a deep pattern for prayer.
Here is a way of seeing God and the world and yourself which is profound and revolutionary and good news.
The Lord’s Prayer
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Lead us not into temptation
but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power,
and the glory are yours
now and for ever.
Amen.
Contemporary language version
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,
the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever.
Amen.
Traditional language version
SESSION ONE:
OUR FATHER IN HEAVEN, HALLOWED BE YOUR NAME
The aim of this session is to explore and experience the truth that Jesus invites us into a new relationship with God as our Father in prayer and we are sisters and brothers together.
Opening Prayers
O God, make speed to save us.
O Lord, make haste to help us.
As a father has compassion on his children,
so is the Lord merciful towards those who fear him.
Psalm 103.13
O Lord, my heart is not proud;
my eyes are not raised in haughty looks.
I do not occupy myself with great matters,
with things that are too high for me.
But I have quieted and stilled my soul,
like a weaned child on its mother’s breast;
so my soul is quieted within me.
O Israel, trust in the Lord,
from this time forth and for evermore.
Psalm 131.1–4
But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
Matthew 6.6
Loving Father,
strengthen our hearts by your Holy Spirit.
Grant us power with all the saints
to appreciate how wide and long and high and deep
is the love of Christ.
Amen.
Based on Ephesians 3.16–19
Conversation
What is your earliest memory of saying the Lord’s Prayer? How old were you? Who taught you to say the words?
Reflecting on Scripture
Reading
According to the gospels, Jesus himself gives the prayer to his disciples. We find the prayer in two different places. In Luke 11.1–4, Jesus gives the prayer when the disciples say to him: ‘Lord, teach us to pray. ‘In Matthew’s gospel, Jesus teaches his disciples to pray in the central section of the Sermon on the Mount.
7‘When you are praying, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard because of their many words. 8Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
9‘Pray then in this way: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. 10Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. 11Give us this day our daily bread. 12And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13And do not bring us to the time of trial, but rescue us from the evil one.
14For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you; 15but if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.’
Matthew 6.5–15
Explanatory note
You will notice some differences between the wording of the Lord’s Prayer in Matthew and in Luke and in the versions we use today (see page 12).We will look at these in more detail in future weeks.
Read the passage through once
Keep a few moments’ silence
Read the passage a second time with different voices
Invite everyone to say aloud a word or phrase that strikes them
Read the passage a third time
Share together what this word or phrase might mean and what questions it raises
Reflection STEVEN CROFT
Finding our place in the Universe
The first line of the Lord’s Prayer summons you to discover your place in the universe. The prayer begins with the essential kindness
