How to Pray the Lord's Prayer

Last Updated: November 8, 2022 References Approved

Are you hoping to deepen your relationship with God through prayer? The Lord’s Prayer is a great place to start, especially if you don’t have a lot of experience praying on your own. Found in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, Jesus uses the Lord’s Prayer to teach His followers how to petition and pray to God. To help you out, we’ve taken a deep dive into this classic prayer and created a comprehensive, line-by-line explanation of it. In just a few minutes, you can confidently use the Lord’s Prayer to take the next step forward in your faith journey.

Note: This article uses the New International Version (NIV) translation of the Lord’s Prayer. The exact wording may be different from your Bible if it uses a different translation, but the overall meaning is still the same.

Section 1 of 3:

What is the Lord’s Prayer?

The Lord’s Prayer is a short prayer that models how Christians should pray to God. The prayer itself includes 7 petitions (requests) for God’s help in living a holy and faith-filled life. The first 3 petitions focus on acknowledging and respecting God’s power and authority, while the last 4 petitions focus on asking for God’s help in life’s day-to-day challenges.^{[1]
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Research source} It goes like this:
- Our Father in Heaven, hallowed be Your name
  Your kingdom come
  Your will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven
  Give us this day our daily bread
  And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors
  And lead us not into temptation
  But deliver us from the evil one.^{[2]
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Section 2 of 3:

Petitions of the Lord’s Prayer

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Our Father in Heaven, hallowed be Your name This first petition is all about honoring God’s position in the world and in your life. This line of the Lord’s Prayer affirms your belief in God’s divinity and authority, and petitions for other people to see God in this light as well.^{[3]
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- First Samuel 2:2 captures the energy of this line very well:
  There is no one holy like the Lord;
  There is no one besides You;
  There is no Rock like our God.
- You might also be familiar with a version of the Lord’s Prayer that goes “Our Father, who art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy name.”
2
Your Kingdom come This line can be viewed both literally and figuratively. From a literal standpoint, this line petitions for Christ’s physical return to earth. From a more figurative perspective, this line requests for the compassionate, loving, and righteous Kingdom of God to be present in your day-to-day life and world.^{[4]
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- The “Kingdom of God” (or “Kingdom of Heaven”) refers to God’s spiritual reign both in Heaven and on earth.^{[5]
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Your will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven The third petition of the Lord’s Prayer invites followers to focus on what God wants rather than what they want. This line is both an affirmation that Jesus’s will is most important, as well as a resolve to follow it each day.^{[6]
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Give us this day our daily bread Daily bread doesn’t just refer to just literal food—it symbolizes everything a person needs to thrive. While this includes physical things, like food, water, and a place to live, it also symbolizes a person’s spiritual nourishment as well. By praying this petition, you’re asking God to keep you both physically and spiritually cared for.^{[7]
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And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors In this part of the Lord’s Prayer, you’re acknowledging the mistakes you’ve made and asking God to forgive you for them. You’re also sharing your intent to forgive the people who have wronged you in your life, whether it’s a family member, friend, co-worker, or acquaintance.^{[8]
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- If you’re a practicing Catholic, you’ll likely hear people say this line as “And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.”^{[9]
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And lead us not into temptation People are faced with all kinds of choices as they journey through life. In this particular verse, you’re petitioning God to help you make the correct, most holy decisions instead of giving into temptation.^{[10]
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But deliver us from the evil one This final petition refers to your faith as a whole—that, as you continue through your faith journey and eventually pass on, God will protect you from the evil in the world and bring you to Heaven.^{[11]
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- Some versions of this verse just say “deliver us from evil” rather than “deliver us from the evil one.”^{[12]
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Section 3 of 3:

What is the correct way to pray the Lord’s Prayer?

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Pray the Lord’s Prayer with the intention of growing closer with God. How you pray matters way more than where you pray. Jesus Himself reminds His followers that it’s better to pray in a locked room than to pray in a public, visible spot.^{[13]
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- This doesn’t mean that you can’t pray in public, though! What matters is that you’re praying to communicate with God, not to look extra righteous to the people around you.
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Choose a time to pray when you can totally focus on Jesus. Despite popular belief, you don’t have to pray right before bed or right when you wake up in the morning. Instead, pick a time to pray when you can totally focus on convening with God and sharing what’s on your heart.
- You can pray when you’re eating, driving, or even cleaning up around the house. It really depends what works best for you and your daily schedule!

Community Q&A

Question

How do I focus on God?

Community Answer

Studying the Bible is a great way to focus on God.
Question

Do I have to recite the Lord's Prayer every time I pray? Or can I simply speak to God and thank him, etc?

Community Answer

You can definitely just pour your heart out to God. The Lord's Prayer is a great prayer to return to when you can't think of anything else to pray, though.
Question

Is the Lord's Prayer a good prayer when fasting?

Community Answer

Yes, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedth out of the mouth of God."