The Lord’s Prayer

Week 1 – Prayer Closet

Practicing private, intentional prayer

Prayer Practice: The Lord’s Prayer

Day 2, Monday, January 5

“This, then, is how you should pray: “‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name…”
—Matthew 6:9

One well known preacher, famously pointed out that the disciple’s didn’t say: “Lord, teach us to preach” or “Teach us to multiply fish and loaves” or “Teach us to turn water into wine” but “Teach us to pray.” Equally surprising to our modern sensibilities is that Jesus doesn’t respond with a common churchy answer, “Just pray like you’re talking to a friend.” Rather, Jesus prescribes, word for word, a prayer for His disciples (and you and I)

No, it’s not about a magic series of words pronounced in just the right way at just the right time. We do not serve a vending machine God who wants us to input the right sequence of letters and numbers to get what we want. Instead, we come to God in an attitude of prayer, fully attentive to the words we’re praying and even the order we pray them. Let’s pause here briefly before we get ahead of ourselves… Do you know some people will go their whole lives without ever reading or knowing the Lord’s Prayer? And to think - this is the prayer that God the Son has taught His followers to pray. God is literally giving us His language of prayer. When we pray the Lord’s prayer, we pray the words of Christ (our mediator) back to Him!

How to Practice

Find your prayer closet and begin slowly. Pray through the Lord’s Prayer one line at a time. Pause after each line and expand it in your own words.

“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name”
Begin with worship. Acknowledge who God is. Thank Him. Honor Him.

“Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven”
Surrender your plans, your desires, and your day to God’s will.

“Give us this day our daily bread”
Bring your needs to God—physical, emotional, and spiritual. Ask simply. Don’t miss God’s heart for daily grace… not grace for tomorrow, not grace for the month, but grace for the day.

“And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors”
Confess your sins. Receive God’s forgiveness. Ask for help to forgive others.

“And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil”
Ask God for guidance, protection, and strength to walk faithfully today.

A Gentle Reminder

Jesus gave us this prayer not to perform, but to internalize. Let it slow you down, shape your heart, and remind you that you are praying as a child to a good Father.