So He said to them, “When you pray, say:
Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us day by day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins, For we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one.” Luke 11:1-4 [NKJV]
This model that Jesus taught us to follow when praying is the Lord’s prayer. Let’s break it down sentence by sentence. This way, you will understand the Lord’s prayer as Jesus intended it; and your prayer life will connect to the heart of God.
Our Father. We have a father-child relationship with Him. Beyond being the almighty creator, He relates with us personally, as a parent would their child.
In Heaven. He is lifted up. In a place full of glory and majesty. This is what the Lord says: “Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. [Isaiah 66:1]
Hallowed be thy name. His name is higher than all other names. He is Holy. Jesus reminds us that after approaching God when we pray, the first thing we should do is to praise Him.
Your Kingdom come. May what happens in Heaven also happen on earth. We submit to His rule in every area of our lives.
Your will be done on earth as in Heaven. The perfection, orderliness, and decency may be reflected here as happens in Heaven. Let us align our will/preferences with those of God.
Give us this day our daily bread. He provides to our needs and those of others.
(Philippians 4:6) – Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
With this confidence, we know that He is able to meet all our needs.
Forgive us our debts as we have also forgiven others. We ask God to pardon our sins as we, in turn, forgive those who have wronged us. Jesus was crucified for sins he didn’t commit; in the same vein, we can forgive – even when they’ve not said sorry.
Lead us not into temptation. What the spirit wants is always different from what the body wants. We pray that God may remove us from anything that may displease Him. And we try to drive as far away from the cliff as possible.
Deliver us from the evil one. Ask God to remove you from a bad situation. He will set you free from bondage.