If you seek to understand the Lord’s Prayer, then here’s the Lord’s Prayer explained.
A lot has been said and written about the Lord’s Prayer but this post on the Lord’s Prayer explained takes it a little farther.
The Lord’s Prayer is a prayer model that Jesus Christ Himself presented as an answer to an inquiry by one of His disciples: ‘Lord, teach us to pray as John also taught his disciples.’ (Luke 11:1)
Though, there are 2 accounts in the Bible on the Lord’s Prayer (Matthew and Luke), we are going to especially focus on Matthew’s account in this post.
So, let’s see the intent of Christ when He presented this model prayer to the disciples and by extension the believer – you and me.
“After this manner therefore pray ye: 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.” (Matthew 6:9-13, KJV)
READ ALSO: Praying In The Spirit
The Lord’s Prayer Explained
Here’s the Lord Prayer explained verse by verse, line by line and sentence by sentence.
Our Father Which Art In Heaven, Hallowed Be Thy Name
First off, Jesus makes it clear that the Christian has a father-child relationship with God, hence: ‘Our Father.’
God is God to everybody, but He is father to the believer, those in covenant relationship with Him through the blood of Jesus.
God is the God of the whole world, but He is father only to everyone who is born again of the Spirit of God and the word.
This is why the Bible calls God the Father of spirits…He is the father of every recreated/regenerated human spirit. (Hebrews 12:9)
So when you as a Christian approach God in prayer, you should do so as you would a father.
Don’t come to God with fear, guilt and commendation; don’t approach God as though He had a rod in His hand ready to smash you on the head for not being good enough.
You are the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus, God is your Father, come to Him with boldness (Hebrews 4:16)
‘Our Father Who Art In Heaven’
Secondly, Jesus makes it clear that our Father-God resides in heaven.
Heaven is a geographical location in the universal kingdom of God.
There’s such a place as heaven.
‘Hallowed Be Thy Name’
Thirdly, Jesus says for us to hallow God’s name when we pray.
‘Hallowed be thy name’ means ‘holy and reverence is your name.’
God’s name is to be reverenced, honored, first before all else.
This means you have to approach God with reverence, fear, humility and worship.
His name is worthy to be praised.
‘Our Father which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.’
READ ALSO: Prayer Points For Spiritual Growth
Thy Kingdom Come. Thy Will Be Done in Earth, As It Is In Heaven
The Lord’s Prayer explained.
When we pray, Jesus wants us first of all to worship and revere the name of God-the Father.
Then He said for us to pray that God’s kingdom should come.
‘Thy Kingdom Come’
Jesus came to introduce the spiritual dimension of God’s kingdom. He came to establish the kingdom of God in the hearts of people.
The word kingdom means ‘the domain of a king, or a king and his domain.’
Jesus wants you to pray for the kingdom to come in the hearts of people.
This prayer model is calling you to pray for salvation of souls, so that the spiritual sphere of the kingdom of God will be established in the hearts of many more people.
Yet Jesus is also looking at the kingdom (the new heaven and the new earth that is to come).
So in praying ‘thy kingdom come,’ you are praying that many more people receive Jesus into their hearts and be saved, you are also praying that God’s program of a new heaven and new earth come quickly.
‘Thy Will Be Done In Earth, As It Is In Heaven’
Jesus said for you to pray that God’s will be done in earth as it is in heaven.
You can readily see that the earth is nowhere close to heaven.
Wars, plagues, pandemic, diseases, fraud, evil and wickedness are the things that dominate this world as it is now.
Yet, none of those things happen in heaven.
God’s ultimate plan is to have earth be like heaven in all things, that’s why He wants us to pray His will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
When this prayer is answered, the earth will be an abode of peace and progress, like the Garden of Eden before the fall of Adam.
This is God’s plan.
‘Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.’
Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread
The Lord’s Prayer Explained!
In this prayer model, Jesus apparently was referring to two things:
One, He was referring to the feeding of our spirits by the word of God. He said for us to pray that God will feed us by His word daily.
We do not have to be spiritually starved and famished.
The scarcity of God’s word among a people is as bad as physical famine. (1 Samuel 3:1)
You need God’s word, revelation word every day to live by as food for your spirit.
May you never be spiritually starved of God’s word, in Jesus name!
Secondly, Jesus was also looking at physical provision for your daily living.
Remember that God does not only care about your spirit but your soul and body too.
You need daily sustenance to be able to do the will of God on earth, to even be able to pray.
You need to stay alive to pray, preach and do God’s service.
God does not want you starve to death of physical food.
So, ‘give us this day our daily bread.’
READ ALSO: Prayer Points For Healing
And Forgive Us Our Debts, As We Forgive Our Debtors
The Lord’s Prayer Explained!
In this prayer model, Jesus said for us to pray for forgiveness of sins.
God has made provision by the sacrifice of Christ on the cross for the forgiveness of all sins – sins committed before you are saved and sins afterwards (1 John 1:9).
All you need to have your sins forgiven is to ask the Father to forgive you in Jesus name.
Plus, as you seek and receive forgiveness from God, you also should make it a practice to forgive people who offend and sin against you.
You cannot really enjoy the blessedness of God’s forgiveness if you do not also forgive others.
In short not forgiving people can rob you of so many blessings of redemption. It can even make you sick with incurable diseases.
So to stay healthy in spirit and in body, forgive any one that has hurt and harm you just the same way God will forgive you the hurt and harm you did to His name, word and Spirit the moment you ask Him to.
You may actually have to cancel somebody’s debt right now.
What if you forgive right now that brother or sister who owes you some hundreds of dollars but who have not been able to pay.
That’s part of it.
Write off the debt.
‘And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
READ ALSO: Prayer Points For Mercy
And Lead Us Not Into Temptation, But Deliver Us From Evil
The Lord’s Prayer Explained!
First off, God does not tempt with evil, the Bible says (James 1:13-14).
You need to understand that.
‘And Lead Us Not Into Temptation’
Jesus in this prayer model is telling you to pray that you will not yield to tests, temptations and trials.
As long as you are in this world, you will have tribulations; you will be tested by Satan, circumstances and the world.
But God does not want you to be overcome by the temptation.
That’s why Jesus said for you to pray that you will not yield and fall for temptation when it comes.
Joseph in the Old Testament was tempted with fornication by Potiphar’s wife, but he did not yield to it. (Genesis 39:7-13)
Jesus was tempted of the devil during His forty days and forty night of fasting and prayers but He did not for once yield or obey the devil. (Matthew 4:1-11)
He was not overcome by the temptation.
You too will not be overcome by temptation when you pray (Matthew 26:41)
Obviously, prayer is one of God’s ways and provisions to overcoming temptation.
You will not yield to temptation if you stay in the place of prayer
‘But Deliver Us From Evil’
Rightly translated, Jesus said for you to pray to not yield to temptation and also to be delivered from evil and the evil one.
The whole world lies in the embraced of the wicked one and his wickedness – Satan. (1 John 5:19)
On your own, you cannot overcome Satan, but by the word of God and the Spirit of grace, you can.
Jesus wants you to pray for God’s deliverance from all evil and from the evil one- Satan.
Satan came against Peter and caused him to almost loose out except that Jesus had prayed for him ahead of time. (Luke 22:31-32)
Satan comes to us all; all we need is God’s deliverance from his power and wickedness.
He will throw situations and stir up circumstances against you, but through prayer, you are guaranteed of God’s deliverance from all evil.
‘And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil’
For Thine Is The Kingdom, And The Power, And The Glory, Forever. Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer explained!
This part of the Lord’s Prayer is not included in Luke’s account. (Luke 11:1-4)
But that does not mean it is not inspired or not important.
Jesus started out by telling us to pray honoring God’s name in worship.
Now, He is telling you to also cap off your prayer the same way you started; honoring God for everything.
God owns everything; the Kingdom is God’s, all power belongs to Him and the glory and excellence of Royalty is His.
He is King, royalty, dignified, powerful and crown with glory forever – not for a season or for some years, but forever.
Acknowledge this in your prayer.
Honor Him for who He is and for what He is.
God needs our reverence from start to finish.
And then clinch your prayer with an ‘Amen.’
Amen means may it be so.
READ ALSO: A Prayer For Marriage Restoration
Final word
The Lord’s Prayer explained.
We are thrilled at the unlocking of the Lord’s Prayer.
So much is loaded into those few verses of the bible.
So much is locked into those few words by Jesus that forms the model and pattern-guide for effective prayer.
Now, go over the Lord’s Prayer again and pray it with the new understanding you have garnered from the post:
“After this manner therefore pray ye: 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.” (Matthew 6:9-13, KJV)
You may also want to pray afterwards in the spirit to drive it home more accurately.
Cheers!
Thank You for this explanation for the Lord’s Prayer.
You’re welcome!