Jesus Christ is the perfect Teacher, and in Matthew 6:9-13 He teaches us how to pray. It’s not a lengthy prayer, yet it is chock-full of power. It’s important to remember that this prayer is not some “magical formula.” It is not the precise wording that is important. Instead, it is the spirit of the prayer and the various prayer categories Jesus demonstrates that are so profound.
The Lord’s prayer can be broken down into four basic categories:
- Giving worship and glory to God.
- Seeking help in our daily lives.
- Asking for forgiveness for sin.
- Committing to the pursuit of holiness.
Giving Worship and Glory to God
The first prayer category is giving worship and glory to God. We see this in verses 9-10, which say, “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” (ESV).
This is a brilliant reminder that we approach God with reverence and adoration. Before we ask God for anything, we first honor Him. Before we seek blessings, we first praise Him. Before we talk about ourselves, we first focus on Him. Jesus is showing us that the best way to start a time of prayer is to first praise God and His attributes.
In this example, Jesus highlights God’s Fatherhood and His holiness. Jesus proclaims God as the Father of the universe, our Protector, and our Creator. He says, “Hallowed be Your name,” which is a fancy way of saying “Your name is holy.” As we pray, we can feel free to glorify God for any of His attributes that in the moment we find wonderful. We could praise God for His Mercy and His presence and start a prayer with this: “Merciful God, You are always with us…” We could praise God for His power and faithfulness, saying, “Almighty God, You are faithful from generation to generation…”
There is no wrong attribute to highlight, but we ought to begin prayer with a posture of reverence and worship.
Seeking Help in Our Daily Lives
The second prayer category is seeking help for our daily lives. Jesus puts it this way in verse 11: “Give us this day our daily bread” (ESV).
This is where we can ask God for all material needs—for food, job promotions, physical healing, safe travels, for our church to grow, for a new car, for comfort in grief, for new friendships. God cares about our physical needs. He created us and He knows that we have pressing issues and concerns. We can, and should, ask for His help and His provisions.
This would also be the moment in prayer to make requests on behalf of others who we know have needs.
Asking Forgiveness for Sin
The third prayer category is around repentance and asking for forgiveness. In verse 12 Jesus instructs us to say, “And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors” (ESV).
This prayer category reminds us that we fall short of God’s glory every single day. Whether in thought, word, or deed, we will fail to be perfect. So repentance is not just a one-time event, but a daily necessity. When we pray, we ought to analyze our heart, reflect on our day, and invite God’s forgiveness to meet us afresh.
The good news is this: 1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins God is faithful and just to forgive us” (ESV). The Lord always covers us with forgiveness when we come to Him with a broken spirit and a contrite heart.
This would also be the time in prayer where we release any bitterness we are holding onto due to the way others have treated us. We ask for forgiveness and need to extend forgiveness to others.
Committing to the Pursuit of Holiness
Finally, the fourth prayer category is committing to the pursuit of greater holiness. In verse 13, Jesus teaches us to say, “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil” (ESV).
We ask God to shepherd us away from temptation and keep us on holy paths. It is important to know we can only do this by the power of the Holy Spirit, who guides us and lives within us. We must daily remind ourselves in prayer to look to the Spirit and not to the flesh. Temptation will come, but God is faithful to show us an escape hatch out of it. When we pray this fourth category, it mentally and spiritually prepares us for the testing that lies ahead.
Prayer
Holy God, I praise Your name. You alone are perfect in power, majestic in splendor, and completely pure. Thank You for this day which You have given me. Help me to grow deeper in my prayer life. Help me to pray with passion and faith. Enable me to pray like Jesus taught me to. Forgive me when I stumble into sin and guide me into greater holiness through the power of Your Spirit. I love You, God, and pray in Jesus’ name, amen.
