When I was a youngster, The Lord’s Prayer was a form of penance, to be repeated dozens of times as fast as possible, after confession. I did not know that it came from the Bible.
Researching the two versions, Matthew 6:9-13 and Luke 11:1-4, are different than the version that I knew.
Recently, I took some time to understand what The Lord’s Prayer means to me as a Christian – I am not a theologian. Your mileage may vary.
The two versions are memorialized by Matthew and Luke as Jesus’ actual words, in the New International Version.
Matthew:
“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, thy kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.”
Luke:
“Father, hallowed be thy name, your kingdom come. Give us this day our daily bread. Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation.”
Here’s the version that I now know and what it means to me:
Our Father
It acknowledges God is our Heavenly Father which makes us all brothers and sisters. It crosses generations, locations, and everything else.
Who art in heaven
Yes, he rose from the dead and ascended into heaven.
Hallowed be Thy Name
His Name is sacred, to only be used in prayer and biblical discussions.
Thy Kingdom come, Thy Will be done
We wait patiently for His return and judgment.
On earth as it is in heaven
Earth and Heaven will become the same. Imagine, Heaven on earth!
Give us this day our daily bread
Seeking Him daily. He is the bread of life. “Those who eat it will never be hungry.” John 6:35
And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us
I used to pause in between these two phrases and didn’t understand the true meaning, when said together. But then I understood the importance of what happens when I understand my failures and ask God for forgiveness - it moves me to forgive others and draws me closer to God.
This is where I see a conflict: I believe that God’s forgiveness is not contingent upon our forgiveness of others’ trespasses. We follow God’s example of forgiveness.
Matthew 6 14-15: “For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your Heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.”
And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil
God made us in his image (perfect) and gave us free will, which causes us to be imperfect. We pray that when our free will causes us to sin, God will save us from ourselves.
For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory
God is King, omnipotent, and the creator of all things.
Forever and ever
Forever is eternity. Forever and ever is an eternity of eternities.
Amen
Meaning “so be it”, a solemn expression of faith and belief. First found in the Jewish bible, around 400 BCE.
So, there you have my take on The Lord’s Prayer.
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