Therefore, Pray
in This Way

The Lord’s Prayer stands at the very heart of Matthew 6, in the middle of the Sermon on the Mount. Before teaching His disciples how to pray, Jesus first identifies two kinds of misguided prayer. One is the prayer of hypocrites, who stand in synagogues and on street corners so they may be seen by others; the other is the empty repetition of Gentiles, who assume they will be heard because of their many words (Matt. 6:5–8).

The two errors spring from the same root: they misidentify the audience of prayer. Prayer for display makes people its audience, while empty repetition treats God as though He lacks information. Yet Jesus says, “Your Father knows what you need before you ask Him” (Matt. 6:8). Prayer is not a technique for persuading God. It is the place where a child stands before the Father who already knows. On this foundation, the Lord says, “Therefore, pray in this way.”

Prayer was not unfamiliar to the Jewish people of that time. They had established traditions such as prayers offered three times a day and the Eighteen Benedictions, or Shemoneh Esreh. Yet before their Teacher’s prayer, Jesus’ disciples sensed that their own prayers were empty-handed. Luke records their request: “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples” (Luke 11:1). The Lord’s Prayer is the answer to that plea. It does not add yet another layer of religious formality; it reestablishes the center and order of prayer.

“Our Father in Heaven” — Abba

The first word of prayer determines its destiny. Jesus tells us to address God as “Father.” The Aramaic title Jesus Himself used was “Abba,” the most intimate household word with which a young child called to a father. Jesus opened the door of prayer with a title that a devout Jew of that time would scarcely have dared to utter. Then He added, “in heaven.” The relationship is intimate, but never casual. God allows Himself to be addressed as near, yet He remains the One enthroned in heaven. Prayer is built between these two pillars—transcendence and intimacy.

“Hallowed Be Your Name” — Hagiasthētō

“Hallowed be Your name” (hagiasthētō) is a passive imperative. We do not make God holy; we pray that His name, which is already holy, will be regarded as holy throughout the earth. The fact that the first petition concerns not my need but God’s name reveals the order of the Lord’s Prayer. Prayer does not begin by sending my list upward to God. It begins by asking that God’s name be treated with due weight in this world.

“Daily Bread” — Epiousios

“Daily” (epiousios) is a rare word found in the New Testament only in the Lord’s Prayer. It can mean “what is needed for today” or “what is necessary for sustenance,” and it carries the memory of Israel gathering manna each day in the wilderness. God is not One who tells us to fill our storehouses first and then come to Him. Day by day, He places that day’s portion into our hands. Within this word lies the rhythm of prayer—trust one day at a time.

In its context, the Lord’s Prayer also fits precisely into the flow of Matthew 6. The declaration, “Your Father knows” (6:8), is repeated near the end of the chapter as comfort: “Your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things” (6:32). The Lord’s Prayer is situated within a passage that addresses anxiety. The command to seek first His kingdom and His righteousness (6:33) summarizes the first three petitions of the Lord’s Prayer in a single line.

The Lord’s Prayer consists of six petitions, and its structure divides clearly into two parts. The first three are the “Thy” petitions—Thy name, Thy kingdom, Thy will. The final three are the “our” petitions—our bread, our sins, our temptation. Prayer begins with confession directed toward God and then descends to human need. When this order is reversed, prayer becomes not prayer but a list of demands.

Three Petitions Toward God — Name, Kingdom, Will

“Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” This is an eschatological prayer. God’s kingdom has already begun with Jesus Christ, but it has not yet been brought to completion. God’s people, living between the “already” and the “not yet,” pray that His will may be done on earth as it is in heaven. This prayer is not abstract. The entire Sermon on the Mount assumes that the redeemed are called to participate in the work of God’s kingdom on earth, and this petition is the prayer of that mission. We ask that our homes, workplaces, and churches become the “earth” where God’s will is done.

Three Petitions for Us — Bread, Forgiveness, Protection

First, “Give us today our daily bread.” The one who seeks God’s kingdom first may also ask for personal bread. The matter is one of order; praying for bread is not base or unspiritual. Bringing the needs of the body before the Father is the honesty of a child. Yet we pray, “Give us.” This is not a prayer concerned only with filling my own table. It is a prayer that remembers neighbors with whom bread must be shared in due season.

Second, “Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.” The human soul is heaviest because of the burden of sin. The Lord bore that burden in our place on the cross, and therefore we may ask for forgiveness. Yet this petition has a mirror attached to it: “as we also have forgiven.” The law of grace is that the forgiven become people who forgive. Those who refuse to let received grace flow onward have not understood grace. When the forgiveness poured out at the cross comes to a halt within my relationships, the Lord’s Prayer is interrupted there.

Third, “Do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” This is a prayer of humility. Peter, who was confident that he would never fall, denied the Lord that very night. Only those who know their own weakness can pray, “Do not leave me alone.” God does not tempt anyone with evil (James 1:13), but He provides a way of escape in the place of temptation (1 Cor. 10:13). Prayer is not displaying our strength before temptation; it is taking hold of the Father’s hand.

First, examine the order of your prayers. If your prayer begins and ends with the “our” petitions, you need to learn the order of the Lord’s Prayer again. Begin the first sentence of this morning’s prayer with, “Father, may Your name be hallowed.” When the first sentence changes, the center of gravity of the entire prayer changes.

Second, practice trust one day at a time. Asking for daily bread trains us to entrust tomorrow’s anxiety to the Father today. Anxiety is carrying tomorrow’s burden in advance; prayer is receiving today’s portion today. Each evening, count the bread God gave you that day—not only material provision, but also the portion of His Word, peace, and relationships—and give thanks.

Third, settle the accounts of forgiveness. If you recite the Lord’s Prayer while harboring hatred in your heart, there is a rupture between prayer and life. Remember the petition that asks us to be forgiven as we have forgiven. Forgiveness is not something we offer after our emotions have healed; it is a decision made as we remember the grace of the cross. Bring before the Lord today one person whose debt you need to release.

Fourth, guard against temptation through humble self-awareness. The confidence that says, “I am fine,” is the most dangerous doorway to temptation. Those who pray each day, “Do not lead us into temptation,” receive wisdom to avoid the place of enticement before they enter it. Prayer is not only emergency treatment after a fall; it is also prevention before we fall.

Fifth, widen the circle of “us.” The word “I” never appears in the Lord’s Prayer: “our Father,” “give us,” “lead us.” This is the prayer of a community. Even when offered alone, it embraces the whole church and asks for bread, forgiveness, and protection together with our neighbors. When the language of prayer changes to “us,” the way we see the community also changes.

• Discussion 1. Which carries more weight in my prayers: the “Thy” petitions or the “our” petitions? What challenge does the order of the Lord’s Prayer bring to my prayer life?
• Discussion 2. How can the prayer for “daily bread” reshape a habit of anxiety? Share a recent experience in which the Father supplied your “portion for today.”
• Discussion 3. Is there someone who comes to mind when you hear the words, “as we also have forgiven”? Remembering that forgiveness is a decision, what first step can you take this week?

A Prayer We Offer Together. Our Father in heaven, may Your name be hallowed in our homes, our churches, and throughout this land. Let Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us the bread we need today, enable us to pass on to our neighbors the forgiveness we have received, and deliver us in the place of temptation. We pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.