The Lord’s Prayer is a prayer that the Lord Jesus Christ
taught His disciples in 6:9-13 and Luke 11:2-4. Matthew 6:9-13 says, “But you should pray like this: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our trespasses, as we have forgiven our trespassers. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever, Amen.'” Most people misunderstand the Lord’s Prayer. It is a prayer that we should probably repeat word for word. Some people use the Lord’s Prayer as a magic formula,
The Bible teaches the opposite. God is more interested in our hearts than in our words when we pray. “But when you pray, enter into your inner room, and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who is in secret will reward you. And when you pray, do not be vain like the Gentiles. For they think that if they speak many words, they will be heard.” do” (Matthew 6:6-7). In prayer, we are to open our hearts to God (Philippians 4:6-7), not just repeat words to God.
The Lord’s Prayer is not meant to be an example, a model, of how to pray. It gives us the “elements” that need to be in prayer. Here Nir this sentence teaches this. “Our Father, which art in heaven,” teaches us who we should pray to—the Father. “Hallowed be thy name” speaks of our worshiping God, and praising Him with all that we do. The phrase “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven” reminds us that we must pray for God’s plan, not our plan, to be fulfilled in our lives and in this world. We do God’s will, Rather than praying for our wishes to be fulfilled. We are encouraged that we should ask God for the things we need such as “Give us this day our daily bread.” “Forgive us our trespasses, as we have forgiven our trespassers” reminds us that we must confess our sins to God and turn from them, and forgive others as God has forgiven us. The essence of the Lord’s Prayer is, “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.” It is a cry for help that triumphs over sin and a plea for protection from the attacks of evil.
Therefore, this is just an example of how we should pray. Is it wrong to remember the Lord’s Prayer? Absolutely not! Is it a mistake to recite the Lord’s Prayer to God? No, there is nothing wrong with it if your heart is in it and you are speaking with the true meaning of the words you are speaking. Remember, in prayer, God is with those who are more interested in the conversation and the words that come out of our hearts than in what specific words we use. Philippians 4:6-7 declares, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your petitions be made known to God, and the peace of God that surpasses understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Jesus.”