Stone chapel at dawn with golden light through a tall window and a small figure kneeling in prayer, seen from behind.

The Lord's Prayer (Our Father)

The Lord’s Prayer, also called the Our Father, is the prayer Jesus taught his disciples in Matthew 6:9-13 and Luke 11:2-4. In Matthew’s version, the one prayed today, it praises God’s name and asks for his kingdom, our daily bread, forgiveness and deliverance from evil. Catholics, Orthodox and Protestants all pray it.

Prayers & Psalms4 min

Editor: Lucas Orsolini · November 3, 2026

Prayer

Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name;
thy kingdom come,
thy will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.

Amen.

Biblical context

Jesus teaches the Lord’s Prayer in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 6:9-13), right after warning against praying to be seen by others or with many empty words. In Luke 11:2-4, the prayer comes from a request: the disciples had watched Jesus pray and wanted to learn from him.

The prayer opens by calling God “Father”, a word of closeness that Jesus himself used. The first three petitions look to God: his name, his kingdom and his will. The ones that follow look to our needs: bread for today, forgiveness, and strength against temptation and evil.

How to pray and meditate

  1. Find a quiet place and take three slow breaths before you begin.
  2. Pray slowly, one line per breath. There is no hurry.
  3. When you say “thy will be done”, hand over one concrete worry from your day.
  4. When you say “as we forgive”, bring to mind someone you need to forgive.
  5. End with a minute of silence and let the “Amen” settle.

Frequently asked questions

Why do some versions end with 'For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory'?

This closing line, called the doxology, appears in later manuscripts of Matthew and was already in use in the early centuries. Protestants usually pray it as part of the prayer; at Catholic Mass it follows a short prayer by the priest.

Should I say 'trespasses' or 'debts'?

Both are faithful. Matthew’s Greek text says 'debts', and many Protestant churches use that word. 'Trespasses' comes from older English translations and is the traditional Catholic and Anglican form.

Prayers & Psalms