The Lord’s Prayer – A Second Look
Matthew 6:9-13 New International Version (NKJV)
9 “This, then, is how you should pray:“‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, 10 your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us today our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation,[a] but deliver us from the evil one.[b]’ (some manuscripts offer the addition of the following) For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
Commentary: Today we take another look at the Lord’s Prayer in the Book of Matthew. The New King James Version (NKJV) phrasing is closer to what is memorized by so many. In fact this prayer is probably the most widely memorized. In Catholic school it was required that we memorize it. It is also popularly studied by Christians. By encouraging the disciples to address God as “Our Father” signifies that they all share the same father (God) who is in Heaven. What a privilege that is given to Christian believers. For God’s name to be hallowed is to make sacred, revered or honored.
Then the next words of the prayer tell God of the desire for His Kingdom, and that His will prevail here as it does in Heaven. That is followed by a request for daily bread, perhaps a harkening back to the manna in the desert. This prayer asks for “our daily bread” suggesting an amount to provide just for the needs for this day. The prayer goes on to ask for God’s forgiveness in measure with the amount that has been forgiven others for their trespasses.
Finally, the prayer asks for the strength to stay away from temptation and keep us from the evil one. Some manuscripts include a passage “For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
Thank you Father for your Son and His sacrifice at the cross for our sins. Also thank you for this prayer.
The Lord’s prayer can be found in the Bible in Matthew 6, verses 9 -13. This verse is presented today in the New King James Version.
