Jesus‘ disciples saw that prayer was important to him – and had powerful results. They asked him to teach them out to pray.
The prayer Jesus taught them is commonly called the “Our Father” prayer after its opening line. It’s also called The Lord’s Prayer, but a more accurate label would be the disciple’s prayer since it was a prayer for the disciples to pray, not Jesus.
Some people recite the prayer as it is recorded in the Bible, whereas others use it as a template for prayer or illustrative example. The prayer is simple and succinct; it is:
“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, you will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.” [For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen]
The Lord’s Prayer is recorded in Matthew 6:9-13; an alternate version is in Luke 11:2-4.
Key verse about Our Father: This, then, is how you should pray: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name…” Matthew 6:9 NIV)
A lifelong student of the Bible, Peter DeHaan, PhD, wrote the 1,000-page website ABibleADay.com to encourage people to explore the Bible. His main blog and many books urge Christians to push past the status quo and reconsider how they practice their faith in every area of their lives.
