Catechism Question 88
What are the words of the Lord’s Prayer?
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
Focus and Purpose of this Question
This is the first in a series of questions on the Lord’s Prayer. In this question, we ask to simply recite the words of the Lord’s Prayer. The coming questions will then examine the prayer in detail, helping us to understand more about how we should pray.
Three things should be noted about this version of the Lord’s Prayer. First, it follows the longer version recorded in Matthew rather than the shorter version recorded in Luke. Second, it uses the NIV translation of the words rather than the archaic King James or Book of Common prayer that is familiar to older people but not to the younger. Finally, the words contained in italics are not contained in the body of the NIV text, but rather in the margin, because they are not in the oldest New Testament manuscripts. However, the words are found in many very old manuscripts, and were used from the earliest days in the church, and are also very familiar to many people. For these reasons we will keep them in the version of the Lord’s Prayer we discuss.
Additional Questions:
What are the words of the prayer Jesus taught His disciples?
Can you recite the Lord’s Prayer?
Scripture References:
Matthew 6:9–13
“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. 12Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’ For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
Luke 11:1–4
One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.” 2 He said to them, “When you pray, say: “‘Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. 3 Give us each day our daily bread. 4 Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation.’”
Questions for Further Discussion:
Do we have to pray the exact words of this prayer, or can we use them as a model for our own prayers as well?
Why is it helpful to memorize the words of this prayer?
Additional Information:
This question is based on questions 118-119 of the Heidelberg Catechism and question 41 of the New City Catechism. Any resources you find on the Heidelberg or New City Catechisms will have a good discussion on this question.
For additional information, see the teaching series “The Lord’s Prayer” taught from January-February 2014, and the teaching “Pray Like Jesus – The Lord’s Prayer” (August 26, 2012).
Suggested Worship Song:
Our Father, which 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 debts, as we forgive our debtors
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil
For thy is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory. Forever
Amen