Matthew 6:9-13
Pray like this: “‘Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. Let your Kingdom come. Let your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors. Bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For yours is the Kingdom, the power, and the glory forever. Amen.’
Context and meaning
The best-known prayer in the world appears in the Sermon on the Mount, right after a critique of two habits: praying to be seen and praying with many words in the belief that this gets you heard. The model offered is deliberately short.
The structure has two halves. The first looks toward God: the name, the kingdom, the will. The second looks toward us: bread, forgiveness, temptation, deliverance.
A few details change the reading. "Our Father" is plural, even when prayed alone. The bread asked for is "daily" — enough for today, echoing the manna in the wilderness. And the request for forgiveness is the only one with a clause tied to us: "as we also forgive".
The liturgical form used in churches adds at the end "for yours is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory", an ancient doxology not found in the oldest manuscripts of Matthew.
It is worth praying slowly, one line at a time.
Related verses
But seek first God’s Kingdom and his righteousness; and all these things will be given to you as well.
Scripture text: World English Bible (WEB), public domain. Prayers, introductions and reflections: original text by this site, not affiliated with any denomination. Devotional content; it does not replace medical, psychological or legal advice.
Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible (WEB), public domain. "World English Bible" is a trademark of eBible.org. ebible.org/web/