In our continuing series on Jesus’ “Sermon on the Mount” (Matthew 5-7) we have come to jesus’ teaching on prayer (Matthew 6:5-15). Jesus talks about proper motivation when praying publicly and then teaches us how to pray. Though this is often referred to as the “Lord’s Prayer,” this passage is not something Jesus Himself prayed. This is a pattern meant to be used by His followers. His intent is not that we always repeat these exact words, but that we apply these lessons in our prayers. There is a shorter version found in Luke 11:2-4.
Jesus denounces the use of mindless repetition or meaningless jargon. God doesn’t need filler words, and He doesn’t need us to repeat ourselves to be heard. Jesus then models a simple, authentic prayer. It is addressed to God the Father and begins by declaring His holiness and asking for His will to be accomplished on earth. This model prayer also makes personal requests for daily food, forgiveness of sin, and deliverance from temptation and evil. Jesus then underscores part of that prayer by saying those who want God’s forgiveness must forgive others.