In Luke 11:1, one of the disciples asked Jesus to teach them how to pray; this means that they did not think they could do it without this instruction.

Luke 11:1 « 1And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples. » KJV

The prayers of Jesus were totally different from those the disciples were accustomed, those they had learned as children in the synagogue or temple. They had always followed a rite, where Jesus obtained results after his prayers.

In verse 2, Jesus answered them: “When you pray, say…. ». This means that He thought, as did His disciples, that they should learn to pray. He confirmed that prayer is not automatic, but should be taught to men.

Prayer is not simply “speaking to God”. Some make a lot of noise when they pray, say lots of “empty words”, but it is not their sound that will attract the attention of God. The volume or beautiful words have never impressed the Lord.

Jesus left to His disciples, but also to us, which is the model of prayer by excellence, but in no case a recitation to be repeated mechanically whatever the situations.

Let us analyse the “Our Father”, which is also found in the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 6, verses 9 to 13.

Matthew 6:9-13 « 9After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.10Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.11Give us this day our daily bread.12And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.13And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. » KJV

1/ Our Father: a definition of the word “Father” could be the word “Source”; we must come to God, being aware and confessing that He is The Source who can meet the needs of all. We address Him as the Father and that makes all the difference. Indeed, we are not praying to an unknown and distant God or an impersonal power, but a Person who has made Himself our Father through His Son Jesus Christ.

2/ Who are in heaven: this is an admission of submission, that we need help from outside our universe. On the other hand, if our Father is not on earth, we need an intermediary. We recognize that we depend on Jesus Christ, the only Mediator between the Father and us, and on the Holy Spirit.

3/ May Your name be sanctified: that is revered, exalted, distinguished among all names. We must begin by praising and worshipping the Father before even asking Him, and sanctifying the Holy name of our God by honoring all the attributes of His holiness: His love, His faithfulness, His integrity, and His grace. This phrase expresses an attitude of reverence and adoration. God does not want us to be terrified every time we turn to Him, but He requires that we be respectful.

4/ May your reign come, may your will be done: this statement means that an authentic person of prayer is not interested in his own kingdom, but in the Kingdom of God and what He wants to accomplish in his life. We must ask ourselves: “Father, what do you want to accomplish? What do you wish to see happen on earth?” If we pray that the will of God be done on earth, in the lives of others, we do not have to worry about our needs for The Lord will provide.

So we do not begin by praying for what we need, but for the purpose of God to be fulfilled. By asking for His reign to come, we align ourselves with what God wants to do on earth and in our lives. 

Prayer is not for us a way to get from God what we want, but a way for us to become instruments so that God can do what He wants.

“Let your will be done” is to say, “Not my will”. God’s will is always the best, the best way things can happen at all times. We should never be afraid to accept His will.

5/ Give us our daily bread: The Lord tells us not to ask for more than what we need for the day; for each day is enough pain.

6/ Forgive us our offenses as we forgive… : Jesus now deals with relationships. When we stand before God, let us ask ourselves if anyone has anything against us or vice versa. When we forgive others, God also forgives us; He hears and answers our prayers. But by refusing to forgive, God does not forgive us either, and if He does not forgive us, He does not answer our prayers

7/ Do not tempt us: this does not mean that God may have the desire to tempt us but rather that we should ask His wisdom not to lead us astray, make bad decisions and find ourselves in situations that could lead us to sin against Him.

8/ To You belong the kingdom, power and glory: in saying this we are actually saying to God: knowing that You will answer my prayer, I praise You in advance; and when You have answered me, I will tell everyone that it is thanks to You that I have obtained what I asked of You.” This sentence is both a recognition of the Almighty God and an act of submission.

In conclusion, from the reading of Matthew 6:9-13, we can say that the “OurFather” is a model based on four principles:

Verses 9-10: know who our heavenly Father is;

Verses 11-13 a: know who we are, in relation to the Father;

Verse 13 b: know who our enemy is;

Verse 13 c: Know how to praise the heavenly Father.

Jesus will accomplish all that is in the “Our Father”, and it is the Holy Spirit who will teach us to put it into practice. Jesus is the Saviour and the Lord, but for our daily walk, it is to another Person, who must come upon us, that we must turn. This person is the Holy Spirit.

John 14: 26 « 26But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. » KJV

John 16 : 13 « 13Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. » KJV