The Our Father prayer or Lord’s Prayer is a popular Christian prayer that was taught by Jesus to his disciples. Like other prayers that came out during the Jewish matric of Jesus’ time, the Lord’s Prayer consists of three common elements present in all Jewish prayers: prayer, yearning for the kingdom of God, and a petition.
Fun fact: the Lord’s Prayer was used by cooks and chefs as an indication of time before the advent of clocks. For instance, a step would suggest stirring the pot for three Lord’s Prayer.
Our Father Prayer
Our Father which art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy name;
Thy kingdom come;
Thy will be done in earth;
as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
as we forgive our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation;
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
and the power, and the glory,
for ever.
Amen.
Read more: The Lord’s Prayer Meaning
Origin of Our Father Prayer
Two versions of the prayer are recorded in the New Testament. The longer version of the prayer is recorded in the Gospel of Matthew and was included in the Sermon on the Mount. And on the other hand, the shorter version of the son is recorded in the Gospel of Luke. In both of the recorded versions of the song, Jesus tells his disciples the model of how to pray.
Detailed Explanation of Our Father’s Prayer
Introduction
Our Father, who art in heaven
We start the prayer off by professing our belief that God almighty is our heavenly Father- a powerful knowing person. It is believed that rather than telling his disciples to refer to God as ‘My Father,’ Jesus referred to him as ‘Our Father,’ to remind us that we are God’s sons and daughters.
The phrase ‘who art in heaven’ indicates that even though God is in Heaven that does not mean that he is distant from us. This line indicates God’s omnipresence because he is exalted above all of Creation and his presence can be felt through his creations.
First Petition
Hallowed be thy Name;
In the first petition, by saying ‘hallowed be thy name,’ we are not just telling God that we recognize their holiness but most importantly we are asking everybody else in the world to recognize him like that.
Second Petition
The kingdom come;
The second petition represents God’s reign overall all mankind. It indicates our excitement for coming to his kingdom at the end of time. However, before his kingdom is reinstated, his believers will live their lives according to his wishes.
Third Petition
Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven:
The third petition indicates that we seek to live our life according to our Father’s wishes and this can only be achieved when we enter into a union with Jesus Christ. It also indicates that we are committing ourselves and entrusting our lives to Christ so that he can guide us. By doing so we will be filled with the blessings and gifts of the Holy Spirit.
Fourth Petition
Give us this day our daily bread;
Not only does the phrase ‘Our Daily Bread,’ symbolize earthly nourishment that is necessary for physical sustenance but it also symbolizes the ‘Bread of Life’ which will nourish us spiritually.
Fifth Petition
And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass against us;
By speaking this petition we seek that our guilt, shame, embarrassment, and fear must fade away in the presence of God’s abundant mercy. This petition teaches us that the extent of the mercy we receive depends upon the extent of mercy and forgiveness that we offer. We should offer our forgiveness and mercy to people even if they don’t seem to deserve it.
Sixth Petition
And lead us not into temptation,
Through this petition, we are asking and praying to God that he does not allow us to take a path that leads us to sin. We are even praying to avoid the near occasion of sin. We are also praying to God to give us the strength to face trials that test the limits of our faith and virtue.
Seventh Petition
But deliver us from evil:
We beg God to deliver us from Satan’s grasp and not let us yield when he tries to tempt us. In Catholicism, it is believed that through this petition we ask to be freed from the evils of the past, present, and future. We are asking God to protect us from all evil and we are professing our trust in Christ and his victory over every type of evil.
Doxology
For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, Forever and ever. Amen.
The aforementioned lines are not part of the main prayer and are considered a part of the Doxology, a liturgical form of praise to God. These lines are even used in other liturgical services and do not have to be included in the Lord’s Prayer. These lines emphasize that Heaven will last forever and will always belong to God.
Summary of Our Father Prayer
The meaning of the Lord’s Prayer has been heavily debated in the past. While some Biblical scholars believe that the prayer is existential in nature and refers to the present human experience on earth, others interpret it as a reference to the coming kingdom of God.
Saint Cyprian of Carthage, a third-century bishop wrote, “My dear friends, the Lord’s Prayer contains many great mysteries of our faith. In these few words, there is great spiritual strength, for this summary of divine teaching contains all of our prayers and petitions.”
Pope Benedict XVI also wrote, “The meaning of the Our Father goes much further than the mere provision of a prayer text. It aims to form our being, to train us in the inner attitude of Jesus.” Devout Christians consider the Lord’s Prayer to be the perfect prayer because it is able to summarize the main aspects of the Christian religion in just a few simple lines.
The Lord’s Prayer is a very special way of talking to God. Whilst reciting this prayer, you should think about the things you are thankful for the most and show gratitude to God because He has provided for everything that you have. This prayer is a wonderful way to talk to God and to pray for the well-being of other people.
Read more: Padre Nuestro: Our Father (Lord’s Prayer) in Spanish
