life today, and a prayer-prompt for your consideration. If you are serious about discovering more about prayer, reading the Bible and cultivating a daily time of prayer is the way to go… this book would help point you in the right direction) https://goo.gl/GNzwij
I had a friend once (we were both computer science grad students) and he was a baptist, and also a captain in the US Army. One day he told me, “When I go to church I want to be told just how to pray, exactly what to do, how to do things right.” I was shocked at his attitude. This might be the mindset of some people, but it certainly is not the mindset of everyone, America’s great strength is from our diversity of thought and our originality. I came to this website to learn what this iconic prayer means ~ it had become (unintentionally) memorized, even though I have been to church only 15x in my life. I want to encourage my kids to explore religion and wanted to discuss this prayer with them from an abstract / semantic standpoint.
Prayer is an expression to God of one’s worship, love, fears, anxieties, and desires. Those cannot be neatly wrapped up in a tidy package with a bow as if, “pray this prayer just right and then it will work.”
Prayer is not like a coin in a vending machine, and if you pump in enough coins then pull the lever you get what you want. God is holy, he cannot and will not be manipulated. But he is also “our Father” who loves to hear from his children and delights in giving them good gifts. Christian prayer holds his Holiness and his Fatherhood in equal measure.
“ithe us” should be “it is”*, sorry!
Also, can you recommend one of those prayer books? Preferably one which I can find easily on Amazon or at a bookstore, for instance?
I’m very serious about understanding as much as possible about this subject and I don’t want to make you write your own book just to try and help me do so.
Thanks again!
Jason
I will submit my off-topic questions there then, perhaps not tonight though…
Thanks for both the responses as well as the book recommendations! I’m really looking forward to hearing more from you on these questions!
Until then…
All the best, always!
Jason
I just realized this was posted on my older blog… I now blog at living theologically.com and have this same post on the Lord’s Prayer cross-posted there. You’ll find that website far more helpful… that’s all for tonight. Hope to hear from you again.
Thank you brother Mike God bless.