What is the Lord’s Prayer?
The Lord’s Prayer is the model prayer Jesus taught his disciples, found in Matthew 6. It teaches us to honor God, seek his kingdom and will, and depend on him for provision, forgiveness, and protection.
When asked how to pray, Jesus gave a pattern beginning, ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name’ (Matthew 6:9). It starts by addressing God as Father and honoring him.
It then seeks God’s priorities — ‘your kingdom come, your will be done’ — before turning to our needs: daily bread, forgiveness of sins (as we forgive others), and deliverance from temptation and evil.
The prayer is not a magic formula but a guide for all prayer, keeping it God-centered and dependent. Many Christians pray its words directly, while others use its pattern to shape their own prayers.
Original BibleDawn answer · reviewed 2026-06. Drafted with AI assistance and reviewed for accuracy.