“Jesus told His disciples, when you are praying, do it in this way: ‘Our Father…’” (Matthew 6, 7-15) Jesus, the Master, Jesus instructs us that we should not pray like the Gentiles, repeating empty phrases. He means that true prayer is not so much a matter of the number of words – as of the frequency and the love with which we turn toward God, raising our minds and hearts to God. So, Jesus gives us a “model prayer,” His prayer.
The “Our Father,” consists of two parts. In the first part, we praise and worship God, addressing God as our loving, caring, and providing Heavenly Father and promising that we will do God’s holy will in our lives, thus remaining a part of His kingdom. In the second part, we present our petitions with trust and confidence. First, we ask God for our present needs, like food, clothing, and shelter, (“give us this day our daily bread”), then for our “past” needs, so to speak, especially for forgiveness of our sins (“forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us”), and finally, for our future needs, protection against the tempter and his temptations (“and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil”).
In the end, the Lord’s Prayer encourages us to welcome God into our hearts in a full way. We are asked to welcome God as our Provider, our Savior, and our Guide and Advocate. The prayer also invites us to avoid worry – by trusting in the providence of our loving God, acquiring the art of living one day at a time, and seeking God’s kingdom by doing His will every day and living a righteous life obeying God’s law. None of this is easy, but it is nearly impossible if we are not praying often and according to the “model” Jesus has given us.
