Have you ever wondered HOW to pray? I’m sure you already knew that you should pray, but that’s the easy part. How to pray is where it gets tough. It sure is a good thing Jesus left instructions in the Lord’s Prayer, saying “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.’”
Matthew 6:9-13
But what does this prayer really mean, and why should you pray it (other than the fact that Jesus told you to)?
This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. See my full disclosure here.
Related post: How to Pray God’s Blessing Over Your Life
Beginning the Lord’s prayer
The context of scripture matters. When you pray the Lord’s Prayer, you need to remember the reason Jesus instructed His followers to pray this prayer in the first place.
This prayer takes place in the middle of the Sermon on the Mount, and Jesus is instructing a crowd on how to pray. The first thing to note is that Jesus was instructing a large crowd… AKA you. Jesus was talking to everyone from day laborers, to mothers, to the rich and wealthy. He did not discriminate against those who came to hear Him teach. He had a place for everyone who wanted to hear. Jesus was talking to those who were hungry to hear His words. He was talking to those who already believed He was the Christ. He was also talking to those who would never believe that He is the way, the truth, and the life.
Jesus calls you to pray the Lord’s prayer
More importantly, Jesus was speaking to you. He had your days planned out before the creation of the world. He knew you would have the questions, the doubts, and the uncertainties BEFORE you were born. And guess what, He welcomes those because it can be through those questions that you draw near to Him. Then He can draw near to you. Because of this, Jesus gave you the Lord’s prayer so that you can talk to God even when you don’t know what to say.
This, then, is how you should pray
Before Jesus even instructs His followers on how to pray, He tells them how not to pray. He says “Don’t be like those who have lengthy prayers in order to sound right with me. Their hearts are actually far from me. For even though you, my child, are looking to the outward appearance, to the thing you can see, I am looking at your heart. I desire mercy, not sacrifice. I desire a heart that is humble and loves me, not one that is proud with the knowledge they have stored up for themselves” (Paraphrased).
Jesus desires a personal relationship with you. That is why he says not to be like those who seem like they know all the right things to say. That is why Jesus instructs us on how to pray. He knows that we become self-conscious in front of our Creator God. He knows that you long to say all the right things with the right Spirit, but you don’t know where to start.
Jesus gives you the words to say as a building block to grow in your relationship with Him – just as you have the Holy Spirit to intercede for you through wordless groans when you don’t know how to pray or what to say.
So Jesus begins… (the famous Lord’s Prayer)
Our Father in heaven
OUR Father… In the same way that God wants a personal relationship with you, God wants a communal relationship with you as well. Not only are you supposed to gather together with other believers to encourage one another, but you are also supposed to acknowledge the Trinity when you pray. OUR father. Here is Jesus praying with us, saying God is both your father and mine. When you pray OUR Father, you are also inviting Jesus and the Holy Spirit in as well.
God is your Father (in Greek, father is pater), so when you pray “our Father” you are praying to the creator, upholder, and ruler of the stars, earth, and moon. God is also the creator, preserver, guardian, and protector of all rational and intelligent beings, both angels and mankind.
But perhaps, most importantly, when you are praying to your Father, you are praying as someone who (through Christ) has an intimate relationship with God. So when you pray “Our Father in heaven” remember that God desires an individual and communal relationship with you. Remember that God is a good father, who loves you and protects you, and has reconciled you to Him.
Hallowed be your name
When you say that God’s name is hallowed, you are saying that is it Holy, set apart, and Sanctified. The Greek word used here is hagiazo, which also means to purify “by expiation, freeing you from the guilt of sin, and by internal renewing us the soul.” When you pray hallowed be your name, you are not only saying that He is Holy and set apart, but you are also thanking God for cleansing you and forgiving you of your sins.
The Greek word for name is onoma and it encompasses everything which the name covers, meaning every thought or feeling that is aroused in the mind by mentioning, hearing, remembering that name.
So when you pray “hallowed be your name” you are giving glory to God for being Holy, and you are reflecting on His goodness.
Related post: Who will go before? Revealing God’s glory.
Your kingdom come
God’s kingdom… One of my favorite sayings is: “If it doesn’t matter for eternity, does it really matter at all.” This always brings arguments and offenses into perspective as I am reminded that my purpose is to give glory to God and lead others into His kingdom.
God’s kingdom is here and now. Jesus made that clear many times as he walked on the earth, saying “Repent for the kingdom of heaven has come” (Matthew 4:17). If God’s kingdom is already here, then why did Jesus tell you to pray for it to come? Jesus said this so that you could prepare your heart and mind for the kingdom. Jesus said this as a way of helping yourself check your motives and perspective throughout the day.
Come, in Greek, is erchomai. One of the definitions of erchomai is to be established and to become know.
When you pray “your kingdom come” pray that your perspective can change so that you are focused on God’s kingdom. Pray that God can set His throne in your heart to be established, and your life can reflect His goodness so that He can become known.
Your will be done
A popular question is “How do you know God’s will for your life?” Well, it’s simple. Go to the Bible. God lays out His will, saying: “Do not conform to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Romans 12:2). Part of that renewal is going to the Bible and spending time with God to grow in your relationship with Him.
Ephesians 1:5 says that God predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will. Remember, God chose you before the creation of the world to be Holy and blameless in His sight. The Bible says that God does not want anyone to perish, so we know that part of God’s will is that everyone will come to repentance through Jesus Christ.
When you pray for God’s will to be done, start with this understanding. God wills for everyone to be in relationship with Him, starting with you.
On earth as it is in heaven
Here, you are praying that God’s will be done on earth, just as it is in heaven. In heaven, everyone will be praising God and worshiping Him together. Isaiah 6:3 gives a glimpse of heaven when the seraphim worship, saying “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.” When you pray that it is on earth as it is in heaven, you are praying that you learn to worship as you will in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread
So often, it is easy to worry about tomorrow. But Jesus reminds His followers that the sparrows do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet, your heavenly Father feeds them. Jesus asks “are you not more valuable than they? So why do you worry about tomorrow?” Jesus is saying not to worry about tomorrow, for today had enough trouble of its own.
When the Israelites were wandering in the desert for 40 years, God sent manna (also known as bread) down for them each day, and His only command was that they only take enough for the day, because tomorrow He would provide again. But many of the Israelites decided to keep some overnight, in case they were not given manna the next day. And the manna that they saved up rotted because they did not keep God’s command. God will provide. Think of all the times that God provided for you in the past and reflect on that as you pray this section of the prayer.
Jesus is also known as the bread of life. So when you pray for your daily bread, you are also praying that Jesus goes with you throughout your day.
And forgive us our debts
And Forgive us our debts
This one seems pretty self-explanatory. We like it when others forgive our wrongs. But take a moment to reflect on the sacrifice of Jesus dying on a cross to take your sins upon Himself in order that God might forgive you. When you pray for God to forgive you for your debts, remember the one who took it upon Himself to pay for you.
As we also have forgiven our debtors
This is the only statement in the prayer that Jesus tells His followers to do something. Here, in the middle of a daily prayer, Jesus tells you to forgive anyone who has offended you. Whether that offense was put on you by someone else, or you picked it up, Jesus tells you to lay it down and forgive.
And lead us not into temptation
This is an interesting thing to pray because James says “when tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.”
So why would Jesus tell you to pray this? It is a way of asking God for wisdom to lead you around situations in which you could be tempted. You can either place yourself in situations where temptations abound and it is easy to get caught up in them, or you can remove yourself from the situation altogether, making it easy to flee from the temptation. When you pray for God to deliver you from temptation, you are asking God to help you keep clear of harmful situations as you keep your eyes on Him.
But deliver us from the evil one
One of the ways to be delivered from the evil one is to be in constant communion with the Father. Peter talks about the evil one as a “roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.” When you are praying for deliverance, it could be both future tense and present tense. You pray to be delivered in the future as a way of safeguarding yourself. You admit to God that you are not perfect, but He is, and you will need help when situations arise to know what to do. But you also pray in the middle of a situation as soon as you know that the lion has you in His mouth. God is faithful. He will rescue you from any situation if you reach out to Him with a heart of repentance.
Let’s review the Lord’s Prayer
When you 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”
Stop and reflect on the different lines in the Lord’s prayer. Reflect on all of the ways that God has been faithful in the past. Remind yourself of the greatness and majesty of God. Forgive those who you have something against, and safeguard yourself so that you can stand firm in your walk with God.
[…] Your may also enjoy: How to Pray The Lord’s Prayer Over Your Life […]