Prayers/Lord's Prayer, The

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Intro and Background

The Lord's Prayer is the prayer that Jesus taught to his disciples in the gospels of Matthew and Luke.

See Detailed notes at Teachings/Prayer/Lord's Prayer, The (along with recommended devotional exercises based off the outline of the Lord's Prayer)

In the Gospels

The following translations below come from the New International Version.

Matthew 6:9-13 Luke 11:2-4

Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.

Father,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come.
Give us each day our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins,
for we also forgive everyone who sins against us.
And lead us not into temptation.

Our Father (Traditional)

The Lord's Prayer is often used in Church Liturgy. The traditional translation is:

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.
For thine is the kingdom,
and the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever. Amen.

See Liturgy/Lord's Prayer, The for more details.

Our Father (Contemporary)

This is the ecumenical, modernized, version of the Lord's Prayer (Contemporary version in BCP) released by the English Language Liturgical Consultation (ELLC) in 1975.[1]

Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your Name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins,
as we forgive those
who sin against us.
Save us from the time of trial,
and deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power,
and the glory are yours,
now and for ever. Amen.

Poetic Paraphrase (Original)

When rendered in original Greek and even Aramaic languages many scholars have suggested that the original versions contained classic poetic devices of rhyme and rhythm that may have enabled his earliest followers to easily memorize and pass along this prayer through oral tradition.[2]

Below is a paraphrase using poetic devices:

Father of all light and life,
We join with heaven now to sing
Thrice holy He who made all things.
Today before the throne I stand,
Quicken me to your command
Together walking hand-in-hand.
By this, your rule be extended
Upon your Spirit we are dependent.

To save the lost was His aim,
It is finished was His claim.
Heal us now, the sick, the lame
That by your grace, we may run the race.
Give today, the bread of tomorrow
Keep us from sin and sorrow.
As we eat the manna true,
Satisfy our hearts anew.
And if anyone should cause us pain
May we return to this refrain
Not my will, but Yours instead,
Blessed be The Son who bled,
To make this slave of sin Your kin.

Save us in the evil day,
You will get the final say,
Till at last our eyes behold
the glory of the risen Lord.

Cross-References:

  • Father of all light and life: see John 1:11-12, 1 John 3:1, James 1:17
  • Thrice holy He who made all things: see Revelations 4:8-11
  • To save the lost: See Luke 19:10
  • Heal us now, the sick, the lame: See Hebrews 12
  • Not my will, but yours instead: see Luke 22:42


Translation Notes:

  • Daily bread:
    • The original Greek uses an esoteric word not used in popular speech roughly translated as 'our bread of morrow' or our bread to sustain us for the coming day which carries a thematic parallel to the daily portions of manna provided to Israel during their journey through the wilderness.
    • 'our bread of morrow' can also be taken as referring to "the great tomorrow" in terms of the ancient Jewish concept of two ages (present age vs the age to come).
      • (Give today, the bread of tomorrow): See also Hebrews 6:5 "who have tasted... the powers of the coming age."
  • Lead us not into temptation (keep us from sin and sorrow)
    • The Bible makes it clear that the source of temptation and sin comes from the evil desires within one's heart and that divine assistance is necessary to overcome evil with good. Due to the frailty of our nature, we should not be so bold as to presume we should ask God for great trials and tests lest we stumble and fall.

Paraphrase for Children (The Jesus Storybook Bible)

From The Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Loyd-Jones & Jago[3]

Hello Daddy!
We want to know you. And be close to you.
Please show us how.
Make everything in the world right again.
And in our hearts, too.
Do what is best—just like you do in heaven,
And please do it down here, too.
Please give us everything we need today.
Forgive us for doing wrong, for hurting you.
Forgive us just as we forgive other people when they hurt us.
Rescue us! We need you.
We don't want to keep running away and hiding from you.
Keep us safe from our enemies.
You're strong, God.
You can do whatever you want.
You are in charge.
Now and forever and for always!
We thing you're great!
Amen! Yes we do!

Paraphrase (Dallas Willard)

Dallas Willard’s Paraphrase of The Lord’s Prayer, from The Divine Conspiracy[4]

Dear Father always near us,[5]
may your name be treasured and loved,
may your rule be completed in us—
may your will be done here on earth in
just the way it is done in heaven.
Give us today the things we need today,
and forgive us our sins and impositions on you
as we are forgiving all who in any way offend us.
Please don’t put us through trials,[6]
but deliver us from everything bad.
Because you are the one is charge,
and you have all the power,
and the glory too is all yours—forever—
which is just the way we want it!
Optional: Whoopee!!

Music Videos


References

  1. See https://www.liturgytools.net/2010/09/our-father-ellc.html
  2. https://www.psephizo.com/biblical-studies/the-poetry-of-the-lords-prayer/ see also https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Poetry_of_Our_Lord
  3. See https://www.sanctuaryic.org/kids-wing-blog//this-is-our-story
  4. Dallas Willard, The Divine Conspiracy: Rediscovering Our Hidden Life in God, 1st ed. (San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco, 1998), 269.
  5. Dallas Willard explains that for the biblical writers, heaven is close. The “first heavens” is a term used to describe the earth’s atmosphere. So when Jesus describes the invisible realm that God inhabits, he lets us know it’s not only “out there,” but also as near as the atmosphere surrounding our bodies. The Universe in 57 Words (Page 20). See also Deuteronomy 4:36
  6. Dallas Willard explains that temptations is not a precise translation. It is referring to trials.