“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 forgive our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.” Matt. 6:9–13
The “Lord’s Prayer” is the most well-known prayer in the world. Billions of people repeat it every day, yet far from all of them stop to consider what exactly they are saying. Jesus gave this prayer not as a ritual for mechanical repetition, but as a pattern — a framework that shows what is worth talking to God about and in what order.
A shorter version is found in Luke 11:2–4 — Jesus repeated it when the disciples asked, “Lord, teach us to pray.”
Why Jesus began with the word “Father”
In the religions of that time, gods were usually called Lords, Judges, Power. Jesus began differently: “Father.” This word knocks the idea of a distant, indifferent God out from under our feet. He is not a functionary, but a close Father, with whom we can speak personally. Prayer is not an incantation, but a child’s conversation with a Father.
The word “our” is not accidental either. Jesus did not say “my Father.” By its very structure, the prayer assumes that we come to God together with others — in community, with responsibility for one another.
The seven petitions of the prayer — a step-by-step explanation
Classical church tradition divides the “Lord’s Prayer” into seven petitions. The first three are about God, the next four are about us.
1. “Hallowed be Your name”
The first petition is not about my needs, but about God’s name. “To be hallowed” means to be set apart, to be recognized as holy. We ask that God’s name not be dishonored — that in our life, in our words and actions, God’s name would inspire respect rather than shame.
2. “Your kingdom come”
This is a petition for the coming of God’s reign — already today in our hearts, and finally at the Second Coming of Christ. To pray these words means to agree that God’s kingdom is more important than mine.
“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” Matt. 6:33
3. “Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven”
In heaven, angels do God’s will instantly and gladly. We ask that the same would be true on earth — in our family, church, and country. This petition is hard to say honestly: it means agreeing to let God go deeper than our plans, deeper than is comfortable for us.
4. “Give us this day our daily bread”
Now the second part begins — about us. The first human petition is for daily bread. Not for wealth, not for supplies for years, but for today. Jesus teaches dependence, not self-sufficiency.
5. “And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors”
This petition has a condition. If I do not forgive people, I cannot sincerely ask God for forgiveness — that would be dishonest. In Matthew 6:14–15 Jesus emphasizes this directly: “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.”
6. “And do not lead us into temptation”
A more precise translation is: “do not allow us to fall in testing.”. God does not tempt anyone to evil (James 1:13), but He does allow us to go through trials. We ask for wisdom and strength not to fail where we could.
7. “But deliver us from the evil one”
“The evil one” is the biblical name for Satan. This request acknowledges the reality of spiritual warfare. The prayer ends with trust in God, who is stronger than evil.
The closing phrase, “For Yours is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen,” is a doxology, a verbal acknowledgment of God’s authority. It is absent from the oldest Greek manuscripts, yet it fittingly concludes the prayer and has become part of the worship tradition.
The “Lord’s Prayer” is a model prayer, not a magical formula
Many people recite the “Lord’s Prayer” from memory without reflecting on the words. This makes the prayer meaningless. Jesus warned against this directly:
“And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words.” Matt. 6:7
The value of the “Lord’s Prayer” is not in the number of repetitions, but in understanding. It is better to pray these words once, thoughtfully considering each line, than twenty times automatically.
How to pray the “Lord’s Prayer” today
A few practical steps to bring the prayer to life:
- Pray slowly. Pause at each of the seven petitions and make it specific: “Your kingdom come—in my home, in my work, in this person’s life.”
- Pray in your own words between the petitions. “Give us this day our daily bread…”—add what you truly need today: health, wisdom, patience.
- End in silence. Prayer is not a monologue. Give God time to speak to you through His Word and through your conscience.
- Bring the prayer into daily life. If you ask, “forgive… as we forgive,” then take a step toward forgiving the person who has hurt you.
Ellen White wrote about prayer briefly and precisely: “Prayer is the opening of the heart to God as to a Friend.” The “Lord’s Prayer” is the best beginning for such openness, because it was given to us by Jesus Himself.
What next
If you want to understand any of the petitions of this prayer more deeply, ask a specific question to our biblical AI assistant below. It will provide additional Scripture passages, context, and explanations from an Adventist perspective.
