The Lord’s Prayer is a powerful prayer that most all Christians know and have memorized. It has been translated into more than two thousand languages and dialects. There are numerous interpretations of the text, but it basically goes like this:
Pray therefore in this manner:
O our Father who art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass
against us.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.
– Amen.
Let’s dive in, take a closer look, and mediate on each line of this prayer and what it means. We’ll also look at how you can pray this beautiful prayer each day of your life.
My favorite version of the Lord’s Prayer is the New Matthew Bible translation of Matthew 6:9-13 (above). For some reason, I always related better to the word “trespasses” instead of “debts” which is used in most other translations:
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What is the Lord’s Prayer
The Lord’s Prayer, also called “Our Father” Prayer is probably the most well-known prayer and verse of scripture from the Bible. Although regularly used during Catholic services, it is also widely used by other denominations of Christianity.
It is a great way for even brand new Christians most likely can recite the Lord’s Prayer simply because it is such a common prayer they’ve probably heard at some point in their lives.
Why is the Lord’s Prayer So Important
The Lord’s Prayer is the most important prayer for Christians. Taken from the word of God, it is from the longest and most detailed passage from the Bible.
And in it, Jesus gives specific instructions for how His disciples should pray. It provides a blueprint of sorts for the things we should focus on during our regular daily prayers.
And, although it was written so long ago, it is continues to be a guiding prayer for us today.
You can use it to pray before kicking off a group Bible study or when you just can’t think of what to pray about.
If you want to take a deeper dive, you might want to dive into a Bible lesson on the Lord’s Prayer.
Praying the Lord’s Prayer
So, how exactly do you pray the Lord’s Prayer? Of course, you can simply just recite it from your preferred translation.
Just read it (or recite it from memory).
But as you are reading it, stop to meditate on each line of the prayer and what it is saying or calling you to focus on.
Start with Worship and Praise
O our Father who art in heaven,
God is the Almighty. He is the creator of the universe and all things in it. He is the name above all names. Call out to Him to say that He is your Savior and the only one true God.
This verse reminds us to begin our time in prayer with worship and praise for who God is.
Pray for God’s Will
Thy kingdom come thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
When we pray, it is important that we understand that God does answer all prayers, but according to His will, not our own. This verse reminds us to align our hearts with God’s will and put His agenda before our own desires.
Pray for Your Needs
Give us this day our daily bread
God wants us to present our requests to Him. He was us to ask Him to meet our daily needs – no matter how big or how small.
Don’t just ask for “things.” Pray to ask for both spiritual and physical provision. That means asking for things that have more to do with your heart being aligned with His. But it is also ok to ask for the physical things as well (such as a promotion at your job).
Confess Your Sins
And forgive us our trespasses,
Too often, we focus more on our needs during prayer time and completely overlook the opportunity to confess our sins to Him and ask for forgiveness. Confession helps to lift that weight from us. And even though we know He has already forgiven us, confessing to Him reminds us of the sacrifice He made for us to be delivered from our sinful nature.
Forgive Others
as we forgive them that trespass
Forgiving others is a true act of love and having a heart aligned with God. We should regularly pray to ask God’s help in forgiving others who have hurt us.
Pray for Protection and Deliverance
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
We face temptation every moment of every day. We need God’s help in remaining strong against these temptations the enemy continually throws our way.
Ask God for His protection for enemy forces and for the strength to avoid areas where the temptations may be stronger.
Praise Him Again
For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
Most common translations end with the deliverance from evil, but the NMB translation has this verse at the very end which reminds us to also end our prayers with more praise and worship to God.
Starting and ending our prayers with praise and worship help us keep our eyes fixed on Jesus and not ourselves. It reminds us of His greatness and importance in our lives.
The Lord’s Prayer Printable
If you are looking for a beautiful printable Lord’s Prayer to hang on your wall or to insert into your prayer journal, I’ve created several different designs in various translations for you to use. All the ones shown on this page can be found in this Printable Lord’s Prayer folder.
You can use them for yourself (just add it to your prayer journal or Bible study notebook. Or you can share them with friends!
If you are looking for some fun ways to get creative with memorizing the Lords Prayer, you might try this Lord’s Prayer coloring page.
Or, you can meditate on an entire Lord’s Prayer coloring book such as the one shown below!
You cannot be close with Jesus without being humble first – admitting your faults freely before Him so you can receive forgiveness now and peace later.
Praying the Lord’s Prayer is something that everyone should do. If you’re looking for a way to start your day, or want a reminder of what really matters in life, then praying this prayer will help you get on the right track.
It can be hard to remember our priorities when we are busy with work and family obligations. Honestly, any time is the perfect time to use this prayer!
Sometimes it feels like there just isn’t enough time in the day.
But if we take some time each morning to pray together as a family, we may find ourselves starting off better than before and taking care of other responsibilities more easily throughout the rest of the day because all things become clearer in light of eternity!
Be sure to also check out the additional prayer resources:
