He was praying in a certain place, and when he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray just as John taught his disciples.” 2 He said to them, “When you pray, say: Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. 3 Give us each day our daily bread 4 and forgive us our sins for we ourselves forgive everyone in debt to us, and do not subject us to the final test.”
Jesus is at prayer. When He finishes, a disciple asks Him to teach them to pray as John taught his own followers. This fits the Jewish world of fixed daily prayer. Devout Israelites prayed morning and evening with the Shema (Dt 6:4-9). They also prayed the Eighteen Blessings (the Amidah) three times a day—morning, afternoon, and evening. In that setting, a rabbi often gave his disciples a short, memorable pattern to guide their prayer life. John did this. Jesus now does the same, giving words that shape what to ask and how to stand before God.
Jesus begins, “Father.” He teaches a direct, trusting address. In Luke the word is simple and personal. We speak to the One who made us and cares for us. “Hallowed be your name” asks that God’s name be seen as holy—set apart, weighty, and true. We ask God to make His holiness known in our lives and in the world. This is not flattery. It is a request that our lives line up with His holiness so that His name is not profaned by our conduct.
“Your kingdom come” asks for God’s saving reign to be real among us. In Luke, Jesus’ words and works show that reign already breaking in, yet the prayer also points to the future when God’s rule will be complete. We ask both for the spread of the gospel now and for the final fulfillment at the end.
“Give us each day our daily bread” brings the prayer to ordinary needs. Luke’s wording highlights steady dependence: each day, what we need for that day. It recalls Israel’s manna in the wilderness: God sent bread each morning and told them to gather a day’s portion, not to keep it overnight (Ex. 16:4, 19-21). Through this rhythm, God taught His people to rely on His word and care, not on stored surplus (Deut. 8:3). The psalm calls manna “bread from heaven,” food given by God’s power (Ps. 78:24-25). Wisdom adds that this bread met each person’s need (Wis.16:20-21). Jesus later points to Himself as the true bread from heaven who gives life to the world (Jn. 6:31-35). The prayer trains the heart to trust God’s care rather than anxiety or hoarding.
“And forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone in debt to us.” Luke’s wording is deliberate: he says “sins” for what we owe to God and “debt” for what others owe to us. In his Greek, the first term is “sins” (not “debts”) so readers do not reduce the petition to money; the second keeps the common moral image of a “debt” that can be released. The request and the commitment belong together: we ask God to show mercy while we choose to release our claims against others. This line does not say we earn forgiveness; it shows the shape of a heart made right—those who receive mercy from God extend mercy to those around them.
“And do not subject us to the final test.” The “test” is a trial that can shake faith. We ask God to keep us from trials that would overwhelm us and to sustain us when they come. Luke’s phrase matches his concern for faith under pressure—persecution, temptation, and the decisive end-time trial. We ask to be protected from the power of evil and kept faithful to the end.
Matthew’s Gospel gives a longer form (Mt 6:9-13). Matthew includes “your will be done,” “deliver us from the evil one,” and the plural “our Father in heaven.” Luke’s form is shorter and more direct, but the core is the same: God’s holiness, God’s reign, daily provision, mercy received and given, and help in trial. The doxology sometimes prayed after Matthew’s version (“For the kingdom…”) reflects later liturgical use and does not appear in the NABRE text.
Jesus gives a simple pattern: trust the Father, ask for His reign, rely on Him for today, receive and give mercy, and seek strength in trial.
Father, make Your name holy in our lives. Let Your kingdom come. Give us today what we need. Forgive our sins as we forgive those in our debt. Keep us faithful in every test. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
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Sources and References:
- The Holy Bible, New American Bible, Revised Edition (2011), Lk 11:1-4; Mt 6:9-13.
- Faculty of the University of Navarre, The Navarre Bible: New Testament Expanded Edition (Dublin: Four Courts/Scepter, 2008), notes on Luke 11 and Matthew 6.
- José Enrique Aguilar Chiu et al., eds., The Paulist Biblical Commentary (New York: Paulist Press, 2018), commentary on Luke 11:1-4; Matthew 6:9-13.
- Bernard Orchard et al., eds., A Catholic Commentary on Holy Scripture (London: Thomas Nelson; St. Louis: B. Herder, 1953), notes on the Lord’s Prayer.
- The Didache (1st–2nd c.), ch. 8, on praying the Lord’s Prayer daily.
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