In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name.
Matthew 6:9

First, the Lord’s Prayer is a prayer that He taught us, but it is a prayer that contains an essential element that He Himself could not pray. Jesus had no sins for which to ask for forgiveness (Matthew 6:12). For this reason alone, the Lord’s prayer might be aptly renamed the disciples’ prayer—though it was taught by the Lord Jesus.

Second, the Lord’s Prayer is not primarily given as a rote prayer intended to be recited. That said, it is not bad to recite the prayer—as long as our minds are engaged regarding the meaning of the words. Without thought, the Lord’s Prayer easily (and therefore frequently) becomes a vain and repetitious prayer Jesus warned us not to pray. Reciting the words of Jesus as we pray is not bad—but let us do so with alert and captivated hearts and minds.

Rather than being regarded solely as a prayer to be recited, it is a model outline instructing us of topics to be included in comprehensive prayers. They include:

Worship and a desire for God to be worshipped.
Desire for God’s will to be done.
Requests for our needs to be supplied by God.
Confession and repentance.
God’s grace when facing temptation.
Acknowledgement of God’s sovereignty over all.

We will continue with comments on each of these.