The Lord’s Prayer, also known as the Our Father or Pater Noster, is perhaps the most famous prayer in all of Christianity. Found in Matthew 6:9-13 and Luke 11:2-4, this prayer was given by Jesus to his disciples as an example of how to pray. It’s a model prayer that teaches us to pray for the glory of God, the needs of others, and our own needs. But should Christians regularly pray the Lord’s Prayer verbatim? Let’s explore what the Bible says.
The Original Context of the Lord’s Prayer
In Matthew 6, Jesus taught his disciples how to give, pray, and fast in sincere faith, not as hypocrites or for selfish gain. After warning against repetitive, public prayers aimed at impressing others, Jesus said, “Pray then like this” and proceeded to give the Lord’s Prayer as an example (Matthew 6:9). The version in Matthew is slightly longer than Luke’s account. But both teach us to pray for God’s glory, God’s kingdom, our daily bread, forgiveness, and deliverance from temptation and evil.
When Jesus gave this model prayer, he didn’t intend for it to become vain repetition. The point wasn’t to recite the exact words over and over. As Jesus said in Matthew 6:7-8, “When you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.” Rather, the Lord’s Prayer teaches us the sorts of things we should pray about – praising God, seeking his kingdom, depending on him for provision, pursuing reconciliation, and asking for help to resist sin.
How the Early Church Viewed the Lord’s Prayer
In the early church, many viewed the Lord’s Prayer as a pattern to follow, not as a prayer to mindlessly repeat. The church father Tertullian (c. 160 – c. 225 AD) wrote: “For the prayer which the Lord taught – that is, the Our Father – the holy apostle has charged us to offer especially for them who persecute us.” Notice Tertullian says this prayer is a pattern to follow when praying for our persecutors.
Similarly, the church father Cyprian of Carthage (died 258 AD) referred to the Lord’s Prayer as the “law of prayer” and “foundation of prayer.” He wrote: “For in truth the Lord, who had taught us to pray, showed also what he would have us ask for. He did not say: ask for this or that, adding out of his liberality what we were to pray for; but first he taught us how we were to pray.” Again, the Lord’s Prayer was seen as a model for how to pray, not merely words to recite.
The early church did eventually incorporate the Lord’s Prayer into its liturgy, which was prayed corporately during worship services. They didn’t use it completely verbatim but adapted it slightly while keeping the overall meaning. Praying the Lord’s Prayer corporately was fine as long as it didn’t become empty repetition. The focus was still on following the model with sincerity.
Should We Pray the Lord’s Prayer Verbatim?
While reciting the Lord’s Prayer verbatim can become vain repetition, that doesn’t mean we should never pray it. If prayed thoughtfully, it can be used to express devotion to God and align our prayers with his will. Even Jesus repeated himself at times, praying the same words when in agony at Gethsemane (Matthew 26:44). But he did so with full sincerity, not as thoughtless, repetitive babbling.
Nothing in the Bible forbids us from praying the Lord’s Prayer verbatim. In fact, Jesus gave it as a model precisely so we could use it in prayer. But the emphasis should be on the meaning behind the words, not merely repeating the words dutifully. Our hearts should align with what we’re praying.
In Matthew 6:9, Jesus said “Pray then like this.” He didn’t say “Pray only this way” or “Always recite these exact words.” So we don’t have to pray the Lord’s Prayer verbatim every time. But it’s fine to do so if we’re thoughtful and sincere.
Praying in Jesus’ Name
When praying the Lord’s Prayer verbatim, we don’t always have to add “in Jesus’ name” at the end. Jesus already taught us that prayer should be directed to the Father (Matthew 6:9). And praying according to his model implies we’re praying according to his will, by his authority.
Still, it can be good to pray “in Jesus’ name” at times as a reminder that our access to the Father is through Christ (John 14:6; Ephesians 2:18). Jesus said if we ask anything in his name, he will do it so that God is glorified (John 14:13-14). But the emphasis is on aligning our motives with his – seeking God’s glory rather than our selfish gain.
So praying “in Jesus’ name” shouldn’t become a tacked-on cliche. But thoughtfully adding it can strengthen our awareness that we approach God through Jesus’ redemptive work, not based on our own merit.
Elements of the Lord’s Prayer
Let’s look closer at the different petitions of the Lord’s Prayer and what they teach us about prayer:
Our Father Who Art in Heaven
“Our Father” highlights that God is both transcendent and imminent. He dwells in heaven but also intimately cares for us as a perfect Father. “Our” reminds us that we pray collectively as God’s family, not just as isolated individuals. This opening line sets the tone for the rest of the prayer – approaching God based on our adoption as his beloved children (Romans 8:15; Galatians 4:6).
Hallowed Be Thy Name
This petition should shape all our prayers. Before making our requests known, we acknowledge and worship God for who he is. Our primary desire should be to see God’s name/reputation exalted throughout the earth (Psalm 46:10; Ezekiel 36:23).
Thy Kingdom Come
We long for the full establishment of God’s kingdom when Christ returns to reign. But we also pray for God’s kingdom purposes to advance in the present, in our hearts and throughout the world (Matthew 6:33; 1 John 5:19).
Thy Will Be Done On Earth As It Is in Heaven
After praising God and praying for his kingdom, we surrender our will to his perfect will. We long for his will to be done here, just as the angels carry out his will flawlessly in heaven (Psalm 103:20-21).
Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread
We’re dependent on God for daily provision and cry out to him, our caring Father, for our needs (Matthew 7:9-11). Notice it’s “give us” not just “give me.” We pray collectively for the needs of others too (Ephesians 4:28).
And Forgive Us Our Debts As We Forgive Our Debtors
We humbly ask God for forgiveness, which he graciously grants based on Christ’s sacrifice (Colossians 1:13-14; 1 John 1:9). But we must also extend forgiveness to others, given the mercy we’ve received (Matthew 6:14-15; Ephesians 4:32).
And Lead Us Not Into Temptation, But Deliver Us From Evil
We ask God to guide our steps so we can avoid sin and temptation (Psalm 119:9-11). We also pray for protection from Satan’s attacks and from the evil in this fallen world (John 17:15; 2 Thessalonians 3:1-3).
As we see, the Lord’s Prayer teaches us to pray for things that align with God’s kingdom purposes – that his name be honored, his kingdom advance, his will be done, our needs be met, relationships be reconciled, temptations avoided, and evil restrained.
The Doxology Ending
Some Christian traditions add a doxology, a short hymn of praise to God, at the end of the Lord’s Prayer: “For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen.” This echoes 1 Chronicles 29:11.
Ancient manuscripts don’t contain this ending. But its Trinitarian emphasis on praising God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit resonates with the rest of Scripture. Jesus routinely prayed for glory to be given to the Father (John 12:28; 17:1). And Scripture urges us to conclude prayers with doxologies offering glory to God (Ephesians 3:20-21; Jude 1:24-25).
So while this ending was likely not part of the original Lord’s Prayer, it can be meaningful to include it – reminding us that prayer culminates in praising God. The emphasis should remain on aligning our hearts with the words.
How to Pray the Lord’s Prayer Thoughtfully
When praying the Lord’s Prayer, avoid rushing through it quickly without reflection. Consider pausing between each line to meditate on the meaning and how it applies to your life at the moment. Reflect on how each petition shapes the way you approach God and intercede for others.
You may pray through it once at the start of your prayer time to direct your heart toward God’s purposes. Or slowly work through it line-by-line, expanding each part into your own words. Rephrase each line as a more detailed request. For example, pray through what it means to honor God’s name in your community this week.
Another way to pray through the Lord’s Prayer thoughtfully is to devote a certain period of time to meditating on each petition. For example, spend a whole week focusing just on “Thy kingdom come,” considering how that applies to your work, family, community, and world. Let each request shape your prayers over time.
A Reminder of What’s Most Important
In the busyness of life, we easily lose sight of what’s most important. Our prayers become dominated by our immediate needs and concerns. The Lord’s Prayer realigns our priorities according to God’s kingdom purposes. It reminds us to pray for the advancement of God’s glory and will over our personal desires.
The Bible exhorts us to devote ourselves to prayer and be vigilant in prayer (Colossians 4:2; 1 Peter 4:7). Using the Lord’s Prayer can help us cultivate a vibrant prayer life centered on God’s eternal purposes. Though we won’t pray this way every time, it can draw our scattered thoughts back to what matters most.
When we thoughtfully and sincerely pray the Lord’s Prayer, we open our hearts to be shaped by God’s will, guided by his wisdom, and dependent on his provision. While we won’t merely recite it repetitively in legalistic fashion, praying through it can help focus our minds on God’s kingdom priorities.
In summary, the Lord’s Prayer is a model Jesus gave us to teach us how to pray for the glory of God and the advancement of his purposes on earth. It’s fine to pray it verbatim thoughtfully. But the focus should remain on the meaning of the words and allowing them to direct our hearts toward God and align our other prayers with his will. The Lord’s Prayer helps keep our prayer life centered on pursuing God’s eternal kingdom rather than our immediate self-interests.
