Take a closer look at the Lord’s Prayer
The Lord’s Prayer, found in the New Testament in the books of Matthew and Luke, offers valuable insights. To locate it, refer to Matthew 6:9-13 or Luke 11:2-4. While Luke’s version differs slightly and is shorter than Matthew’s, both convey the same core messages. One reason I generally use Matthew’s version when sharing the Lord’s Prayer is Jesus’ warning about how not to pray before he taught the disciples how to pray (read Matthew 6:5-8). This warning remains relevant to us. The principles transcend the original disciples. We should take the warning seriously.
Before we get into it, take a moment to compare both recordings of the Lord’s Prayer.
| Matthew 6:9-13 (ESV) | Luke 11:2–4 (ESV) |
| 9 Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. 10 Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us this day our daily bread, 12 and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. | 2 And he said to them, “When you pray, say: “Father, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. 3 Give us each day our daily bread, 4 and forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation.” |
The Lord’s Prayer as a Model for Prayer
There’s nothing wrong with praying the Lord’s Prayer as it’s presented. However, there’s value in observing what Jesus taught us as a model for our prayers. In this post, I’ll begin with one of the first things Jesus says about how not to pray.
Watch this short video for a meditation on Matthew 6:5-6.
You must not be like the hypocrites.
5 “And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 6 But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Mt 6:5–6). (2025). Crossway Bibles.
