How to Say the Lord's Prayer
The most widely known Christian prayer dates all the way back to Jesus himself. It can be found in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, though Matthew's version is the one most commonly used.
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You Will Need
- A prayerful mind
Steps
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Step 1
Close your eyes
Close your eyes if you choose. Some people feel it's easier to concentrate this way, but it's by no means required.
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Step 2
Imagine
Imagine yourself in God's presence.
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Remember that prayer can happen anywhere, even in a noisy crowd.
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Step 3
Begin the prayer
Begin the prayer out loud or silently to yourself. Our Father, Who art in Heaven, Hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread And forgive us our trespasses As we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not in to temptation But deliver us from evil.
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Some Protestants say "debts" instead of "trespasses" and "our debtors" instead of "those who trespass against us."
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Step 4
Protestant ending
If you're Protestant, continue with the ending, known as a "doxology," which was likely added in the early days of Christianity: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen.
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Step 5
Catholic ending
If you're Catholic, stop after "deliver us from evil" unless you're at Mass, in which case you'll say the doxology after the priest says an intervening prayer.
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Step 6
Orthodox ending
If you're Orthodox, stop after "deliver us from evil." At the Divine Liturgy, the priest says the doxology with an addition of the Trinity. Then the Orthodox congregation says "Amen."
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In the Gospel version of the prayer, Jesus uses an intimate term for father in Aramaic, "abba," closer to daddy than father.
