Matthew 6:9-15
The Lord's Prayer
We'll be adding more translations here in the future, but in the meantime, you can find more translations now on the BibleProject app.
Jesus taught his followers a simple prayer, focusing on God’s purposes in the world and our dependence on God. The prayer invites us to trust God daily and to love one another as we participate in the union of Heaven and Earth.
At the center of the Sermon on the Mount is the Lord’s Prayer. This placement shows the prayer’s central place in the lives of Jesus’ followers.
Chapter from Sermon on the Mount E20
Cultural Background of the Lord’s Prayer
For thousands of years, Jewish people have practiced a daily prayer called the Kaddish. The Kaddish is similar to the Lord’s Prayer, showing us that Jesus didn’t invent a new prayer to teach his disciples but adapted an existing one.
The Lord’s Prayer is at the center of the center of the center of the entire sermon. This placement shows the prayer’s central place in the lives of Jesus’ followers. The Lord’s Prayer is a simple prayer that Jesus adapted from the existing Jewish prayer, the Kaddish. The first half of this prayer focuses on God’s purposes in the world, and the second addresses our needs. Through this prayer, we are invited to trust God daily and to love one another as we participate in the union of Heaven and Earth.