The Lord’s Prayer Explained: Meaning of the Our Father Line by Line
The full text of the Lord’s Prayer, the meaning of each line, the difference between Matthew and Luke, and how to use it as a guide.
October 4, 2026 12 min read
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The Lord’s Prayer, also called the Our Father, is the prayer Jesus taught his disciples, recorded in Matthew 6:9-13 and, in a shorter form, in Luke 11:2-4. In a few lines it puts God first (his name, his Kingdom, his will) and then brings the needs of the one praying: bread, forgiveness and protection. It is a prayer to say and also a model for praying in your own words.
What is the Lord’s Prayer?
The Lord’s Prayer is part of the Sermon on the Mount, the long teaching of Jesus that fills chapters 5 to 7 of the Gospel of Matthew. In the middle of instructions about giving, praying and fasting, Jesus tells his disciples how to pray and gives them these words. In the World English Bible, the full text reads:
“Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. Let your Kingdom come. Let your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors. Bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For yours is the Kingdom, the power, and the glory forever. Amen.” (Matthew 6:9-13, WEB)
The prayer has two halves. The first three requests look toward God: that his name be kept holy, that his Kingdom come, that his will be done. The rest look toward us: daily bread, forgiveness of debts, protection in temptation and rescue from evil. The order itself teaches something: before asking, the one who prays remembers who he is talking to.
Where is the Lord’s Prayer in the Bible, and what comes before it?
Right before the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus corrects two wrong ways of praying. The first is praying to be seen. He speaks of hypocrites who love to pray standing in the synagogues and on street corners “that they may be seen by men” and proposes the opposite:
“But you, when you pray, enter into your inner room, and having shut your door, pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.” (Matthew 6:6, WEB)
The second mistake is thinking that the number of words persuades God. Jesus says not to “use vain repetitions as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard for their much speaking” (Matthew 6:7). And he gives the reason:
“Therefore don’t be like them, for your Father knows what things you need before you ask him.” (Matthew 6:8, WEB)
That is the setting for “Pray like this.” The Lord’s Prayer comes as an answer to showcase prayer and to formula prayer. It is short and direct, spoken to a Father who already knows the need before the request.
The Lord’s Prayer explained line by line
“Our Father in heaven”
Jesus teaches his disciples to call God Father. It is not a distant title; it is the language of someone who belongs to the family. Paul picks up this idea when he writes that Christians “received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry, ‘Abba! Father!’” (Romans 8:15). The word “our” matters too. No one really prays the Our Father alone, even behind a closed door: the prayer includes our brothers and sisters.
“In heaven” balances the closeness. The Father is near, but he is not like us. He is above everything, and that is why he is able to answer.
“May your name be kept holy”
To keep God’s name holy is to recognize him as holy and to want him honored. The first request is not for something for me; it is that God be known and respected as he is. In practice, this line also asks how my life treats the name I carry as a Christian.
“Let your Kingdom come”
The Kingdom of God is God’s rule. Asking for it to come is longing for God’s will to prevail in the world and in my own life. In the same sermon, Jesus says: “But seek first God’s Kingdom and his righteousness; and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:33). Different churches explain in different ways how the Kingdom is already present and how it is still to come in fullness, but all of them pray for it with Jesus’ words.
“Let your will be done on earth as it is in heaven”
This may be the hardest line to say sincerely. It hands control of our plans to God. Jesus himself prayed this way in Gethsemane, the night before the cross: “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done” (Luke 22:42). Asking for God’s will to be done is not cold resignation; it is trust that the Father knows better.
“Give us today our daily bread”
After looking to God, the prayer comes down to the concrete: food, provision, what is needed for today. Jesus does not teach us to ask for a year’s pantry, but for today’s bread. That trains trust one day at a time. And again, the bread is “our” bread: whoever prays for bread also remembers those who have none.
“Forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors”
In Matthew, sin appears as a debt: something we owe God and cannot pay. The request for forgiveness is tied to the forgiveness we give others. Right after the prayer, Jesus returns to the point: “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you” (Matthew 6:14). Forgiving does not mean pretending nothing happened or staying exposed to someone who does harm; it means not holding on to the debt.
“Bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one”
Here the disciple admits his own weakness. He asks not to be led into situations where he would fall and to be rescued from evil. Some translations say “from evil”; others, like the World English Bible and the Biblia Libre para el Mundo, say “from the evil one,” pointing to the enemy. Both readings lead to the same place: without God, we do not have the strength to overcome.
“For yours is the Kingdom, the power, and the glory forever. Amen”
The prayer ends the way it began, with eyes on God. Everything asked for rests on the fact that the Kingdom, the power and the glory belong to him. The “Amen” is the final agreement: so be it.
Why do some Bibles leave out “for yours is the Kingdom”?
This ending, called a doxology (a sentence of praise), appears in some of the ancient manuscripts of Matthew and not in others. That is why some Bibles keep it in the text, others place it in a footnote or in brackets, and others leave it out.
The three versions used on this site include the doxology in Matthew 6:13: the Bíblia Livre in Portuguese, the World English Bible and the Biblia Libre para el Mundo. None of them has it in Luke. In practice, many churches say this ending when they pray together, and others stop at “deliver us from the evil one.” Neither form changes what the prayer teaches.
Lord’s Prayer in Matthew and Luke: what is the difference?
In Luke, the Lord’s Prayer appears in a different setting. Jesus had been praying, and when he finished, one disciple made a request:
“Lord, teach us to pray, just as John also taught his disciples.” (Luke 11:1, WEB)
Jesus answers with a shorter version of the prayer:
“Give us day by day our daily bread. Forgive us our sins, for we ourselves also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. Bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.” (Luke 11:3-4, WEB)
The differences are small and helpful. Luke asks for bread “day by day”; Matthew, “today.” Luke speaks of “sins”; Matthew, of “debts,” though Luke keeps the idea of debt with “everyone who is indebted to us.” Luke has no closing doxology. In some manuscripts, Luke’s text is shorter still. The fact that the prayer appears in two forms shows that Jesus did not hand over a magic formula, but a path.
How to use the Lord’s Prayer as a guide for prayer
Matthew records “Pray like this”; Luke, “When you pray, say.” So the Lord’s Prayer can be said word for word and can also serve as a guide for your own prayer. A simple way is to pause at each line and fill it in with your life. It takes five to ten minutes.
Our Father: begin by giving thanks that you can call God Father. Bring to mind someone you want to pray for along with you.
May your name be kept holy: praise God for something he is: faithful, good, patient. Say it in your own words.
Your Kingdom come, your will be done: hand God a decision or plan that is weighing on you. Say honestly what you want and end with “but let your will be done.”
Daily bread: ask for what you need today. Work, health, wisdom for a conversation, money for a bill. Ask also for those who are in need.
Forgive us, as we forgive: confess something specific. Then think of someone who hurt you and tell God you want to let go of that debt, even if it still hurts. If the wound involves abuse or violence, forgiving does not require living close to the person who harmed you again; seek help from a pastor, a counselor or people you trust.
Bring us not into temptation, deliver us from evil: name the area where you tend to fall and ask for strength for today.
Yours is the Kingdom: end in praise, remembering that everything depends on him.
If you want to practice this pattern with a different Bible passage each day, today’s devotional offers a short reading with a reflection, and the Presente com Jesus app puts the devotional on your phone. To start your day with this model, see also the morning prayer. And to understand the place of prayer in everyday Christian life, read the power of prayer in the Christian life.
A prayer based on the Lord’s Prayer
Father, thank You that I can call You by that name. May Your name be honored in my home, in my work and in my words. Let Your Kingdom come over my plans; I give You what worries me and ask that Your will be done, not mine. Give me today the bread I need and remind me of those who have none. Forgive my sins and help me forgive those who have hurt me. Keep me from temptation and deliver me from evil. For Yours is the Kingdom, the power and the glory, forever. Amen.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Lord’s Prayer meant to be repeated?
It can be repeated, and many Christians say it word for word, alone or in church. In Luke, Jesus says “When you pray, say.” What Jesus condemns in Matthew 6:7 are “vain repetitions,” spoken as if the number of words guaranteed an answer. Repeating with attention and sincerity is different from repeating on autopilot.
Where is the Lord’s Prayer in the Bible?
The Lord’s Prayer is in Matthew 6:9-13, within the Sermon on the Mount, and in Luke 11:2-4, when a disciple asks Jesus, “Lord, teach us to pray.” Matthew has the longer form; Luke, the shorter one. You can read both chapters in the online Bible.
What is the difference between the Lord’s Prayer in Matthew and in Luke?
Matthew’s version is part of the Sermon on the Mount and gives the fuller prayer, with “let your will be done” and, in versions that include it, the closing doxology. Luke records the prayer as Jesus’ answer to a disciple’s request, with some shorter lines and “sins” instead of “debts.” The core content is the same.
Do evangelicals pray the Lord’s Prayer?
Yes, many evangelicals pray the Lord’s Prayer, at home and in worship services. Some churches say it together often; others use it more as a model for spontaneous prayer. Catholics, Orthodox and Protestants pray this same prayer, with small differences in wording depending on the translation, because it comes from the words of Jesus in the Gospel.
What does “give us today our daily bread” mean?
It is a request for the provision needed for the day: food and what we need to live. It teaches us to depend on God one day at a time.
Why does the Lord’s Prayer talk about forgiving others?
Because, for Jesus, those who receive God’s forgiveness learn to forgive. Right after the prayer, in Matthew 6:14, he links the two. Forgiveness is a process and does not require forgetting what happened or trusting again someone who keeps doing harm.
What does “bring us not into temptation” mean?
It is a request for protection: that God would keep us from situations where we would fall and deliver us from evil. Whoever prays this way admits their own weakness and asks for help before the fall, not after. Different translations use different words, but the sense of asking for protection is the same.
