“Our Father†– “The Lord’s Prayer†(Matt 6:9-13): The Emphases of Jesus

Abstract

The “Our Father†or “the Lord’s Prayer†is a very important prayer for all Christians, as it is the model of all prayers, taught by Jesus himself to his disciples. But even though it is the most loved and recited prayer by Christians, it may not be said to be really very deeply understood by many of them beyond this surface recitation. This article, therefore, dwells on this prayer so as to throw more light on its different aspects and emphases. The method employed in it is exegetical-theological, anchored especially on the Historical Critical method, in order to unearth properly the meaning of the biblical text as well as the important expressions in the prayer. By the use of these methods, therefore, this paper reveals that the Lord’s prayer is very deep in meaning as it prays for the coming of God’s kingdom in this present world, in anticipation of its final realization in the eschaton. The recommendation is that through the proper and deeper understanding of this prayer and, hence, through its more devotional recitation, Christians would not only pray for the coming of this kingdom from God but also actively participate in its realization through a more active Christian life. Thus, this study becomes very valuable not only to Christians in prayer and life but also to all human beings, including biblical scholars, teachers and students of religion.