The Our Father prayer is the prayer widely known in English as the Lord’s Prayer. Jesus taught it to his followers as a way of approaching God with reverence, trust, honesty, and concern for others. In Matthew 6:9–13 (NIV), Jesus introduces it by saying, “This, then, is how you should pray.” A parallel teaching appears in Luke 11:2–4 (NIV).

Christians may pray these words exactly as Jesus taught them, or use each line as a guide for speaking with God in their own words. The prayer is not a formula that guarantees a particular result. Instead, it gives a clear, memorable shape to prayer: God’s honor, God’s purposes, daily needs, forgiveness, and help in hardship.

What does the Our Father prayer say?

In Matthew’s account, the prayer begins, “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,” and continues by asking for God’s kingdom and will, daily bread, forgiveness, help in temptation, and deliverance from evil. Luke records Jesus teaching the same central concerns in a shorter form. Together, these passages show that Jesus was teaching his followers both what to ask for and the posture in which to ask.

What each part of the Our Father means

“Our Father in heaven”

The prayer begins with God. Calling God “Father” expresses trust and relationship, while “in heaven” reminds us that God is not merely like a human parent or limited by our circumstances. The word our matters too: even when a person prays alone, the prayer uses shared language. It teaches Christians to come before God not only with private concerns but also with care for other people.

This does not mean you cannot pray personally. You can bring your own grief, decisions, needs, and gratitude to God. But the wording keeps prayer from becoming only about “me.” It makes room for the needs of a family, a church, a neighborhood, and the wider world.

“Hallowed be your name”

To hallow God’s name is to treat God’s name as holy—to honor God for who he is. This is not mainly a request for better religious language. It is a prayer that God would be recognized, respected, and honored in the world and in our own lives.

Prayed personally, this line might lead someone to say, “God, help me to speak and act in a way that reflects your goodness today.” It turns attention away from self-importance and toward God’s character.

“Your kingdom come, your will be done”

These requests ask for God’s good rule and purposes to be at work. Christians pray them when they long for what is right, merciful, and faithful to God’s will. They also involve humility. Rather than treating prayer as a way to make God endorse every plan we already have, this part of the prayer teaches us to ask that our desires be shaped by God’s purposes.

That can be especially meaningful when facing an uncertain choice. A person may still ask clearly for wisdom or an open door, while also praying, “Guide me toward what honors you, even if it is not what I expected.”

“Give us today our daily bread”

“Daily bread” includes the ordinary provisions people need for the day: food, work, shelter, strength, and other necessities. Christians have also reflected on the phrase more broadly as an expression of daily dependence on God. Either way, the request is concrete. Jesus directs his followers to bring real needs to God rather than pretending they are self-sufficient.

Praying for daily bread does not promise that every desired outcome will arrive on our timetable. It does invite honest dependence. Someone might pray for enough money to cover a bill, strength for a demanding day, food for a struggling neighbor, or wisdom to use available resources well.

“Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us”

The prayer joins receiving forgiveness from God with extending forgiveness to others. We come to God honestly, acknowledging our own sin and need for mercy. At the same time, we ask God to form in us a willingness to forgive those who have wronged us.

Forgiveness is not the same as saying that harm did not matter. It does not require someone to ignore danger, deny wrongdoing, or remain in an unsafe situation. In some circumstances, wise boundaries, protection, accountability, and help from trusted people are necessary. Yet this petition calls Christians away from revenge and toward the mercy God gives.

“Lead us not into temptation” and “deliver us from evil”

These words express dependence on God when we face temptation, testing, and evil. They are a humble recognition that people need help to resist what pulls them away from what is good and faithful. Rather than assuming we can handle every pressure alone, we ask God for wisdom, strength, and protection.

This can become a very practical prayer. Before a difficult conversation, a lonely evening, a stressful workday, or a situation where you know you are vulnerable, you might ask God to help you recognize temptation and choose what is right.

Why does the prayer say “our” instead of “my”?

The shared words—“our,” “us,” and “we”—remind Christians that prayer has a communal dimension. Jesus taught his followers to pray with concern for one another: our daily bread, our forgiveness, and help for us in temptation.

You can certainly pray the Our Father privately. When you do, its plural language can widen your prayer. Along with asking God for your own needs, you might remember people who are hungry, burdened by guilt, caught in conflict, or facing a difficult temptation.

Can you pray the Our Father in your own words?

Yes. Christians may recite the prayer as Jesus taught it, slowly and thoughtfully. They may also pause after each request and pray about that theme in their own words. Neither approach needs to be treated as spiritually superior.

Reciting the prayer can be helpful when you do not know what to say or when familiar words steady your attention. Praying through its themes can help connect Jesus’ teaching with a particular situation. In both cases, the point is not to perform the words perfectly but to turn honestly toward God.

How to use the Our Father as a guide for prayer

Try praying one line, then pause briefly. For example, after “Give us today our daily bread,” you could pray: “Father, you know what I need today. Provide what is necessary for my family, help me do my work faithfully, and show me someone whose needs I can remember as well.”

Then continue with the next line. You might name a resentment while praying about forgiveness, or identify a specific pressure while asking for help in temptation. Over time, the Our Father prayer can become both familiar words to pray and a simple framework that keeps prayer rooted in trust, daily dependence, mercy, and God’s will.