When his first disciples followed Jesus, they especially noticed His dedication to prayer. One day they asked him to teach them to pray. The Lord Jesus then gave them a template, not for them to recite as in a mantra, but to use as a guide.
See the Lord’s Prayer as a pattern you can use to express prayers to God that demonstrate the proper respect, commitment, trust, and focus using the following outline.
THE LORD’S PRAYER OUTLINE (Matthews 6:9-13)
Adapted from THE PRAYER OF JESUS (2002) by Ken Hemphill.
THE ADDRESS
| Our | Stresses Community |
| Father | Stresses Relationship |
| Who is in Heaven | Stresses Authority |
.
THE COMMITMENT
| Hallowed be Your name | Commitment to Holiness |
| Your Kingdom come | Commitment to Participation |
| Your will be done | Commitment to Obedience |
.
THE PETITION
| Daily Bread | Trust for Physical Provision |
| Forgiveness of Debts | Trust for Cleansing of Sin |
| Deliverance from Evil | Trust Power over Temptation |
.
THE BENEDICTION
| Yours is the Kingdom | Focuses on His Rule |
| …the Power | Focuses on His Sufficiency |
| …the Glory | Focuses on His Presence |