Pray Like This
“Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day 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 evil.”
FATHER, NOT DISTANT JUDGE
Jesus teaches us to begin by calling God Father — Christian prayer is born out of relationship, not out of trying to persuade a distant, unknown deity.
HALLOWED BE YOUR NAME
Before any personal request, the prayer begins by honoring who God is — his own name comes first, above any need of ours.
OUR DAILY BREAD
The request is for today, not a year's stockpile — Jesus teaches a daily dependence, renewed each morning, not a reserve of self-made security.
FORGIVENESS TIED TO FORGIVENESS
The request for forgiveness comes tied to a willingness to forgive others — Jesus doesn't separate receiving grace from passing it on to those who owe us.
DELIVER US FROM EVIL
The prayer ends asking for protection, not confidence in one's own strength — Jesus teaches his disciples to admit they need rescue, not just guidance.
PRAY THIS PRAYER SLOWLY
Act: Pray the Lord's Prayer today slowly, phrase by phrase, pausing at each request to bring something specific from your life before moving to the next.