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The Lords Prayer was left to us by Jesus as a model of how to pray. "Teach us how to pray," the disciples said to Jesus. (Luke 11: 1) He answered by teaching them the prayer we call the Our Father or The Lord's Prayer. The Lord's Prayer is a basic Christian prayer. Every Christian learns it by heart. Many have learned to recite or say the prayer from a little child, but when you study the meaning behind the prayer it can truly transform your life. It helps to stand on the promise of God. Jesus Christ taught this prayer for a reason. It is a guide to help you create your own prayer. When you study the meaning of this wonderful prayer, you will be drawn closer to your Father the creator, God. You will also repeat the Lords Prayer with a new found difference in your spirit. The prayer is found in Matthew 6:913:
"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." And it also occurs in Luke 11:2-4 "Father, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread, and forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation."

Though we memorize it as a set formula, the Lord's Prayer shouldn't be repeated mechanically or without thought. Its purpose is to awaken and stimulate our faith. Through this prayer Jesus invites us to approach God as Father.

"Our Father in heaven" -- We need to always acknowledge first and foremost who we are talking to. He (God) is our heavenly Father. We address Him with respect just as we should address our earthly father with respect. He is the only true God who created all things in this universe, including us. He loves us and we need to show our love for Him. "Hallowed be your name" -- We must see Him as being holy, sanctified, consecrated; worthy of praise, honor and glory! "Your kingdom come" - We acknowledge His coming kingdom. We pray that Christ will soon return and establish His earthly kingdom where we will reign with Him for eternity. "Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven" -- We need to be praying for His will to be done in our lives, so that we might bring glory to Him here on earth as He is also glorified in heaven. We need to do things His way, instead of selfishly doing our own things to satisfy our own desires. "Give us today our daily bread" -- We should ask our Father each day to provide for our needs, just as He promised in His Holy Word. His Word says that we don't have, because we don't ask. Of course, we must first know God through His Son, our personal Lord and Savior. If we don't know Christ, God won't acknowledge this request for daily provision. "Forgive us our debts (or transgressions) as we also have forgiven our debtors (transgressors)" -- This speaks about forgiveness among our associates, neighbors, friends, family and loved ones. Any and all persons in our lives that we come in contact with in social or business situations are included as well. If we can't forgive others, how can we expect our heavenly Father to forgive us? "Lead us not into temptation" -- We need to ask our heavenly Father to help us recognize every evil thing, every temptation before us. We need help to stay focused on our Father and see the evil that we might fall into, for what it is really is, a trap set by Satan to bring us down to his level. "But deliver us from the evil one" -- Life is not easy. It is a daily battle. Trials like sickness and failure can crush our spirits. False values and easy promises can entice us and even destroy our souls. And so we ask God to keep us from

failing when we are tested, to help us to know the right thing to do, to deliver us from the evil which awaits us in life. A Glorious Ending Some commentators believe that the end of the Lord's Prayer - "For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever" - was added by someone other than the original writer. Whether that's true or not, this last phrase simply emphasizes more praise and glory to God the Father - so it's absolutely biblical a glorious ending to a model prayer to God. The Lord's Prayer sums up the teaching of Jesus. It is also a prayer that offers the grace of Jesus: his reverence for God, his childlike confidence in his Father, and his power to go bravely through life no matter what comes. Jesus taught the Lords Prayer. When we pray his prayer, his spirit becomes our own. We should let our daily lives be a reflection of the Lords Prayer.