Matthew 6:9-13 is the passage most Christians know as the Lord’s Prayer, the model prayer Jesus gave his disciples. It teaches that prayer should begin with honoring God, then bring our needs for daily provision, forgiveness and protection before him. The words were spoken during the Sermon on the Mount, in a section where Jesus corrects religious show and teaches his listeners how to pray sincerely.
9 Pray like this: ‘Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. 10 Let your Kingdom come. Let your will be done, as in heaven, so on earth. 11 Give us today our daily bread. 12 Forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors. 13 Bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For yours is the Kingdom, the power, and the glory forever. Amen.’
Matthew 6:9-13 (WEB)
Matthew 6:9-13 Summary
Jesus begins by addressing God as Father in heaven and asking that his name be treated as holy. The next requests look toward the coming of God’s kingdom and the doing of his will on earth as it already happens in heaven. Only after this does the prayer turn to human needs: bread for the day, forgiveness for wrongs we have done, and protection from temptation and from the evil one.
The order matters. The prayer does not start with a shopping list. It starts with God’s glory and God’s purposes, then lets our everyday dependence and our moral struggles find their place inside that larger concern. The closing words, about God’s kingdom, power and glory forever, bring the whole prayer back to the one who hears it.
Context of Matthew 6:9-13
Matthew’s Gospel was written for a community of Jewish and Gentile followers of Jesus, and it presents Jesus as the teacher who fulfills and deepens God’s law. In Matthew 6:6-16, Jesus warns against praying to be seen, against empty repetition, and against fasting for display. Each of these corrections points toward a prayer offered in sincerity to a Father who already knows what his children need.
The verses just before and after the prayer tie it closely to forgiveness. Jesus says that the forgiveness we receive from God is connected to how we forgive others, which gives the petition about debts real weight. The prayer is therefore not a separate ritual but part of a larger picture of a life lived in trust and mercy.
Matthew 6:9-13 Verse by Verse
Philippians 4:6
In nothing be anxious, but in everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.
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Paul’s counsel to bring every request to God with thanksgiving echoes the Lord’s Prayer’s trust in the Father who hears. It shows that bringing ordinary worries into prayer is a faithful response to God’s care.
Ephesians 4:32
And be kind to one another, tender hearted, forgiving each other, just as God also in Christ forgave you.
(WEB)
This verse connects forgiveness to the kindness and mercy God has shown us in Christ. It reinforces the prayer’s link between being forgiven and forgiving others.
A Prayer Based on Matthew 6:9-13
Father in heaven, I come to you as your child and ask that your name be honored in my life and in the world. Let your kingdom come and your will be done here, as it is done in heaven. Give me the bread I need for today, and help me trust you with tomorrow. Forgive my debts, as I try to forgive those who have wronged me, and keep me from temptation and from the evil one. Yours is the kingdom, the power and the glory forever. Amen.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Lord’s Prayer meant to be recited word for word?
Jesus gave these words as a pattern, and many Christians pray them exactly as written. Others use them as a guide for shaping their own prayers. Both approaches honor the teaching that prayer should be sincere and centered on God.
Why does the prayer ask God to forgive us as we forgive others?
Jesus links the two directly in the verses that follow the prayer. The petition reminds us that a heart shaped by God’s forgiveness will also be willing to forgive. It does not mean that our forgiveness earns God’s, but it shows what genuine receiving of grace looks like.
What does “daily bread” mean in Matthew 6:11?
The phrase refers to the food and necessities needed for each day. It expresses trust in God’s provision and encourages us to depend on him day by day. It is a reminder that every good thing we need comes from the Father.
