Lord, Teach Us to Pray

“Lord, teach us to pray…”

In response to his disciples’ request, Jesus taught them how to pray to their heavenly Father.

That same prayer he taught his disciples all those years ago is perhaps the most well-known, most-spoken prayer still to this day. Christians worldwide join together to pray variations of it at worship services with their congregations and throughout the week in their homes:

Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name,
thy kingdom come,
thy will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.

Growing up, I can’t even tell you how many times I’ve spoken the words of the Lord’s Prayer—whether in the traditional form or modern English.

Hundreds? Thousands?

To my shame, I also can’t tell you how many times I speak the words of the prayer Jesus taught and don’t give them a thought. But I can tell you that it happens far more than it should. Even once would be too much! So often, the Lord’s Prayer becomes just another thing to say, another rote routine, another mindless habit.

What am I even saying? What do these words even mean?

God, forgive me! God, teach me to pray! Help me be mindful of and intentional about what I am saying to you. Not just what to say or how to speak the words, but also what they mean when I pray them.

Thanks be to God that he does forgive me for Jesus’ sake, who prayed perfectly for me and all the times my mind wanders far from the words of my mouth. He forgives you too, dear Christian. And now he calls us to live for him in everything we think, say, and do. That includes our prayer lives.

If you wish to grow in appreciation and understanding of the Lord’s Prayer, join me in the new NPH blog series Meditations on the Lord’s Prayer, a study of the address, the seven petitions, and the doxology of the prayer that Jesus taught his disciples and all Christians to pray. Together, we’ll examine what these words mean and, Lord-willing, we’ll become more mindful of what we’re praying.

New posts come out twice a week starting September 2, 2024, through the end of the month. A helpful additional resource would be Luther’s Catechism.

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