The Lord's Prayer: Part 1

Story

Have you ever had trouble doing a school assignment? Maybe you were stuck on a confusing math problem or just couldn’t figure out the meaning of one of your vocabulary words. You know what always helps? To see an example! Once you see all the steps on how a math problem works, or maybe see a vocabulary word used in a sentence or two, it makes it easier to understand how to do it yourself.

Examples are super helpful because they show us step by step how something is supposed to be done. In Matthew 6, Jesus basically gives us a step-by-step example for how we should pray to God!

Today, we call this the Lord’s Prayer. It’s one of the most well-known verses in the Bible, because it’s so helpful. Many people who have grown up going to church are familiar with The Lord’s Prayer—some have even memorized it. You’ve probably heard it before!

But here’s the thing we have to remember . . . The Lord’s Prayer is an example, not a script. He doesn’t say “This, then, is what you should pray.” He says, “This, then, is how you should pray.”

Here’s how Jesus starts: “This, then, is how you should pray: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name” (Matthew 6:9 NIV).

Think

Right away, this prayer sounds very important, but it can be hard to explain why. Have you ever been in a place where something special was happening? Weddings and funerals are good examples of such places. When it’s time for the bride or groom to say their vows at a wedding, or when a pastor is speaking at a funeral, people will suddenly get very quiet. In times like that, people think carefully about what they’re going to do and say because the situation is very important; it’s a time to listen.

Talking to God is like that; it’s very important. He’s the most important person in the universe, and He wants to hear from you! The word “hallowed” means we should treat Him as special and important, different from everyone else, kind of like how you’re supposed to treat your parents, teachers, a queen, or a president.

So as we pray, we should treat the Lord with respect, always remembering how special it is that God talks to us. But at the same time, He also shows us that as important and powerful and special as God is, we can ALWAYS come to Him because He’s our dad!

He says, “Our Father in heaven . . .” He’s not a far off distant leader and ruler who you may never meet. He’s a loving Father who wants to hear from you and have an amazing and loving relationship with you!

Do Something

It’s important to memorize this prayer in the Bible, because it teaches us how to pray—it gives us an example of the different types of things we should be praying about and for. So, it’s good to learn this prayer, but it’s even better to talk to God about everything you can think of.

You can start by talking to God about what makes Him special apart from everyone and everything else. Read The Lord’s Prayer with your Mom or Dad, then pray about some of the things on your mind and for other people in your life.

Pray

Dear Father in heaven, help me remember what it means that You are holy. Thank You for listening to me and for sending Jesus to die for me. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.