Lord’s Prayer - Short Explanation

The Lord’s Prayer, also known as the Our Father or Pater Noster, is a central Christian prayer that Jesus taught to his disciples. It appears in two forms in the New Testament: a longer version in the Gospel of Matthew (Matthew 6:9-13) and a shorter version in the Gospel of Luke (Luke 11:2-4)123.

Origin
The prayer is believed to have been taught by Jesus during the Sermon on the Mount in the Gospel of Matthew and in response to a disciple’s request in the Gospel of Luke12. The Didache, an early Christian document, also contains a version of the Lord’s Prayer similar to that in Matthew.

Text of the Lord’s Prayer

Here is the text of the Lord’s Prayer as found in the Gospel of Matthew (New International Version):

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.
And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.
Church Fathers on the Lord’s Prayer

Several early Church Fathers have written extensively about the Lord’s Prayer:

Tertullian: He emphasized the mystery of God’s holy name and the importance of praying for God’s name to be revered in all people. Tertullian considered the Lord’s Prayer as a foundation for Christian liturgy and worship practices.

St. Cyprian: He taught catechumens (new converts) how to pray based on the Lord’s Prayer. He believed that praying with the words of Christ was a loving and friendly way to beseech God.

Origen: Origen’s work on prayer broadly covers the subject, blessing both advanced students of the faith and those preparing for baptism.

The Lord’s Prayer is considered a model for Christian prayer and is used by most Christian denominations in their worship. It is seen as a unifying prayer that brings Christians together in solidarity


Matthew 6:9-13

9 Thus therefore shall you pray: Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.
10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our supersubstantial bread.
12 And forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation. But deliver us from evil.
Amen.

In the Douay-Rheims version of the Bible, Luke 11:2-4 reads as follows:

2 And he said to them: When you pray, say: Father, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come.
3 Give us this day our daily bread.
4 And forgive us our sins, for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation.