Richard Foster – watercress words by Dr Aletha

Matthew 6:9-13, NIV

(Jesus said)

“This, then, is how you should pray:

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 — social graphic from Lightstock.com, an affiliate link

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.”

The Lord’s Prayer

This passage from Matthew may be the most quoted from Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. Although traditionally called the “Lord’s Prayer”, it might also be called the disciples’ prayer.

In the book of Luke, the disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray.

He said to them, “When you pray, say:

“‘Father,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come.
Give us each day our daily bread.

Forgive us our sins,for we also forgive everyone who sins against us.
And lead us not into temptation.’”

Christians pray these words exactly as written (although there are now many different Bible translations and paraphrases), or may use them as a model or outline for prayer. They are prayed during church services and in private devotions.

man praying on holy bible in the morning

The Lord’s Prayer has been set to music in various forms. A family friend sung it at my wedding. Some choose it for funerals or memorial services.

Singers ranging from amateur to professional have recorded The Lord’s Prayer in multiple languages. I enjoyed this Kenyan choir singing it in English.

Umoja English choir, Nairobi, Kenya

In Celebration of Discipline, Richard Foster writes,

“Jesus taught us to pray for daily bread. Have you ever noticed that children ask for lunch in utter confidence that it will be provided. Children do not find it difficult or complicated to talk to their parents, nor do they feel embarrassed to bring the simplest need to their attention. Neither should we hesitate to bring the simplest requests confidently to the Father.”