Vital Signs: Sunday, March 30, 2025

The Power of the Lord’s Prayer

“I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity.”—1 Timothy 2:1–2 (NLT)

One day, one of Jesus’ disciples came to Him asking, “Lord, teach us to pray” (Luke 11:1). Jesus responded by praying a prayer we now call the Lord’s Prayer. Appearing twice in Scripture (Luke 11:2–4 and Matthew 6:9–13), the more well-known version in Matthew begins, “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name…” and you can probably finish the rest. This incredibly famous prayer is memorized and recited by millions around the world. It has appeared in countless films, TV shows, books, and songs. The Lord’s Prayer is so widely quoted that many people think of it as just an old prayer from the past. In fact, because so many have recited it repeatedly, it has almost become commonplace. And because we know it so well, we don’t always consider what it truly means.

This is “Our Prayer” from the Lord. It’s what He wants us to pray.It’s a powerful truth that should define how we live in the present.

When we call God “Our Father” and proclaim that His name is “hallowed” (or sanctified), we’re placing ourselves under His authority. We are saying that He comes first.

When we pray, “Your kingdom come” and “Your will be done,” we’re inviting our heavenly Father to work in all His authority in our lives and in the lives of those around us. Like Jesus, we’re saying we want to be about His business (Luke 2:49).

When we ask Him to “give us this day our daily bread,” we’re saying we trust Him to provide for our everyday needs. We don’t have to worry about tomorrow because He’s taking care of today. And He’ll continue to care for us and guide us in the days that follow, because He knows exactly what we need.

We pray, “forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors,” because, having received the unconditional love and forgiveness of our Father, we are to love, forgive, and live in right relationship with others.

Because we’ve submitted ourselves to His perfect authority, we ask that He would “deliver us” from temptation and evil. We don’t want to be a part of anything that goes against His will.

This prayer gives us the basic principles of how we should relate to God and others. As we submit to His authority as our loving Father and trust Him completely, we can live out His plan for our lives as we forgive and love others.

What’s truly fascinating about this prayer is its length. In just a few short sentences, Jesus provided His disciples—and us, His followers—with a prayer containing the most important things we need to know and believe.

Today, perhaps more than ever before, Jesus’ followers need to be challenged again to respond to His timeless message.