Study guide · Passage studies · Beginner
Understanding the Lord’s Prayer
Three lessons on the prayer Jesus taught: “Our Father” and God’s name, kingdom and will; daily bread and forgiveness; and temptation and deliverance.
Editorial text in English. Scripture is quoted from the version you choose; references stay the same in every version.
About this study
When his disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray, he gave them a short prayer. Matthew places it in the Sermon on the Mount; Luke records a shorter form in answer to the disciples’ request. Matthew 6:9–13Luke 11:1–4
These three lessons take the prayer phrase by phrase, asking what each line means and how it shapes the one who prays.
Lessons
Each lesson moves through Read → Observe → Understand → Connect → Reflect. In study mode you can answer privately, take notes and save your place on this device.
1Our Father: name, kingdom and willMatthew 6:9–10Luke 11:1–2 · about 11 minDone
Read
Study objective: Study the opening address and the first three requests, which concern God.
Reading: Matthew 6:9–10Luke 11:1–2
Background and context
Jesus teaches the prayer after warning against praying for show or with many empty words (Matthew 6:5-8). The prayer begins with God: his name, his kingdom and his will. “Our” makes it a prayer of a community, not only of individuals.
Observe
- The prayer is addressed to “our Father in heaven”.
- The first requests are about God, not our needs.
- “Hallowed” means treated as holy.
- God’s will is asked to be done on earth as in heaven.
Words, people and events to notice
- Hallowed
- Honoured as holy. To pray “hallowed be your name” is to ask that God be honoured as he truly is.
- Kingdom
- God’s reign, announced by Jesus as near and still to come. Mark 1:15
Understand
- Why does the prayer start with God rather than with our needs?
- What difference does “our” make compared with “my”?
- What would it look like for God’s will to be done “on earth as it is in heaven”?
Connect
- Romans 8:15
The Spirit enables believers to cry, “Abba, Father.”
- Luke 22:42
Jesus prays “your will be done” in Gethsemane.
Reflect
- How do you usually begin to pray?
- Where in your life do you most need to pray “your will be done”?
Key takeaways
Editorial summary, not Scripture.
- Prayer begins with God’s name, kingdom and will.
- The prayer is for a community: “our Father”.
2Daily bread and forgivenessMatthew 6:11–12Matthew 6:14–15 · about 11 minDone
Read
Study objective: Study the requests for daily provision and for forgiveness, and the link with forgiving others.
Reading: Matthew 6:11–12Matthew 6:14–15
Background and context
The prayer asks for bread “today”: enough for the day, as Israel received manna one day at a time. It then asks for forgiveness “as we also forgive”, and Jesus underlines the connection straight after the prayer (6:14-15).
Observe
- The request is for bread for today, not for years.
- Sins are described as debts (6:12).
- Our forgiving is joined to God’s forgiving (6:12).
- Jesus repeats the point after the prayer (6:14-15).
Words, people and events to notice
- Debts
- Matthew’s word for sins in the prayer; Luke has “sins” and “everyone who is indebted to us”. Luke 11:4
Understand
- Why might Jesus teach us to ask for bread for one day?
- How does Exodus 16:4 (manna) help explain this request?
- Why is forgiving others so closely tied to being forgiven?
Connect
- Exodus 16:4
Manna given day by day.
- Matthew 18:21–35
The parable of the unforgiving servant.
Reflect
- What does “enough for today” look like for you?
- Is there someone you find hard to forgive as you pray this line?
Key takeaways
Editorial summary, not Scripture.
- We depend on God for each day’s needs.
- Receiving forgiveness and giving it belong together.
3Temptation and deliveranceMatthew 6:13Luke 11:4 · about 11 minDone
Read
Study objective: Study the final requests, and note the closing words found in some manuscripts.
Reading: Matthew 6:13Luke 11:4
Background and context
The prayer ends by asking God not to lead us into temptation and to deliver us from the evil one, or from evil. Many Bibles add “For yours is the Kingdom, the power, and the glory forever. Amen.” These words are absent from the earliest manuscripts of Matthew and are printed in some versions with a note; churches commonly use them in worship.
Observe
- The request admits weakness: “Bring us not into temptation.”
- It asks for rescue from evil (or the evil one).
- Luke’s version ends with the request about temptation (11:4).
- Some versions include a closing line of praise.
Words, people and events to notice
- Temptation
- A test or trial that could lead to sin. James says God tempts no one to sin. James 1:13
Understand
- How can we pray “bring us not into temptation” if God tempts no one (James 1:13)?
- What does asking for deliverance say about the world we live in?
- Why might churches have added a closing line of praise?
Connect
- Matthew 26:41
Watch and pray, that you don’t enter into temptation.
- 1 Corinthians 10:13
God provides a way of escape.
Reflect
- Where do you need to pray for strength against temptation?
- Pray the whole prayer slowly, pausing after each line.
Key takeaways
Editorial summary, not Scripture.
- The prayer ends with honest dependence on God for protection.
- The familiar closing praise is a later addition in many manuscripts, and a fitting response.
Questions for the whole study
Written by BibleKenya editors. They are not Scripture.
- Which line of the prayer do you pray least sincerely?
- How could you use the prayer as a pattern for your own words?
Themes
- Prayer
Prayer across Scripture. Luke 11:1
- Forgiveness
Forgive us as we forgive. Matthew 6:12
- The Kingdom of God
Your kingdom come. Matthew 6:10
Life situations
- Temptation
“Bring us not into temptation.” Matthew 6:13
Reading plans
- Learning to Pray
A closer study of the Lord’s Prayer.
Other study guides
- The Sermon on the Mount
A closer study of the prayer at the centre of the sermon. Matthew 6:9–13
Use offline
Save this study guide on your device, then download the Bible books it uses in your version: Matthew, Luke. The study keeps only its own notes and references; the Scripture comes from the books on your device, never a second copy.