“Pray then like this,” Jesus said. “Our father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day 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 evil.”
– Matthew 6:9–13
That’s pretty much it. That’s what Jesus answered when he was asked by his disciples to teach them to pray. And so as we pray the word, this is a pretty simple one. Matthew 6:9–13 is how Jesus taught us to pray, what Jesus taught us to pray for, and if I could just summarize it here, maybe in a way that’ll help you remember it when you’re thinking through, “Okay, what should I pray for in this or that circumstance or just when I am spending time with the Lord in the morning?” Like, “How should I pray?”
Jesus teaches us to pray for God’s glory, gifts, grace, and guidance.
This Verse Teaches Us Glory, Gifts, Grace, And Guidance
Here’s here’s four Gs that maybe you can stow away in your mind and your heart, just to remember. Jesus tells us to pray for his glory, for the hallowing of God’s name as the king, as the sovereign Lord, who is going to make his justice, and rule, and kingdom known on the earth. Pray for his glory.
Pray for his gifts. “Give us this day our daily bread.” So ask God for his provision in this way or that way. Ask God for his glory. Ask God in prayer for his gifts.
Number three, ask God for His grace. Pray for His grace. “Forgive us our debts as we also have forgiven our debtors.” So we pray for God’s grace and forgiveness.
And then fourth G, ask God, pray for God’s guidance. “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” Ask God to lead you in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
So let’s pray those things now. And as we do, let’s realize that we are praying for exactly what Jesus told us to pray for. And he promised, his word remains in us and we ask according to his word, we have what we asked.
Matthew 6:9–13 Wants God’s Name To Be Known
So God, we have what we have asked for. So God in faith through Jesus, we pray right now for what you have taught us to pray for. We ask right now, oh God, for Your glory to be made known. Please cause your name to be hallowed in all the earth, in all the earth. In each one of our lives cause your name to be glorified in us, in our families, in our churches and in all the nations.
May Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. God, please cause your kingdom to come, your kingdom to be proclaimed, the gospel of the kingdom, the message of the kingdom to spread around the world, to spread in our lives today, right where we work and right where we live. Please cause you’re justice and your righteousness and your rule to reign on the earth.
Matthew 6:9–13 Prays For His Gifts
Lord Jesus, come quickly, we pray. Cause your will to be done, oh God, on earth as it is in heaven. We pray for your gifts, for your provision, for our needs today we pray for clean water. We pray for food. Pray for breath. Pray for health. We pray for increased health in midst of struggle and sickness. So God, we pray for your provision in every facet of our lives, not just physically, but emotionally, obviously spiritually, relationally, God, mentally, intellectually. God, we pray for your provision financially. God we know every good gift comes from you. So we ask you today for your good gifts in our lives.
This Verse Asks For His Grace
We ask for your grace. We pray that you would forgive us of our sins against you. Help us to be a reflection of your forgiveness in our forgiveness of others. God, we pray for your mercy and we praise you, Jesus, for making that mercy possible through your sacrifice for our sin.
Matthew 6:9–13 Asks To Be Led On A Holy Path
And so as redeemed and forgiven sinners, we pray for your guidance. God, we pray that today you would lead us in paths of righteousness and holiness. Keep us from temptation. Help us to resist temptation and to walk humbly and holy before you. God, I pray for that in my life. I pray for that in those who are listening right now. We pray that you would be glorified in us through the gifts you give to us, through the grace you shower on us, and the guidance you provide for us today. Lead, guide, direct our steps today, we pray. For, going back to the start, the glory of your name.
Oh God, we praise you for the privilege of prayer and we pray that you would teach us all the more what it means to ask for these things. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.
David Platt serves as a Lead Pastor for McLean Bible Church. He is also the Founder and Chairman of Radical, an organization that helps people follow Jesus and make him known in their neighborhood and all nations.
David received his B.A. from the University of Georgia and M.Div., Th.M., and Ph.D. from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. Some of his published works include Radical, Radical Together, Follow Me, Counter Culture, Something Needs to Change, and Don’t Hold Back.
He lives in the Washington, D.C. metro area with his wife and children.
