Jesus teaches about prayer in Matthew 6:5-15. The Nelson’s NKJV Study Bible states that what we have come to call The Lord’s Prayer is a set of six verses that form requests. The prayer includes a doxology at the end.
First Three Verses of The Lord’s Prayer
The first three verses are requests for God’s kingdom to come:
Our Father in heaven,
This opening establishes that a person is communicating with God, who is located in heaven. This opening applies to the whole prayer.
Hallowed be Your name.
This verse is not as much a declaration of praise, as it is a request for God to make His name become holy here on earth. The verb "Hallowed" is in the imperative, which would indicate a request for the Lord to be regarded as holy by His people on earth.
Your Kingdom come.
This verse is a simple request for the Lord’s kingdom to come to earth.
Your will be done
This is the third request that God’s will be done here on earth as it is in heaven where He resides.
on earth as it is in heaven.
This conclusion applies to all of the first three requests for God’s kingdom to come - that they all be carried out here on earth as they are in heaven.
Last Three Verses of The Lord’s Prayer
The last three verses are requests for God to meet the needs of His people here on earth while they wait for His kingdom to come.
Give us this day our daily bread.
This verse is a request that God provide for the basic daily needs of His people while they await the coming of His kingdom. He already knows what these needs are.
And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
This verse is a request that God forgive sins and transgressions, just as people will also follow His will and forgive people who sin or transgress against them.
And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.
This final request is that God lead the person away from things that would tempt beyond what can be resisted. And that God show the person the path that He has provided to deliver them from evil.
For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen
This is the doxology that concludes the prayer, giving all honor and glory to God, forever.
Suggestions for Devotion on The Lord’s Prayer
- The individual can use the outline of the prayer to repeat each line, then pause to reflect on what it means for her personal daily life. Jesus meant for this prayer to be a model of how to pray. He did not intend for the prayer to become an empty recitation of words.
- Memorization of the prayer is useful in that it allows the person praying to do so in many different situations - walking, riding a bus, waiting in a waiting room, or settling for sleep.
- When having a devotion with children, each person in the group can repeat a line of the prayer until it is completed. This will help younger children to learn the prayer.
- Children, and adults who choose to, can draw a picture of how one line or group of verses might be represented in their personal life.
For more on praise and worship as a family see Create Daily Family Devotion Time, Family Morning Devotion and Devotion on the Twenty-third Psalm.
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