1-28-2026
When Jesus’ disciples wanted to learn how to pray, the simply asked Jesus to teach them to pray. Matthew records Jesus’ response, which we refer to as, “The Lord’s Prayer”. Perhaps it would be better named “the Model Prayer,” since Jesus was using this prayer as a pattern for His disciples to follow. 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. Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.”
Many people misunderstand the Lord’s Prayer to be a prayer we are supposed to recite word for word. Some people treat the Lord’s Prayer as a magic formula, as if the words themselves have some specific power or influence with God. The Bible teaches the opposite. God is far more interested in our hearts when we pray than He is in our words. Thus, the Lord’s prayer is more of a pattern for prayer. Here is how it breaks down.
*“Our Father in heaven” is teaching us whom to address our prayers to—the Father.
*“Hallowed be your name” is telling us to worship God, and to praise Him for who He is.
*”Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” is a reminder to us that we are to pray for God’s plan in our lives and the world, not our own plan. We are to pray for God’s will to be done, not for our desires.
*Give us today our daily bread” teaches us to pray for our needs.
*“Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors” reminds us to confess our sins to God and to turn from them, and also to forgive others as God has forgiven us.
*“And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one” is a plea for help in achieving victory over sin and a request for protection from the attacks of the devil.
So, again, the Lord’s Prayer is not a prayer we are to mindlessly recite back to God. It is only an example of how we should be praying. There is nothing wrong with memorizing the Lord’s Prayer or with praying the Lord’s Prayer back to God – as long as your heart is in it and you truly mean the words you say. Remember, in prayer, God is far more interested in our communicating with Him and speaking from our hearts than He is in the specific words we use.
Prayer is critical to our relationship with God. Every relationship in life depends on good communication, especially our relationship with God. He communicates with us through the Bible and other means, and we communicate with Him through prayer. So keep it up. Even when you feel like your prayers are “going nowhere”, I can assure you that God hears them. As you continue to pray, your relationship with our Heavenly Father will continue to grow stronger every day.