Day 9 of 14
Jesus Teaches Us to Pray: The Lord's Prayer
The Prayer That Contains All Prayers
Scripture Readings
Today's Reading
Read Matthew 6:5-15. Jesus begins with two warnings about prayer: do not pray like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly to be admired, and do not heap up empty phrases like the Gentiles who think they will be heard for their many words. Then He gives the prayer that has shaped Christian worship for two millennia: "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."
Reflection
The disciples watched Jesus pray and asked Him to teach them (Luke 11:1). They did not ask Him to teach them to preach or to heal or to argue theology. They asked Him to teach them to pray. His answer is the Lord's Prayer -- the most prayed words in the history of the world.
Spurgeon called it the prayer above all prayers, containing the marrow and fatness of all true devotion. He believed that anyone who could truly pray the Lord's Prayer needed no other form. Not because other prayers are unnecessary, but because this prayer contains the pattern for all prayer.
Keller unpacks this pattern. The Lord's Prayer is not just a prayer to be recited. Each petition opens a door into a vast room. "Our Father" teaches us intimacy -- we approach God not as a distant deity but as a child approaches a loving parent. "Hallowed be your name" teaches adoration -- we begin by honoring God, not by listing our needs. "Your kingdom come, your will be done" teaches submission -- we align our desires with God's purposes before presenting our own agenda.
Only after three God-centered petitions does the prayer turn to human needs: daily bread (provision), forgiveness of debts (pardon), and deliverance from temptation and evil (protection). The order is deliberate. Prayer that begins with "give me" is prayer that has skipped the foundation. Prayer that begins with "hallowed be your name" puts everything else in its proper place.
Notice too the connection between forgiveness received and forgiveness given. "Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors." Jesus underscores this in verses 14-15: if you do not forgive others, your Father will not forgive you. This is not a condition of earning forgiveness but a sign of having received it. A heart that truly knows grace cannot hoard it.
Going Deeper
Today, pray the Lord's Prayer slowly. At each petition, stop and expand it with your own words. "Our Father" -- thank Him for specific ways He has been a Father to you. "Your kingdom come" -- name a place in your life or community where you long for God's rule. "Give us this day our daily bread" -- bring your specific needs. Let the Lord's Prayer be not a formula but a launching pad.
Key Quotes
“The Lord's Prayer is not just a prayer to be recited. It is a pattern for all prayer. Each petition opens a door into a vast room. 'Our Father' teaches us intimacy. 'Hallowed be your name' teaches us adoration. 'Your kingdom come' teaches us to align our desires with God's purposes.”
“The Lord's Prayer is the prayer above all prayers. It was taught by the Lord of prayer. It contains the marrow and fatness of all true devotion. He who can truly pray the Lord's Prayer needs no other form.”
Prayer Focus
Pray the Lord's Prayer slowly, pausing after each petition to expand it with your own words and specific concerns.
Meditation
Jesus begins with 'Our Father.' Not 'My Father.' Prayer is communal even when prayed alone. How does praying as part of 'our' change the way you approach God?
Question for Discussion
Jesus taught the Lord's Prayer in contrast to both pagan 'heaping up of empty phrases' and religious performance 'to be seen by others.' In what ways do modern Christians fall into these same traps, and how does the Lord's Prayer correct them?