Lord’s Prayer
☩Context and Purpose
Jesus gave this prayer in response to the disciples' request, 'Lord, teach us to pray' (Luke 11:1). In the Sermon on the Mount, He contrasted it with the 'vain repetitions' of the heathen (Matthew 6:7-13). The prayer is not meant to be recited mechanically but serves as a pattern covering the essential elements of prayer: worship of God, submission to His will, dependence for daily needs, confession, and protection from evil.
☩Structure
The prayer begins with address ('Our Father which art in heaven'), followed by three petitions concerning God—hallowing His name, coming of His kingdom, accomplishing His will. Then come three petitions concerning human need—daily bread, forgiveness of debts, and deliverance from temptation and evil. The doxology ('For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen') appears in many manuscripts of Matthew but not Luke, and may be a liturgical addition reflecting 1 Chronicles 29:11.
References
- 1.James Hastings (ed.), "Lord's Prayer," in Dictionary of Christ and the Gospels, vol. II (T. & T. Clark, 1906–1908).
- 2.James Orr (ed.), "Lord's Prayer," in International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, vol. III (Howard-Severance Company, 1915).