Our Father: name, kingdom and will

Read

Study objective: Study the opening address and the first three requests, which concern God.

Reading: Matthew 6:9–10 · Luke 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

1. Why does the prayer start with God rather than with our needs?
2. What difference does “our” make compared with “my”?
3. 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

1. How do you usually begin to pray?
2. 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”.