by Sheridan Voysey
The ‘Lord’s Prayer’, as it has come to be known, sits at the centre of the Sermon on the Mount. It’s possible to see it as a way of summing up the teachings of Jesus’ sermon and as a prayer to ask God to help us put those teachings into action. This prayer gives not only time-tested guidance on how to pray and the values that should guide our lives, but also a vision of life with God. I’ve used the NLT version of these words from Matthew 6:9-13 as I think they can help refresh how we understand this prayer.
Our Father in heaven…
The prayer starts with God, the foundation of life itself. This opening line tells us that God isn’t some distant deity uninvolved in our lives, but one who is close, caring, and protecting. God is our Father who loves and embraces us as His precious children.
…may your name be kept holy.
The reason evils like greed, cheating, and retaliation are so wrong is because at the heart of reality sits One who is good, pure, and holy. As American writer Dallas Willard suggested, until we orient our lives around God, revering His name above all others, the human compass will always be pointing in the wrong direction.
May your kingdom come soon.
While God is our rightful ruler, He has given us the freedom to reject Him. And we have—as history’s wars and brutality show. So here we pray for the world to come under His care and guidance again, so that evil will cease and we will live under His loving rule and peace. We may experience this in part now, but we long for the day when we and the world will experience it fully (Romans 8:19-23).
May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.
God’s will is already done in heaven; now we pray for it to be done on earth—in our homes, offices, universities, and neighbourhoods. Earlier in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says that we are to influence the world by staying salty and bright (Matthew 5:13-16). As we pray that God’s will is done, we are also aligning ourselves with Him to be His workers in this world. God will use us as His change-agents in the world, making it a little more like the heaven He will one day make it to be.
Give us today the food we need…
God cares about our daily needs too, whether for food, clothing, employment, or housing. We haven’t been left alone to fend for ourselves. We ask Him to supply our needs, the needs of those around us, and of all else who lack. Later in the sermon, Jesus reminds us of how God feeds the birds of the air and dresses the fields with flowers (Matthew 6:25-34). God is active right now, providing for creation. We ask God for His provision for us, knowing He is good to provide.
…and forgive us our sins…
Whether in thought or deed, each of us has gotten angry, been unfaithful, broken promises, and sought revenge. Each of us, in truth, want our wills to be done rather than God’s. So here, we find forgiveness for our part in the world’s evil. Jesus died and rose again so our sins could be washed off us like mud in a cleansing rain. Unforgiven sins leave us weak, but God’s forgiveness makes us strong.
…as we have forgiven those who sin against us.
Since bitterness and resentment grow so easily, it’s best to deal with them quickly. Who has wronged you? How can you help clear the air? This part of the prayer can help us recall anyone we’ve wronged too, so we can mend the tears in our relational fabric. This reflects Jesus’ earlier call to love our enemies (Matthew 5:44).
And don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one.
The problems of our world aren’t caused by humans alone. There’s an “evil one” also at work, who tempts, accuses, and condemns. So we pray for strength to make choices in line with God’s faithful nature. We call on His Spirit in the face of temptation to empower us to live as Jesus would in our situation.
For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen
While not found in the earliest biblical manuscripts, the prayer’s popular closing is appropriate. Beginning with God, we now end with God—recognising His ownership of the world and His worthiness to direct our lives. Ultimately, life and its meaning is all about Him.
This prayer, whether we say it word for word or whether it inspires the shape of our own prayers, helps guide our lives and draws us into life with our Father.
Sheridan Voysey is an author, speaker, and broadcaster based in Oxford, United Kingdom. He is the author of eight books, including The Making of Us, Resurrection Year, Reflect with Sheridan, and the Our Daily Bread Publishing titles Resilient and Unseen Footprints. Sheridan is a presenter of Pause for Thought on BBC Radio 2’s Breakfast Show; is a regular guest on other broadcast networks across the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, and beyond; and speaks at conferences and events around the world. Sheridan blogs and podcasts at www.sheridanvoysey.com and invites you to find him on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
